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9.18

Changing a flat tire

Make the car safe and stable before you touch a lug nut.

A man uses a lug wrench on a car wheel while showing a younger person how to change a tire. A toolbox sits beside them.
Photo: Ron Lach / Pexels
Area: HandsFrom age 18Time to learn: 1 hour to practise at home; 20 to 30 minutes at the roadside

You will be able to replace a flat tire with your car's spare using the jack and lug wrench.

SafetyNever get under a car held up only by a jack. Beside a busy road or highway, calling for help is safer than working next to traffic. NHTSA advises checking the pressure of all tires, including the spare, at least once a month. Practise first at home with an experienced driver or mechanic watching.

Why it matters

A flat can happen anywhere. Knowing the steps lets you get moving again, or decide that it is safer to wait for help. Poor tire care can lead to flats, blowouts and tread separation. Practising once at home turns a stressful roadside job into a routine one.

In 2024, 511 people died on US roads in tire-related crashes.
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Tires, 2024.Measured

How to do it

  1. Slow down and pull well off the road onto firm, level ground, away from traffic. Turn on your hazard lights. If you cannot get fully clear of traffic, do not change the tire there; call roadside assistance (such as AAA in the US or CAA in Canada), or 911 if you are in danger.
  2. Put the car in Park (or first gear in a manual), set the parking brake, and turn off the engine. Get passengers out and away from the road.
  3. Block the wheel diagonally opposite the flat with wheel wedges, bricks or large stones: in front of the front tires for a rear flat, behind the rear tires for a front flat.
  4. Get out the owner's manual, spare, jack and lug wrench. The manual shows where the spare is and exactly where the jack must go. Many newer cars have no spare, only a sealant and inflator kit; if so, follow the manual for that kit or call for help.
  5. Remove the hubcap if there is one. With the tire still on the ground, turn each lug nut counterclockwise a quarter to a half turn. Do not take them off yet.
  6. Place the jack at the jack point the manual shows, next to the flat. Raise the car until there is room for the inflated spare, usually about 6 inches (15 cm). Keep your hands, feet and body out from under the car.
  7. Remove the lug nuts, keep them together, and pull the flat straight off.
  8. Line up the spare with the wheel studs, push it on, and thread every nut on by hand.
  9. Lower the car until the spare just touches the ground. Tighten the nuts with the wrench in a star (criss-cross) pattern, as tight as you can.
  10. Lower the car fully, remove the jack, and tighten each nut once more. Check the spare's pressure soon against the label on the spare or the door-jamb placard; many temporary spares need 60 psi. Drive slowly to a tire shop, because temporary spares are not for long distances or high speeds, and have the nuts torqued to specification.

Common mistakes

  • Raising the car before loosening the lug nuts, so the wheel spins.
  • Putting the jack anywhere except the marked jack point.
  • Tightening the nuts in a circle instead of a star pattern, which can seat the wheel unevenly.
  • Never checking the spare, then finding it flat when you need it.
You can do this when …you have practised once at home: found the spare, jack and jack point, and taken a wheel off and put it back on in under 30 minutes.

Sources

  1. NHTSA: Tires (TireWise)
  2. Firestone Complete Auto Care: How to Change a Flat Tire

Sources and numbers last checked . How we check

Topic: Simple fixes

Go deeper

ReportThe Basic Skills Report Card 2026We graded US adults on nine basics, most of which school rarely tests, from swimming to the fine print, with Canadian data where it exists. Six subjects got an F.

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