Action: Before doing anything, make sure you’re parked on a flat, stable surface away from traffic. Turn on your hazard lights to alert other drivers.
Step 2: Prepare Your Tools
Action: Retrieve your spare tire, lug wrench, and jack from your vehicle. Make sure the spare tire is inflated.
Step 3: Loosen the Lug Nuts
Action: Using the lug wrench, turn the lug nuts counterclockwise just enough to break their resistance. Do not fully remove them yet.
Step 4: Lift the Vehicle
Action: Place the jack under the vehicle’s designated jack point. Pump or crank the jack to lift the vehicle until the flat tire is about six inches off the ground.
Step 5: Remove the Flat Tire
Action: Remove the lug nuts all the way and keep them in a safe place. Pull the tire off the car and set it aside.
Step 6: Mount the Spare Tire
Action: Lift the spare tire onto the wheel base, aligning it with the lug bolts. Push gently until the lug bolts show through the rim.
Step 7: Tighten the Lug Nuts by Hand
Action: Put the lug nuts back on the lug bolts and tighten them as much as you can by hand.
Step 8: Lower the Vehicle and Tighten the Lug Nuts Again
Action: Use the jack to lower the vehicle so that the spare tire begins to take on the car’s weight, but the full weight of the car isn’t on the tire yet. Tighten the lug nuts with the wrench, going in a star pattern to ensure even tightening.
Step 9: Lower the Vehicle Completely
Action: Lower the vehicle all the way and remove the jack. Give the lug nuts one last tighten to ensure they’re as tight as possible.
Step 10: Stow Your Equipment and Check the Spare Tire Pressure
Action: Put all your tools and the flat tire back in your vehicle. If you have a tire pressure gauge, check the pressure of the spare tire to ensure it’s safe to drive on.
Closing Tip:
Action: Remind viewers that the spare tire is a temporary solution. Visit a mechanic to get the flat tire repaired or replaced as soon as possible.
