CarAdvice College – Part One: Changing a Flat Tyre

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By Matt Brogan | December 17th, 2008

It’s a rather sad indictment on behalf of the modern motorist that simple mechanical up keep and some rather basic driving techniques have been placed in the too hard basket. Fact is that with a bit of knowledge these tasks are so simple it’s laughable.

So with that in mind CarAdvice aims to whip you in to shape over coming months with a series of eight step lessons designed to assist the less learned among us with the know how to perform acts of engineering trickery with confidence and become a safer driver too.

The obvious starting point, as simple as it may seem to the majority, is changing a flat tyre. It’s hard to believe, but most drivers call the auto club instead of attempting this simple feat themselves. In fact for 2003 the RACV received an average of 140 call outs per day for flat tyres!

Step 1: Secure the vehicle. Safety first! Drive the car off to the left side of the road trying to place yourself as far from the traffic as practicable. Wherever possible park on a firm, level surface, select park (or leave manuals in gear), apply the park brake firmly, switch your engine off and your hazard lights on. Remove your passengers to a safe location away from the car – preferably behind a safety rail – and if your car has a reflective safety triangle, use it.

Step 2: Prepare the spare. Grab the jack, tool kit and spare wheel from the boot ensuring the spare is inflated before proceeding. If you’re able to, chock the wheel diagonally opposite the flat tyre – even if it means using a couple of rocks – to help keep the car from rolling whilst jacked. Remove any wheel trims, hub caps or dressings from the flat tyre using the tools provided before attempting to jack the car.

Step 3: Jack the car. Locate your vehicle’s jacking points. There will be one for each wheel, usually located under the doors, beneath the car. Extend the jack by hand first so it sits snuggly in the groove, you’re then ready to commence lifting the vehicle. Before they tyre leaves the ground entirely, you may find it of benefit to ‘crack’ or slightly loosen the wheel nuts with the wheel brace first. Once done, continue jacking the car to a height sufficient enough for removing the wheel, but no higher. At no time should you get under the jacked vehicle.

Step 4: Remove the wheel. Now that the vehicle is jacked, use the wheel brace to remove the wheel nuts. Don’t let them roll away. With the nuts removed you should now be able to easily remove the wheel by lifting it slightly and sliding it away from the car. Remember, bent knees, straight back! Once the wheel is removed, lay it flat on its side. It’s worth remembering a tyre can get hot on longer trips, so best to check before grabbing a handful of hot tyre.

Step 5: Install the spare. If you visually line up the holes in the spare wheel with the wheel studs (bolts) prior to lifting the wheel in to place, your job will be made much easier. Once the wheel is located on the studs it’s a simple matter of putting the wheel nuts back on to secure the wheel. When tightening the nuts – and this is vital – they MUST be tightened in a specific order to ensure the wheel is balanced. An easy way to remember this is tightened one, skip one, and repeat until all the wheel nuts are finger tight.

Step 6: De-jack the car. Once the wheel is secure, lower the jack until the wheel makes friction contact with the ground. This will allow the wheel to remain still while you again tighten the wheel nuts, this time using the wheel brace, following the same sequence as before. You’ll notice they become a lot tighter this time round. When you are sure all the nuts are sufficiently tightened, lower the jack all the way and remove it from under the car (at no time should you stand on the wheel brace or over tighten the wheel nuts).

Step 7: Redress the wheel. With the wheel now fastened be sure to replace any wheel trims, hub caps or dressings so they’re not left by the road side. If you’ve installed a space saver, put the wheel dressings in the boot with the tools and flat tyre.

Step 8: You’re done. By now the jack, tools and spare wheel should be secured back in their original location in the boot and you’ll be ready to continue your journey. Don’t forget to remove any wheel chocks you’ve put in place and to collect your emergency triangle. With the traffic clear get everyone back in the car and safely rejoin the road remembering to switch off you hazard lights. If you’ve installed a space saver spare these often have a speed rating (usually 80km/h), so be sure to adhere to this for your safety.

Note 1: Don’t forget to have the flat tyre repaired as soon as possible to avoid being stranded with two flat tyres should another puncture occur.

Note 2: As these instructions are not vehicle specific please familiarise yourself with your vehicle’s specific needs by first consulting the owner’s manual.

Rather than leave it until you actually have a flat tyre, by which time it will no doubt be dark and pouring rain, have a practice run one weekend. It’s truly not that hard and who knows with a bit of practice you may be able to pass the skills on to someone else. So hit print, adorn the overalls and get out to the garage.

If you still have concerns about changing the wheel yourself consult your car’s owner’s manual or contact your local auto club. Many auto clubs offer lessons free of charge to members and it’s a great way of ensuring you’re familiar with your car should you ever be unlucky enough to encounter a flat.

Next time: Safe overtaking techniques.

HSV

********PRIMA**********
NICE HSV JACKET!!!!!!!
acfsambo

Another safety point that my dad told me is to put the spare under the car (when the car is jacked up enough) so if it does fall and for some reason you are under it it wont fall as far, and to put the flat wheel under the car when you are putting the spare on.

