How do I change a tyre?

Loosen before lifting, lift on the right point, and the motorway exception that matters most.

Difficulty: intermediate
Time: 45 min
Read: 3 min
Safety: warning

Short answer

Loosen the wheel nuts before jacking the car up — you cannot loosen them once the wheel is off the ground because it just spins. And never do this on a motorway hard shoulder: get behind the barrier and call for help.

Changing a wheel is straightforward on a driveway and genuinely dangerous at the roadside. Deciding where you are before you start is the most important step, and it is not part of most instructions.

Safety

Never get under a vehicle supported only by a jack. Only change a tyre on firm level ground, well away from traffic — on a motorway hard shoulder, do not attempt it: get behind the barrier and call for assistance. Apply the handbrake, chock a wheel if you can, and loosen the nuts before lifting the car.

What you'll need

Spare wheel or repair kit
Jack
Wheel brace
Locking wheel nut key
Warning triangle (optional)
Gloves and a torch (optional)

Step by step

Decide whether to do it at all.On a motorway hard shoulder, do not. Get everyone out on the passenger side, behind the barrier, and call for assistance. Anywhere with passing traffic close by, the same applies.
Find firm level ground and secure the car.Handbrake on, in gear or park, engine off, hazards on. Soft ground or a slope makes a jack unsafe. Chock the diagonally opposite wheel if you have anything suitable.
Get the spare, the jack and the tools out first.Including the locking wheel nut key, which is often in the glovebox rather than with the tools. Discovering it is missing after jacking the car up is a common problem.
Loosen the wheel nuts before lifting.Half a turn each, while the wheel is still on the ground. Once it is in the air the wheel spins and you cannot loosen anything. This is the step people get wrong.
Find the correct jacking point.In the handbook — a reinforced point on the sill, usually marked. Jacking anywhere else bends the floorpan or slips, and either is serious.
Lift only as far as needed.Enough for the flat tyre to clear the ground with room for the inflated spare. Higher than necessary is less stable.
Swap the wheel and hand-tighten in a star pattern.Nuts on finger tight, opposite pairs rather than going round in order, so the wheel seats squarely.
Lower it, then tighten fully in the same pattern.Final tightening happens with the wheel on the ground. Then check the spare's pressure and get the nuts torque-checked properly as soon as you can.

Tips

Check where your spare, jack and locking nut key are now, and that the spare has air in it. A flat spare is discovered at the worst possible moment.
Many cars now carry a sealant kit rather than a spare. Read how it works before you need it — it is not usable on a large gash or a sidewall.
A space-saver spare has a speed limit, usually 50mph, and is for getting to a garage rather than continuing a journey.

Common mistakes

Jacking the car before loosening the nuts — The wheel spins freely once off the ground and the nuts cannot be loosened. Break them before lifting.
Changing a wheel on a motorway hard shoulder — It is one of the most dangerous places to stand. Get behind the barrier and call for assistance.

Questions people ask

Should I loosen the wheel nuts before or after jacking?

Before — half a turn each while the wheel is on the ground. Once it is lifted the wheel spins and nothing can be loosened.

Can I change a tyre on the hard shoulder?

No. Get everyone out on the passenger side, behind the barrier, and call for assistance. It is one of the most dangerous places to work on a vehicle.