How to Change a Flat Tire Guide
- Stop and park in a secure area.
- Your hazard lights should be on.
- Apply the wheel wedges and parking brake.
- Take off the wheel cover or hubcap.
- Take off the lug nuts.
- Leverage the Jack to raise your Toyota.
- Take off the lug nuts.
- Take the flat tire off.
In This Article...
Where does the front of a Corolla jack up?
- Make sure the car is parked on a level surface.
- Turn off the automobile and apply the parking brakes (or emergency brake).
- Ideally, you should be able to lock the wheel that is diametrically opposed to the one you want to lift. You can perform this with a block, stone, or anything else you have on hand.
- Find the jacking locations below the car. They are situated just in front of the back tire and after the front.
- Correctly insert the jack into the jack point. The jacking point should be at the center of it.
- Take the following safety measures. When a tire jack is used incorrectly, the car could quickly drop off the jack and cause significant damage or even death. If you don’t have a jack stand handy, a smart solution is to utilize the spare tire under the car. Avoid placing any part of your body underneath the car while the jack is holding it up.
- Raise the car slowly. Make sure the jack stand is still in the right place and not moving when raising. Avoid raising the automobile higher than is required to install a jack stand or to freely remove a tire. If utilizing a jack stand, place it underneath the vehicle and slowly lower it until the vehicle is resting on the stand.
Warning, Do not do this when using the tire jack
- If someone is inside the car, don’t raise it.
- Never place something on or under the jack when elevating the car.
- Don’t raise the car any higher than is necessary to change the tire.
- If getting beneath the car is necessary, use a jack stand.
- Make sure nobody is anywhere near the car before lowering it. Before descending, sound a warning to any surrounding persons.
What steps are involved in replacing a tire?
Tire flat and stuck? Here are the 10 steps to changing a tire.
- Locate a Secure Overpass to Pull Over.
- Inspect the materials.
- Your car should be raised off the ground.
- Remove the Tire and the Lug Nuts.
- Fix the spare tire to the vehicle.
- Switch out the lug nuts.
- Lower the car and start tightening.
FIND A SAFE LOCATION
Do not suddenly brake or turn when you first notice you have a flat tire. Slow down and look about for a straight, flat section of road with a wide shoulder. The best location would be a parking lot that was empty. It is advantageous to have level terrain since it will keep your car from rolling. Furthermore, straight sections of road are preferable to curves since they increase the likelihood that incoming vehicles will spot you.
Never try to replace a tire near oncoming traffic on a small shoulder. Move forward (slowly) until you reach a safer location. Although driving on a flat tire puts your rim at danger of damage, this is better than getting struck by an inattentive motorist.
Make sure to examine the precise instructions for changing a flat tire for your vehicle in your owner’s manual.
TURN ON YOUR HAZARD LIGHTS
Other drivers will be able to see you on the side of the road thanks to your hazard lights or flashers. They should be turned on as soon as you recognize you need to stop in order to prevent an accident.
APPLY WHEEL WEDGES
To make sure the car doesn’t slide while you patch the flat tire, wheel wedges are placed in front of or behind the tires. Put these in front of the front tires if you’re changing a rear tire. Put the wheel wedges behind the rear tires if the front tire is flat.
Real wheel wedges are not necessary; you can just use bricks or big stones. Simply make sure they are substantial enough to prevent the automobile from rolling.
REMOVE THE HUBCAP OR WHEEL COVER
It is simpler to take off the hubcap before raising the car with the jack if your car has one covering the lug nuts. You can move on to Step 6 if your lug nuts are visible.
To remove the hubcap, use the flat end of your lug wrench. Most automobiles can use this, but some hubcaps require a specialized tool to remove. For instructions on how to remove a hubcap or wheel cover properly, go to your owners manual.
LOOSEN THE LUG NUTS
Turn the lug nuts counterclockwise with the lug wrench until they lose their resistance. It’s okay if you have to use force. If required, use your foot or your entire body weight.
The lug nuts should be loosened by 1/4 to 1/2 turn, but not yet totally removed. Save that for when you need to take your tire or wheel off the car.
PLACE THE JACK UNDER THE VEHICLE
Under the car’s frame, next to the flat tire, is normally where the jack should be placed. A cleared piece of exposed metal on the bottom of many car frames is designated for the jack and is covered in molded plastic. Use the jack in accordance with the owner’s manual’s directions to properly lift the object without causing harm to the car.
RAISE THE VEHICLE WITH THE JACK
Before attempting to elevate your vehicle, lay a little cut of 2×6 wood beneath the jack to keep it from collapsing under the weight of your car and losing equilibrium. On asphalt, this strategy is very useful.
