How to Change a Tire Without Looking Like an Idiot, by Big Bro Explains on YouTube. 2 min 31 s.
- Video length
- 2 min 31 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Slow down and steer to a flat, firm spot well off the road, away from traffic. Turn on your hazard lights and put the car in gear or park.
Get everyone out on the side away from traffic and stand behind a barrier if there is one. Put out your warning triangle if you have one.
Take out the spare, jack and wheel brace. Chock the wheel diagonally opposite the flat so the car cannot roll.
Fit the wheel brace on the first lug nut and push down to loosen it half a turn. Do this for all nuts before the car is lifted.
Place the jack under the car's jacking point near the flat wheel, as shown in the handbook. Raise the car until the flat tyre clears the ground.
Unscrew the loosened nuts fully and lift the flat wheel off. Set it flat on the ground so it cannot roll away.
Lift the spare onto the hub, line up the holes and push it on. Hand-tighten all the lug nuts in a star pattern.
Lower the jack until the tyre touches the ground, then tighten the nuts firmly in a star pattern. Lower the car fully and remove the jack.
Check the spare's pressure as soon as you can and drive to a garage to get the flat repaired or replaced. Keep below the space saver's speed limit.
Tips and common mistakes
Never put any part of your body under a car held up only by a scissor jack.
Loosen the lug nuts before lifting the car, or the wheel will just spin.
A space saver spare is usually limited to about 50 mph, so check the label.
Tighten in a star pattern so the wheel sits evenly on the hub.
Questions
Do I need to loosen the nuts before jacking up the car?
Yes. With the tyre on the ground the wheel cannot spin, so the nuts come loose. Once the car is in the air they can be very hard to shift.
How tight should the lug nuts be?
Firm and even, tightened in a star pattern. Check your handbook for the torque figure and have a garage check them soon after.
Can I drive on a space saver spare?
Only at reduced speed and for a short distance. Check the limit on the wheel or in the handbook and get the proper tyre fitted as soon as possible.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
