6 Steps to Changing a Tyre
Being able to change a tyre is a fundamental skill for any motorist. Fortunately, it’s also one that you can pick up with a little bit of self-training. Let’s take a closer look.
When should I change a tyre?
If the tread depth of a tyre falls below 1.6mm, you’re legally obliged to change it. Tyres might also be damaged by potholes and other obstacles you might find on the road. When a tyre is flat, you can typically notice a change in the way that the vehicle handles. In any of these situations, a replacement tyre is usually called for.
What do I need?
You’re going to need a few tools if you’re going to change a tyre.
Firstly, you’ll need a jack. These are used to lift the car so that you can remove the tyre. Jacks come in a range of shapes and sizes. You should have one in the rear of your car for emergencies, but you might want to keep something a little more heavy-duty to hand in your garage.
Next, you’ll need a means of actually removing the tyre. The best tool for the job here is a cordless impact wrench. This works a lot like a traditional spanner, except it’ll pull off lug nuts in seconds rather than minutes.
You’ll also need a spare tyre, and, if your tyres come with hubcaps, a means of prising them off.
The process
Start by locating and loosening the lug nuts. You don’t need to take them all the way off.
Lift the car using the jack. Check the car’s manual to see that you’ve positioned the jack correctly. If you haven’t then you risk damaging the car. If you don’t have the manual to hand, then you can typically find it online. You don’t need to raise the car that much – just 10cm is fine.
Now, you can remove the lug-nuts entirely. Keep them somewhere safe, as you’ll need them later. Remove the tyre. You might need to apply a little bit of force to get it off.
It’s time to put your new tyre on. Line up the bolts and reapply the lug-nuts to the wheel. Be sure that you’re not over-tightening: you want to be able to get them off when you come to make another change. If you removed a hubcap, you can snap it back on at this point.
Your final step should be to head to the garage to get your new spare tyre. You don’t want to be driving around without one. Check the pressure, too – you want your new tyre to match with the others. You can do this yourself if you have the right equipment, or you can head to your local petrol-station forecourt and do it there.
