How to Change a Tire — The SheCANic Way
Last month I wrote about how to get your car road-trip ready (catch up here). But what happens when you’re already out there—bag packed, playlist queued, snacks on deck—and suddenly, thump-thump-thump: a flat tire?
If you’ve ever been stuck on the side of the road waiting two hours for roadside assistance, you know that’s not the vibe. That’s why this month’s SheCANic tip is all about changing a tire yourself. Because honestly? It’s easier than you think, and knowing how to do it is a total confidence booster.
First things First: Safety
Before you even think about grabbing that jack, make sure you’re safe:
Pull over to a flat, stable spot away from traffic. You do not want to change a tire with your back to traffic.
Hit those hazard lights. Set your parking brake.
If you’ve got cones or triangles, put ‘em out.
No flat-tire heroics on hills or soft ground—call a tow if it’s sketchy.
Gather Your Tools
Most of these are already in your trunk—check before you hit the road!
Spare tire (small donut tire) or Full Size Spare (extra tire that is same size as others)
Jack
Lug wrench (plus a 3 foot pipe for leverage if you have one)
Mat or towel for your knees
Gloves (optional but highly recommended)
Owner’s Manual
Make sure your spare tire or full size spare has air. Over time the air will seep out of the tire and it will need to be refilled to the proper pressure. We never think about the spare tire.
Step by Step Instructions to Change A Tire
This one’s for the future SheCANics—and for the ladies who aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves, get a little dirty, and save their own day. Let’s go.
Step 1: Find the lift points for the jack.
You’ll likely need to get down on your hands and knees to locate the lift point closest to the tire you are changing—this is the spot where a jack can be safely positioned. There are four lift points on a car, located several inches behind the front tires on each side of the car and several inches in front of the rear tires on each side of the car (and designated on some cars with little arrows).
Check your owner’s manual—if you cannot find your lift points.
Step 2: Position the jack and prep the tire.
Place the jack on flat ground directly beneath the lift point. Start to raise the jack until the top touches the lift point on the car. Jack the car up just enough to get a little weight off the tire. Do not jack the car all the way up so that the tire leaves the ground. If you do, when you try to loosen the lug nuts, the tire will spin and prevent you from obtaining traction.
Step 3: Bust a nut.
Grab your lug wrench—it’s time to bust loose the lug nuts (the parts that secure the tire to the wheel bearing) from the wheel studs.
Make sure the head of your wrench fits tightly around the lug nut and is pushed all the way onto the lug. Remember the toy toddlers would play with, where they had to put the square peg in the square hole and the circular peg in the circular hole? Same philosophy here.
Now turn the wrench to the left (counterclockwise), exerting as much force as you can on the end of the wrench. Remember: righty tighty, lefty loosey. The trick here is to loosen each lug nut enough so you will be able to remove them later by hand. Do not remove the nuts entirely from the stud yet. We just want to bust them loose while the tire is still on the ground.
**side note** Those lug nuts can be stubborn, so this step is likely to be the hardest part. Lug nuts may be rusted on, or they could have been screwed on too tight the last time the tire was removed. Mechanics use a power tool to screw and unscrew lug nuts, and some really drill down onto the wheel stud.
There are a couple of things you can do to loosen your lug nuts if you find that using your own upper body strength is not sufficient: (a) use your foot to step on the wrench, recruiting your body weight to create some extra force, or (b) slide the pipe from your tool kit over the handle of the wrench. This will lengthen the wrench handle, giving you more mechanical leverage and decreasing the force required to turn the lug. Watch this video here to learn how you can get more leverage while busting loose a lug nut using a pipe.
Step 4: Lift the car.
Once the lug nuts are all loose, jack up the car until the flat tire is just off the ground and the wheel can spin freely. Now you’ll be lifting part of the car off the ground. This will give your arms a serious workout, but you can do it.
Step 5: Remove the tire.
Once the flat tire is off the ground, use your hands to completely remove all the lug nuts from the wheel studs. Place the lug nuts aside. Pull the flat tire off the wheel studs and place it aside as well.
Step 6: Put on the spare.
Grab the spare and place it on the wheel. Retrieve the lug nuts and use your hands to screw them onto the wheel studs. Remember, righty tighty, lefty loosey. Do not use any tools to tighten the lug nuts yet. You want them to be “hand tight,” just holding the tire onto the wheel.
Step 7: Lower the car.
Now it’s time to lower the car with the jack until the tire just touches the ground. Do not completely lower the weight of the car onto the ground. You want the car in the same position as in step 3, when you were busting the nuts loose. You don’t want the entire weight of the car on the spare tire until the lug nuts have been tightened with a wrench.
Step 8: Tighten the lug nuts.
Take your lug wrench and tighten each lug nut onto its stud, starting at the top right and working in a star pattern. Remember to make sure the head of your wrench fits tightly around the lug nut and is pushed all the way on.
Use some muscle when you turn the wrench to the right (clockwise). You can recruit your foot or the pipe to get more leverage on the wrench, but you don’t need to jump on it. You do want to use all your might, wrenching down on the lug until the wrench doesn’t turn any farther.
Step 9: Remove the jack.
Almost there! Now it’s time to lower the jack all the way. Put your tools, along with the flat tire, back into the trunk. Take the tire to your mechanic to get it repaired or replaced.
Step 10: Pat yourself on the back.
The final and most important step? Wipe your brow and stand back and admire your hard work. Changing a tire isn’t glamorous, but it’s empowering. Next time you’re road-tripping with friends, you’ll be the one who saves the day. And if you’re curious what else you should know before you hit the highway, check out last month’s road trip prep blog for the ultimate pre-adventure checklist.
