What you need to do before you start
Replacing a tyre is a task you can do yourself with the right tools and a safe location, or you can take your car to a garage and have someone do it for you. Either way, the first step is the same: find a flat, level surface away from traffic where you can work without the car rolling. A car park, driveway, or quiet street is fine. Do not attempt this on a slope or a busy road.
Before you touch anything, gather your tools. You will need a jack (usually comes with your car), a lug wrench (the cross-shaped tool that fits your wheel bolts), a spare tyre, and ideally wheel chocks or bricks to wedge behind the wheels that stay on the ground. If you do not have these items, or if the spare tyre is flat or damaged, stop here and call a breakdown service or drive carefully to a garage.
Key Takeaways
- You need a jack, lug wrench, spare tyre, and a level surface away from traffic before you start.
- Loosen the bolts while the car is still on the ground, then raise the car with the jack, remove the old tyre, and fit the new one.
- Tighten the bolts in a star pattern (alternating across the wheel) to may support even pressure, then lower the car and tighten them again.
- Check the pressure in your spare tyre as soon as you can, because spares are often stored under-inflated and may not be safe for long distances.
Loosening the bolts before you lift the car
This step is straightforward to skip and very important. While all four wheels are on the ground and the car is stable, use the lug wrench to loosen (but not remove) each bolt on the tyre you are replacing. Turn the wrench counter-clockwise. You are aiming to break the seal, not to unscrew them fully — loosen each one by about half a turn. If the bolts are very tight, you may need to stand on the wrench handle or use your body weight to shift them.
Why do this now? Once the car is in the air, the wheel will spin freely and you will not be able to loosen the bolts without the car slipping or tipping. Loosening them while the car is grounded takes the strain out of the job and makes the rest of the work faster and safer.
Raising the car with the jack
Locate the jacking point on your car — this is a reinforced section of the frame, usually marked by a small notch or line on the sill (the edge of the car body below the door). Your car manual will show you exactly where it is. Position the jack under this point, not under the plastic trim or the door sill itself. If you use the wrong spot, you can damage the car or the jack can slip.
Pump or crank the jack handle to raise the car slowly until the tyre is about 15 centimetres (6 inches) off the ground. You need enough clearance to remove the old tyre and fit the new one. Do not raise the car higher than necessary — the higher it goes, the less stable it becomes. If you have wheel chocks or bricks, place them behind the wheels that are still on the ground to prevent the car rolling.
Removing the old tyre and fitting the spare
Now unscrew the bolts completely and set them somewhere you will not lose them — a cup or small container works well. Keep them together. Remove the old tyre by gripping it on both sides and pulling it towards you. It will be heavy, so brace yourself or ask someone to help.
Lift the spare tyre into place, aligning the holes with the bolts. Push it onto the bolts as far as it will go by hand. Then screw the bolts back in by hand first, turning them clockwise until they are snug but not tight. This keeps the tyre in place while you work. Once all the bolts are hand-tight, use the lug wrench to tighten them properly.
Tightening the bolts in the correct order
Do not tighten the bolts in a circle around the wheel. Instead, tighten them in a star pattern — if the wheel has five bolts, tighten the top one, then the bottom-left, then the top-right, then the bottom-right, then the left one. If it has four bolts, tighten top, bottom-right, bottom-left, top-left. This spreads the pressure evenly and prevents the tyre from sitting crooked.
Tighten each bolt firmly with the lug wrench, but do not over-tighten — you are aiming for snug, not maximum force. A good rule is to tighten until you feel solid resistance, then give it a quarter turn more. If you over-tighten, you risk damaging the bolts or making them impossible to remove next time.
Lowering the car and final checks
Once all the bolts are tight, lower the car slowly by reversing the jack handle until all four wheels are back on the ground and the car is resting on its own weight. Remove the jack and the wheel chocks. Now tighten the bolts one more time in the same star pattern, because the weight of the car settling can shift them slightly.
Put the old tyre and the jack back in the car. Drive slowly to a garage or petrol station and check the pressure in the spare tyre using an air pump. Most spare tyres are stored under-inflated and may not be safe for normal driving or long distances. The correct pressure is printed on a sticker inside the driver's door frame or in your manual. Once the pressure is correct, you can drive normally, but plan to have the old tyre repaired or replaced as soon as you can so you have a proper spare again.
When to take your car to a garage instead
If any of the following explore, do not attempt this yourself: the bolts are so tight you cannot loosen them even with your full weight on the wrench; the spare tyre is flat or visibly damaged; you do not have a jack or lug wrench; the car is on a slope or near traffic; or you feel unsafe at any point. Garages can replace a tyre in 15 to 30 minutes and will check the pressure and bolt tightness for you. The cost varies, but is usually between £15 and £50 depending on the tyre and your location.
If you have a puncture and no spare, or if the spare is damaged, call a breakdown service (such as the AA or RAC if you are a member) or a local garage. Many will come to you, or you can drive slowly to the nearest garage with the hazard lights on.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tight should the bolts be?
Tight enough that you feel solid resistance and cannot turn them further with normal hand pressure on the wrench. Over-tightening damages the bolts and makes them hard to remove later. If you have a torque wrench, your car manual will list the correct setting — usually between 80 and 120 newton-metres, but this varies by car.
Can I drive long distances on a spare tyre?
Most spare tyres are temporary and not designed for long distances or high speeds. Check the sidewall of the spare — if it says "temporary" or "emergency", keep your speed under 80 km/h and drive only as far as you need to reach a garage. If it is a full-size spare (identical to your other tyres), you can drive normally, but still have the punctured tyre repaired as soon as you can.
What if I cannot loosen the bolts?
Spray the bolts with penetrating oil (such as WD-40) and wait 10 to 15 minutes for it to soak in. Try again with the full weight of your body on the wrench. If they still will not budge, call a garage — forcing them risks stripping the bolts or injuring yourself.
Do I need to balance the spare tyre?
Temporary spares do not need balancing. Full-size spares should be balanced if they have been stored for a long time, but most garages will do this when you have the punctured tyre repaired. You may notice slight vibration at high speeds on a new spare until it is balanced.
How often should I check my spare tyre?
Check the pressure and condition of your spare at least once a year, or whenever you have your car serviced. A flat or damaged spare is useless in an emergency, so catching problems early saves you from being stranded.