Line up the spare tire with the lug bolts and push it on the wheel hub until the bolts penetrate the rim.
How to Properly Change a Flat Tire
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Flat tires can happen at any time and place, and emergency roadside assistance may not always be available. So whether you’re a seasoned driver or a teen who’s getting behind the wheel for the first time, it’s important to know how to change a car tire.
We admit, it’s not as simple as jump-starting a car or checking fluid levels, but there’s no need to be intimidated—changing a tire really isn’t too difficult. This guide covers everything you need to know about changing a flat tire, step by step.
Items needed to change a car tire
New cars come equipped with the basic items needed to change a tire, but over time they may be misplaced. If you bought a used car, it could be missing some, or all, of the things you need to change a tire. Check your car for these essentials and replace any items you don’t find.
- Vehicle Owners Manual
Your vehicle owners manual may contain specific instructions for changing the tire on your make and model of vehicle. If you don’t have a vehicle owners manual, order one online. - Jack
A car jack lifts your car off the ground so you can change the tire. For safety reasons, always use the type of jack your owners manual recommends and never use any other object to lift or prop up your vehicle. If you need a jack, read our review of the best car jacks on the market. - Lug Wrench
A lug wrench has a pry bar on one end to remove the hubcap and a socket on the other end to loosen the lug nuts that hold your tire in place. - Spare Tire
There are two basic types of spare tires: full size and temporary (sometimes referred to as “donuts”). Larger vehicles like SUVs and trucks usually have full-size spare tires, while compact cars tend to come with temporary tires.
Things that make changing a flat tire easier and safer
In addition to the essentials outlined above, there are a few things SafeWise recommends having on hand to make changing a tire easier and less dangerous. Pack these items—along with a first aid kit, bottled water, and other safety items—in a durable bag and stow them in your car. Or purchase a roadside emergency kit that contains most, or all, of these things.
- Emergency flares or reflective triangles to alert motorists to your disabled vehicle.
- Tire blocks or wedges to help prevent the car from rolling.
- Tire-changing mat or towel to kneel on.
- Lubricant to loosen tight lug nuts.
- Headlamp flashlight, with working batteries, for changing a tire in the dark.
- Tire pressure gauge to check the spare tire’s air pressure.
- Heavy duty wipes to clean up after changing the tire.
- Rain jacketor poncho to help keep dry or protect you from the sun.
Tire production
A tire is a complex combination of components made from numerous ingredients. But how do we get from the rubber tree to the road? Tire production is a multi-step process. Let’s follow a Continental tire through all five essential stages of tire manufacturing:
- Sourcing of materials and production of compounds
- Manufacturing of components
- Building the tire
- Vulcanization
- Quality control
Stage 1: Quality ingredients to make essential compounds
Various branches of industry supply the tire manufacturing industry with raw materials, which are used to create the necessary compounds.
Steel. The steel industry supplies high-strength steel. This serves as the starting material for the manufacture of steel belts (steel cord) and of bead cores (steel wire).
Chemicals. The chemical industry is a major tire ingredient supplier. In particular, synthetic rubber and materials used to reduce wear, increase grip, and extend the life of a tire.
Natural rubber. Rubber is extracted from special trees grown in large plantations. The milky fluid (latex) that flows out coagulates when acid is added to it. It is then cleaned with water and pressed into solid bales for easier transportation and storage.
Bales of natural and synthetic rubber are sectioned, cut into portions, weighed, and mixed with other ingredients according to precise recipes. Up to twelve different rubber compounds are used in modern passenger car tires.
Textiles. The textile industry supplies base materials (rayon, nylon, polyester, and aramid fibers) for the manufacture of cords that serve as reinforcement in tires.
Stage 2: Manufacturing of components
Steel cord. Pre-treated steel cord supplied on wire spools is fed into a calendar, where it is embedded in one or more layers of rubber. The result is a continuous sheet of cord and rubber. This is cut at a defined angle to the correct length according to tire size and rolled up for further processing.
Tread. Kneadable rubber material that has been blended in a mixer is now ready to be made into the tread. A screw-type extruder shapes the rubber into an endless strip of tread. After extrusion, the weight per meter is checked and the tread cooled by immersion. The tread strip is cut to length for the tire size. Another unit weight control is then carried out.
Textile cord. A multitude of textile threads are fed into the calendar by a large roller device and embedded in a thin layer of rubber. This endless sheet is then cut to the desired width at a 90° angle to the direction of travel and rewound for further processing.
Steel bead. The core of the bead is made up of many ring-shaped steel wires. Each of them has its own rubber coating. This loop is then fitted with a rubber apex.
Sidewall. Sidewall sections cut to suit the particular tire size are turned out with the extruder.
Inner liner. A calendar forms the airtight inner liner into a wide, thin layer.
