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How to Change a Car Tire?

Auto Tips & Advice

Removing the tire:

  1. Move to the side of the road safely, put on your hazard lights and set your emergency break.
  2. Find your spare tire and tools (lug wrench and a jack) – usually in the trunk or under the car (but you can check in your owner’s manual as well).
  3. Remove the wheel’s hubcap. Don’t remove the lug nuts – just loosen them up.
  4. See your manual to find the right place to lift the car with the jack.
  5. Lift the car until the wheel is off the ground.
  6. Remove the lug nuts and then the tire with both hands.

How to Change a Tire | Michelin Tires Canada

Notice: Do not attempt to change a tire if it risks the safety of you or your passengers.

Mounting the spare:

  1. Align the holes on the spare with the bolts on the wheel and push the tire in as far as it will go.
  2. Replace lug nuts and tighten.
  3. Replace the opposite lug nuts (this ensures they are tightened evenly).
  4. Lower your car.
  5. Retighten each lug nut, then its opposite.

A few more tips:

  • Carry a pair of sturdy gloves and a garbage bag in your trunk, in case the tire you're removing is covered in mud and a sturdy board to place your jack on in case the ground is soft, to avoid the jack sinking in.
  • Check the inflation pressure of the spare tire before mounting. If this is not possible, once mounted, drive carefully at low speed until it can be checked.
  • Visit the nearest service station and inflate the tire correctly.
  • If you have a mini spare, make sure you stay within its speed and mileage requirements.
  • Visit your garage to find a replacement tire.

Wheel nuts:

  • Where necessary, use light machine oil on the wheel nut threads to help their removal.
  • Poorly tightened wheel nuts risk damaging the brake discs or wheel mounting system.
  • Use a torque wrench to make sure you tighten the nuts correctly with the correct torque.
    If you don't have a torque wrench get a tire specialist to check them as soon as possible. This will ensure the correct torque has been applied.
  • Correctly tightened wheel nuts will also make it easy to remove them.

Tire Registration

Make sure your tires are registered to receive direct notification in the event of a safety-related recall.

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