How to Change a Flat Tire Safely (and When to Call for Help)
Step-by-step guide to changing a flat tire safely on the side of the road — plus the warning signs that mean you should call a roadside pro instead.
If you're on a highway, in heavy traffic, or in poor weather/visibility, do not change the tire yourself. Stay buckled in your vehicle and call for roadside help.
What you'll need
- • Inflated spare tire (check pressure every few months)
- • Working car jack rated for your vehicle's weight
- • Lug wrench that fits your wheel nuts
- • Wheel wedges (or a heavy brick)
- • Flashlight, gloves, reflective triangle
Step-by-step
- 1
Get fully off the road
Pull onto firm, level ground — a shoulder, parking lot, or driveway. Soft ground will let the jack sink. Turn on hazard lights and apply the parking brake.
- 2
Wedge the wheels
Place wedges against the tires diagonally opposite the flat. If the flat is rear-right, wedge front-left. This prevents the car from rolling when raised.
- 3
Loosen the lug nuts (don't remove)
Use the lug wrench, counter-clockwise. Break each nut a quarter to half turn. Doing this before raising the car uses the ground's friction to hold the wheel.
- 4
Position the jack and raise
Check your owner's manual for the correct jack point — usually a reinforced spot on the frame behind the front wheel or ahead of the rear wheel. Raise until the flat clears the ground by about 6 inches.
- 5
Remove the nuts and tire
Fully remove the lug nuts (keep them in a safe place — the upturned hubcap works). Pull the flat straight off.
- 6
Mount the spare
Line up the holes and push the spare onto the bolts. Hand-tighten the lug nuts in a star pattern so the wheel sits flush.
- 7
Lower and torque
Lower the car until the spare touches but isn't fully weighted. Tighten the nuts in a star pattern with the wrench. Lower fully and check the nuts one more time.
- 8
Treat the spare as temporary
A 'donut' spare is rated for short distance and ~50 mph max. Drive directly to a tire shop to repair or replace the flat — don't drive on the spare for days.
When to call a pro instead
- • Two or more tires are flat (you only have one spare)
- • You're on a highway shoulder or curve with limited visibility
- • The lug nuts are seized, stripped, or have a special key you don't have
- • The wheel is damaged or the car is on an incline
- • It's raining, snowing, dark, or freezing
- • You have a physical condition that makes lifting a tire unsafe
Don't want to deal with it?
$49 flat — a verified helper comes to you, swaps the tire, and you're back on the road. Most jobs done in under 20 minutes.
Request tire change — $49