Lift the car with the jack in the right place until the flat tire is roughly six inches off the ground.
Never place any portion of your body under the car while it is being raised with the jack or later.
REMOVE THE FLAT TIRE
Pull the tire gently in your direction while holding it by the treads until it is totally free from the hub behind it. To prevent it from rolling away, position it on its side.
TIGHTEN THE LUG NUTS BY HAND
Reinstall the lug nuts on the lug bolts and manually tighten them all the way. Once they are all attached, double-check each one and tighten as much as you can. After lowering the car to the ground, you’ll use the wrench to tighten them.
LOWER THE VEHICLE AND TIGHTEN THE LUG NUTS AGAIN
Lower the car using the jack so that the spare tire is on the ground but that the tire isn’t bearing the entire weight of the car. Now, using the wrench and rotating in a clockwise direction, tighten the lug nuts as much as possible. Use your entire body weight to press down on the lug wrench.
LOWER THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY
Remove the jack and fully lower the car to the ground. To make sure the lug nuts are as snug as possible, give them one more tug with the wrench.
REPLACE THE HUBCAP
Put the hubcap you removed from the flat tire back on if it fits your spare tire after first removing it. If it won’t fit, store it with the tire when you store your equipment if it isn’t necessary.
STOW ALL EQUIPMENT
A jack, a lug wrench, wheel wedges, your flat tire, and perhaps a hubcap are the items you have in front of you. Before you go, remember to load them all into your car.
CHECK THE PRESSURE IN THE SPARE TIRE
To make sure the spare tire is secure for driving, you should check the tire pressure. Mini-spares, commonly known as T-Type temporary spares, need 60 psi (420 kPa). If the tire has to be inflated, proceed (slowly) to a gas station right away.
TAKE YOUR FLAT TIRE TO A TECHNICIAN
Driving long distances or at high speeds is not recommended with temporary spare tires, so proceed with caution until you can see a tire technician. If your tire needs to be repaired or needs to be replaced, a professional should be able to tell.
Road Conditions
Brake lock-up occurs on vehicles without ABS when stopping on wet or slick roads due to a loss of traction between the tire tread and road surface. Your tires continue to skid on the slick terrain despite your best efforts to apply the brakes forcefully and stop spinning them. This occurs as a result of the tires being unable to acquire the necessary traction to stop.
ABS pumps the brakes for you to provide the strongest stopping force possible on slippery surfaces. Your tires can almost, but not quite, skid as a result.
Mechanical Failures
Brake lock-up can occur under normal driving conditions on ordinary and ABS-equipped vehicles due to small problems like worn brake pads, excessive rotor corrosion from leaving your car parked for months, and placing brake pads on one axel that may heat up more slowly than the pads on the other axel. The only thing that should be removed by routine driving and changing worn pads is severe rust buildup. You shouldn’t have any braking issues until the brake pads warm up.
Brake Calipers
Both non-ABS and ABS vehicles may experience brake pad and rotor overheating due to worn, missing, rusted, or damaged mounting hardware. Overheating causes brake lock-up, which can cause your automobile to veer sharply to one side when stopping, as well as premature pad and rotor wear. It is possible to replace pads and rotors on your own.
Hydraulic System
Non-ABS and ABS: Brake lock-up can be caused by a low brake fluid level, the use of the wrong brake fluid, or brake friction material saturated with brake fluid from a leaky component. A binding caliper will behave similarly to a collapsed brake hose that is trapping fluid in the caliper. The rear wheels may lock up during hard braking if a defective brake system proportional valve delivers equal fluid pressure to the complete brake system.
ABS only: The ABS pump may be harmed by brake fluid contaminated with moisture. Brake lock-up and subpar braking effectiveness are both effects of a failing ABS pump. If you think your car might be leaking brake fluid, never drive.
Wheel Speed Sensors and Wheel Bearings
Wheel speed sensors only work with ABS; they convey data to the vehicle’s engine control module via a ring gear on the wheel hub bearing (ECM). When stopping, the ABS may engage for no apparent reason due to a worn wheel hub bearing, a damaged ring gear, or a faulty speed sensor that sends false data to the ECM. This can lock the brakes.
Verify the tire pressure. Low tire pressure will cause a tire to roll faster or slower than the other tires, providing inaccurate information to the ECM.
ABS Computer
This includes the ABS controller/module and/or pump, which are the system’s “brains.” Locked-up brakes, which ABS aims to prevent, can be brought on by a defective ABS computer. Braking performance will be poor if there is a problem with the ABS computer or electronics. Additionally, it will turn on the ABS dash warning lamp, alerting you to the need for an appointment with your mechanic.
