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How to change a car tyre

Before you start

Practice run

If you haven't changed a tyre before, consider a training run. Choose a dry day, a flat surface and when you've got plenty of time.

Be prepared

  • Keep a small plastic sheet, a pair of gloves to protect your hands and a torch in your car.
  • Always make sure the spare is inflated - check it regularly - the jack is in the right place and that you read the car manual.

Instructions for changing a car tyre

Right, here's how to change your car tyre:

  1. Apply handbrake.
  2. Place the jack on firm ground, as flat as possible.
  3. Loosen the nuts while the car's weight is on the ground. This can be difficult, especially if the nut wrench is short. The longer the wrench handle, the better the leverage and the easier it is to remove the nuts.
    If the wrench handle is long enough, it can be angled in a way that allows you to stand on it to loosen stubbornly tight nuts. If your wrench is too short, buy a knuckle bar and socket to fit (try Repco) or get a piece of pipe to slot onto the wrench handle.  Remember to wind anti-clockwise to undo nuts and clock-wise to do them up.
  4. Jack the wheel high enough to fit the spare tyre on.
  5. Remove the nuts and remove the wheel.
  6. Lift the new wheel on and screw the nuts back on, starting with the bottom one.
  7. When the nuts are finger-tight, lower the car, then tighten them properly - standing on the wrench handle to give a light bounce, if you had to stand on it to loosen them. If you over-tighten the nuts you can warp the brake components, but not to tighten them enough is dangerous

When you've finished kneeling on your plastic sheet, use it to protect your boot from the dirty tyre. If you have a space saver, do not travel faster than 80 km/h and get the tyre fixed as soon as possible.

Changing tyres on tricky car models

Some models, such as Alfa Romeo and Fiat, do not have studs extending from the hub to hang the wheel on. Instead their wheels have centring flanges with small pins. The tool kit includes a longer pin which screws into a bolt hole. Lifting the wheel onto this lines it up perfectly.

To prevent theft, alloy wheels have locking nuts, which won't fit a standard socket. When buying a car with alloys, check for a locking nut and the correct socket.

To fit a heavy wheel

  1. Roll it close to the hub.
  2. Tuck your left foot under its left side and insert the thin end of the wrench under the right.
  3. Balancing the top with one hand, use the wrench as a lever to lift the tyre slightly.
  4. When close enough, use the wrench to lever the tyre up. It'll help if you haven't jacked the car up too far.