Also there is a flaw in the tighten one miss one theory, as that won’t work in a car with a 4 stud pattern.
Ouch

I too was told another tip, and that was, that before the car has been jacked right up – flat tyre just off the ground, is to give the car a good shake to make sure the jack is actually properly holding the car – dont want it dropping as you undo wheel nuts/remove wheel, etc. I would much prefer a dent underneath the car than one in my arm or leg.
Matty B

I think the biggest tip is to keep all body parts clear of underneath the car. There’s no need to be sitting down underneath it anyway.
Camski

HSV – Nice LS460 =P

Agree with everything that’s been said. Look another tip, when jacking up 4WD’s, the jack goes under the axle. I say this because I know family members that went overseas and took a 4WD out into a national park/game reserve and they aren’t stupid, yet they couldn’t work out how to jack up the car high enough to change the wheel (4WD’s have a LOT of wheel travel [ie. jacking up the car means the wheel will drop back down]). This meant being stranded in the rain trying to figure it out, and out in the middle of no where, they were lucky to find some help. Don’t put yourself in this position.

It’s probably something we should all know given that a lot of us will hire a 4WD at some stage as for example to head out and see some of Australia’s nicest natural attractions which require some offroading.
driver

STEP 4 – also note that the tyre taken off should be placed side-on beneath the car – this is a major safety step. if the jack fails or the car slides of the jack – then it will land on the tyre (leaving some clearance) instead of falling all the way to the ground; potentially crushing a limb of the person changing the wheel.
driver

^ just read acfsambo’s post – good point!
Frontman

The biggest thing I’d like to push (because I knew someone it happened to) even if you have to drive slowly on your flat tyre to get somewhere safe,

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU ARE WELL CLEAR OF THE ROAD.

B doubles move a lot of air on highways and you will get sucked under the truck. A new tyre is much less costly..

Also, a little tip. If you buy 4 mags for you car and keep the steely as a spare, either make sure you keep original wheel nuts or that the mag nuts will work with the steely.
BJ

HSV,
I think you will find that it is an HRT Jacket, NOT an ‘HSV’ Jacket!!!!!
RoFlmaTiC

The people who get call outs to change tyres probably don’t know where the jack is located in their car :-p
Frontman

RoFlmaTiC Says:
December 17th, 2008 at 2:05 pm

Old saying but real meaning of NRMA????
No Real Mechanics Available…
Iz

One thing that I’d add is, know what to do with anti-theft bolts!

May not be the biggest deal, but a lot of cars are coming equipped with em now-a-days.

Also, a good thing to note is that most cars come with a toolkit which includes all the tools you’d need for most roadside issues such as a flat.

(and if you do have anti-theft bolts, don’t lose the attachment for them for your tire iron!)
spiderman

Mmmm so you are showing us how to change a tyre safely, yet YOU have your left leg beneath the car in the photo!!!! Amazing
laurie

I think you should get people to know how to drive first before they learn to change tyres most must be getting their license from a packet of Rice Bubbles!!

laurie
SamR

For the last few years I have been doing it differently for flats and I like it much better.

I purchased a $15 electric tire pump from Supercheap and put it in the boot.

When I notice a flat and I am not far from a tire place (which is most of the time) I just pump up the tire and drive to the nearest tire place.

Almost all my flats have been very slow leaks from nails which respond well to this.
RoFlmaTiC

mmm I didn’t realise they were so cheap SamR! I might do the same thing. Means I don’t need to check my tyre pressures at the servo
Pablo

Step 1 should be stop reading this NOW & go out to your car to check that the spare tyre is still inflated for when you need it.
Cupid Stunt aka No Name

Over here you are encouraged not to change on the roadside yourself due to the danger involved, but to call the recovery bods who’ll position themselves to lessen the chance of getting run over.
Sound advice SamR – better to get away from the roadside is possible. All about minimising the risk.
By the way folks anyone travelling in France, should you get here, you MUST carry a High Viz vest in the car, one each for all occupants. If its in the boot/trunk you’ll get fined. Seems the Frog cops are pulling Brits over and imposing fines without actually telling anyone of the new law.
riceboy

Good feedback from this article… I have to admit I’ve called out RACV to change a tyre and a battery on different occasions because I couldn’t be bothered… My car must’ve had a slow leak overnight and I found it flat in the garage… I know how to change a flat too…
http://kezkc.blogspot.com Kezza

I hate to rat you out considering what you’re trying to achieve here is a good thing, but… You do show someone who looks like they’re still under a jacked-up car, without the sapre wheel under the sill (under the bumper isn’t going to help if the car falls) and at no stage should you sit while lifting the wheel or tightening the wheel nuts, it’s murder for your back.
FrugalOne

Errr is that photo done on purpose to prove a point?The guys has his legs under the car, NOT a good thing to do when its held up with a cheap nasty jack that car-co’s supply.

Perhaps if all cars where fitted with run-flat types, TONS of rubber would be saved each year as would fuel and less pollution.

Maybe its the future?

Cheers

F-0
Andrew M

^^^
And good to see the tyres chocked too as recommended.

Most of the time I have a compressor in tow behind my car.
Last time i picked up a screw I just topped it up before I left in the morning, and again before I left work which got me to Bob Jane no probs.
Plus I didnt have to tarnish the image by having a black spare among the alloys.

Frontman makes a good point if you put aftermarket alloys on in making sure you keep nuts for the spare if they are different.
Also to note further to that, sometimes the factory tyre iron wont fit inside the recess for the mag nuts.

I got caught out once where the alloys fitted had a nut recess that was too small to get the factory tyre iron in.
I then sourced a cross brace which had thinner walls than the factory one.

Luckily I found out when I tried to do a rotation and wheel clean
http://www.CarZ.com CarZ

You have to always shake the car to make sure the jack can hold the weight. I would never go under a car with out that precaution. Another would be to make sure a flat tire or another buffer is under to if it does fall it gets caught by something.