Driver Reaction to Road Conditions
If the brakes lock up because of a mechanical problem or if the car is sliding on slick pavement, non-ABS automobiles can help the tires maintain traction by pushing the brake pedal.
When the computer detects a skid condition in a car with ABS, holding your foot firmly on the brake pedal should trigger the ABS. In addition, if the ABS is malfunctioning, applying heavy pressure to the brake pedal may activate it. Never, however, pump the ABS brakes. This would undoubtedly confuse the computer, making it more challenging to drive and brake your car. If there are any issues with the system, the ABS is intended to warn you.
Never forget that one of your car’s most crucial safety elements is the brakes. It’s time to visit your mechanic if something isn’t functioning correctly.
Can you change your own tires?
If your tires are already mounted to rims, you can change your own tires without assistance. Anyone can do anything; all it takes to develop the skill is the necessary information, practice, and confidence.
You can embrace the freedom of not having to hire mechanics to complete the work, along with all the scheduling, travel time to the garage, waiting around, delays, and hassles that come with it.
Additionally, if you know how to change a flat tire, you have the knowledge and abilities to perform the seasonal changeovers on your own (and we believe every driver should be comfortable changing a tire.) When it comes down to it, you really only need to jack up the car and replace the tires on your own, just like you would if you had a flat and were putting the spare on.
We’re here to make that chore manageable if it currently looks to be a difficult one. Your concerns will be allayed thanks to this Q&A.
Doesn’t the job require a professional?
The ability to change your own tires does not exempt you from having your car serviced on a regular basis. However, if you ever need to visit an auto shop, completing the tire replacement yourself will spare you the cost of hiring a mechanic to complete that specific task. They are only necessary for tasks like wheel balance and alignment that should be handled by a professional. It would be wise to have an alignment if you purchase brand-new tires. If your present tires are wearing unevenly, your alignment may be to blame.
But is it safe to do the actual tire change?
It is quite safe to change a passenger vehicle’s tire on your own if you have the proper equipment. The work isn’t very difficult or risky in and of itself. However, it does require lifting your car into the air. And here is where a little advance planning can really help.
Can the jacked car fall on top of you?
Never get beneath your automobile while it is being jacked; it is not required to do so when changing tires. If you adhere to the recommendations for jack placement in your vehicle owner’s manual, you can jack your automobile up safely. A cleared piece of exposed metal on the bottom of many car frames is designated for the jack and is covered in molded plastic. Before you remove the wheel, set a jack stand in a safe location on the vehicle’s frame.
If you decide to change your tires on pavement in the proper location, your jack will also function properly. That refers to harder asphalt, not concrete. Especially on a hot day when it gets softer, thin asphalt can actually allow a jack stand to sink into it.
Is it safe to drive afterwards? Will the wheels be tight enough?
A wheel cannot suddenly come off, so don’t be alarmed! Before anything more catastrophic occurs, you will hear loud pounding noises while driving if it is actually loose. You’ll have enough time to stop right away, inspect the wheel nuts, tighten them again, and determine if it fixes the issue.
Keep in mind to constantly tighten the wheel bolts in a crisscross fashion (our guide will show you how)
Regardless of whether you change your own tires or not, being able to tighten your wheels is a crucial skill. The wheel nuts will eventually loosen even if you have your tires replaced at a mechanic, which means the wheel is no longer as tightly fastened as it should be. This can be avoided by regularly using a torque wrench to tighten the wheel nuts. To ensure that the nuts are sufficiently tight, we suggest consulting the torque recommendations in your car’s owner’s manual before tightening.
Why go to the trouble having winter tires mounted on rims?
Whether they are pricey alloy rims or economical steel rims, winter tires need to be placed on a certain set of wheels. It only takes a few seasonal changes to practically pay for the rims, and if you replace your own tires, it pays off even faster. Many businesses charge $60 more to change unmounted tires than to swap tires on wheels.
Having winter tires on rims actually extends the life of your tires because each on/off cycle increases the danger of damage to the tires or even the rims themselves, saving you money on the expense of mounting and dismounting your tires twice a year and enabling you to change your tires yourself.
“Tire mounting and demounting twice a year puts a lot of stress on the tire, automotive professor David Weatherhead told the Globe and Mail. ” It stresses the rubber surrounding the tire’s bead, which can cause damage and, ultimately, tire deterioration and leaks, especially with lower-profile tires.
Ready to take the wheel?
All of your doubts will go as soon as you overcome your fear and take action. Simply following the instructions will make assembly Swedish bookcases easier than changing tires. Once you give it a try, you’ll never look back!
Although first mysterious, it can be solved. The correct equipment is essential. Our Tools You Need guide has further information.