If you drive a car, you need to know how to change a flat tire. You’ll need a jack, a lug wrench, a fully inflated spare tire, wheel wedges, and the car’s owner’s manual.
Stop Safely: When you realize you have a flat, slow down gradually, and come to a stop on a straight, level stretch of road with a wide shoulder. Keep moving till you find a safe spot. When you’re coming to a halt, switch on your hazard lights. Then apply the parking brake.
Apply Wedges: If you’re replacing a rear tire, place the wheel wedges in front of the front tires. If the front tire is flat, place the wedges behind the rear tires. Bricks or large stones work too.
Set Up The Flat: Start by removing the flat tire’s hubcaps with the flat end of your lug wrench. Then loosen the lug nuts but don’t remove them.
Place The Jack: Place the jack under the car’s frame right next to the flat tire. Follow the instructions in your owner’s manual. Place the 2″ x6″ wood plank under the jack to keep the jack settling under the car’s weight and coming off balance. Then raise the car until the flat tire is about six inches off the ground. Since the lug nuts have been loosened, you should be able to remove them by hand now. Then grip the tire by the treads and pull it free of the hub and set it on its side.
Mount The Spare: Place the spare tire on the hub by lining up the rim with the lug bolts. Push it in until the bolts show through the rim. Put the lug nuts on the bolt and tighten them as much as possible by hand. Then lower the vehicle until the spare tire is partly resting on the ground. Now tighten the lug nuts with the wrench and push down on the wrench with the full weight of your body. Then lower the vehicle all the way, and try to tighten the nuts even more. Replace the hubcap.
Finally, stow all the equipment, and get the pressure in the spare checked and the flat repaired as soon as possible.