How to Change a Tire

We’ve all been there before—we’re cruising around town unbeknownst that one of our tires is flat. Usually when you notice this, you’ll take a quick trip to the air pump and add the missing air. Although, sometimes when you’re driving around Danvers, Peabody, or Salem, Massachusetts, you aren’t given enough warning and are forced to pull over and change your vehicle’s flat tire.

This may seem like a huge task that only experts in the tire industry are capable of doing, but changing a tire is really quite simple. To show you how easy it is, we here at Ira Toyota of Danvers have created this easy-to-follow guide. Keep reading to get started!

Supplies Needed

Before you roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty, you first need to make sure you have the required tools and supplies to change your tire. The best way to ensure you have these tools is to add them to an emergency kit and always keep them in your trunk.

The supplies needed to change a tire include:

  • Fully inflated spare tire
  • Jack
  • Lug wrench
  • Wheel wedges
  • Wood to secure jack

Now that you know the general supplies needed, let’s see how you can change your tire in eight easy steps!

How to Change a Tire in 8 Steps

Before you can change your tire, you have to pull over to a safe location. Make sure to enable your parking brake and emergency hazards for extra precaution. All ready? Let’s go through step by step how to change a tire.

  1. Use the Wheel Wedges

These wheel wedges should be placed either behind or in front of your tires—depending on the incline—to ensure your car doesn’t roll while it’s on the jack.

  1. Loosen Your Lug Nuts

Your lug nuts are hidden beneath your hubcap, so go ahead and take that off. Afterward, use the lug wrench and turn it counterclockwise until the nuts become loosened.

  1. Jack Your Car

Place your small piece of wood under your car and the jack on top of it. Refer to your owner’s manual to see the proper placement of the jack. Once in place, raise the jack until the flat tire is roughly six inches off the ground.

  1. Remove Lug Nuts & Tire

Go ahead and completely remove your lug nuts now. You can either use the wrench or your hands since the nuts are already loosened.

  1. Mount the Spare Tire & Tighten Lug Nuts

With the lug nuts removed, you can take off the flat tire and replace it with your spare tire. Use the rim and lug bolts as a way for you to line up your spare tire. When the bolts show through the rim, your tire is in its proper place. Now you can undo the process by tightening the lug bolts by hand.

  1. Lower Vehicle

Lower your vehicle using the jack until the new tire is barely touching the ground. Use your wrench and tighten the lug nuts, then lower the jack completely.

  1. Replace Hubcap

To replace, put it on the same way it was removed. If you’re having trouble with it fitting, that’s not a problem. Keep it with your flat tire and equipment for the time being.

  1. Check Tire Pressure

Before you drive off, make sure your spare tire is properly inflated to the recommended PSI (pounds per square inch). Spare tires typically need 60 PSI, but always double check.

Visit Our Service Center Today

Now that you’ve successfully changed your tire, you’ll want to head over to our service center for a new one. That’s because spare tires are only meant to travel at speeds less than 50 MPH for less than 50 miles. Anything more than that can cause damage to your vehicle.

Luckily, our skilled technicians will match you with the right tire for your car and have it replaced quickly. Afterward, you’ll be cruising around Danvers, Peabody, and Salem, MA, in no time at all. Visit our service center at Ira Toyota of Danvers today!