To change a tyre safely: stop on firm, level ground away from traffic, apply the handbrake and chock the opposite wheel, loosen the wheel nuts, jack the car at the jacking point shown in your handbook, swap the wheel, then lower the car and tighten the nuts fully in a star or cross pattern. The job itself is simple. What makes it dangerous is where people try to do it and the shortcuts they take with the jack.
Most of the step-by-step videos that come up for this are American, and several are years old, so they miss things UK drivers need: locking wheel nuts, space saver limits and the rule on motorways. This guide covers the tools, each step in order, what never to do, and the situations where calling a mobile tyre fitter is the safer choice.
Where is it safe to change a wheel?
Only on firm, level ground away from moving traffic: your drive, a quiet side road with space around the car, or a car park. The RAC puts it bluntly: "It's better to drive further and risk damaging the wheel rim than stop somewhere dangerous" (RAC). A rim can be replaced. You can't.
Avoid slopes, soft verges, grass and gravel, because a jack can sink or the car can roll. Haynes warns that scissor jacks can fail "or allow the car to roll with alarming frequency" (Haynes), and uneven ground makes both more likely.
Never change a wheel on a motorway, including the hard shoulder or an emergency area. The RAC says you "should never attempt to change a tyre on the motorway", and the Highway Code breakdown rules tell drivers not to attempt repairs on a motorway. If a tyre fails, get off at the next exit or services if you can do so safely. If you can't, follow National Highways' breakdown advice: stop as far left as possible, get out on the side away from traffic, wait behind the barrier if it is safe, and call National Highways on 0300 123 5000. If you are in danger, call 999. Our guide to staying safe on the hard shoulder has more detail.
What do you need before you start?
A spare wheel, the jack and wheel brace from your car's tool kit, the locking wheel nut key if your car has locking nuts, and ideally wheel chocks, gloves and a torch. Check all of these are actually in the car before you need them, because plenty of cars no longer carry a spare.
- The spare. Many newer cars carry a tyre sealant kit instead, which only handles small tread punctures. See spare tyre vs repair kit for what yours can and can't do.
- The locking wheel nut key. If one nut on each wheel has a patterned head, you need the key to remove it. The RAC says to attach the key to the wrench before you release that nut. If the key is missing or the pattern is damaged, stop there, because forcing it usually makes things worse. We offer locking wheel nut removal as a mobile service.
- Chocks. The RAC suggests bricks or large rocks if you don't have proper chocks.
- A reflective jacket and warning triangle if you are anywhere near a road. The RAC advises placing a triangle 45 metres behind the car. Never use one on a motorway.
Check the spare's pressure now and then too. A flat spare is a common discovery at the worst moment, which is why we recommend regular spare wheel checks.
How to change a tyre, step by step
Work in this order. Loosening the nuts before lifting, and tightening fully only after lowering, is what keeps the car stable. Your handbook has the details specific to your car and overrules anything general.
- Park safely. Hazard lights on, handbrake on, engine off, in first gear or Park. Get passengers out and away from the car and any traffic.
- Chock the wheel diagonally opposite the one you are changing, so the car can't roll.
- Remove the hubcap if fitted, and get the spare, jack and brace out.
- Loosen each wheel nut about half a turn while the car is still on the ground, turning anti-clockwise. The RAC says to loosen them until they can be turned by hand but not remove them yet. Haynes calls trying to loosen them after lifting "dangerous".
- Find the jacking point. The RAC says all cars have dedicated jacking points shown in the handbook, close to the wheel you are changing. On many cars it is a reinforced notch in the seam under the sill, or a lifting pad just behind the front wheel or in front of the rear wheel. Jacking anywhere else can dent the floor or let the car slip.
- Raise the car until the flat tyre is just clear of the ground, with enough room to fit the inflated spare.
- Remove the nuts and the wheel. Keep the nuts together somewhere they can't roll away, and keep your hands, knees and feet out from under the car throughout.
- Fit the spare. Line up the holes, then fit each nut and tighten by hand so the wheel sits flat against the hub.
- Lower the car until the tyre just touches the ground, then tighten the nuts firmly with the brace.
- Lower fully, remove the jack and tighten again in a star pattern for five nuts or a cross pattern for four, as Continental describes (Continental).
- Stow everything, including the damaged wheel, and check the spare's pressure at the first opportunity.
What should you never do when changing a wheel?
Never put any part of your body under a car held up only by a jack. Haynes is explicit that "you could receive serious injuries working under the vehicle using a jack as the only means of support". The jack in your boot is for lifting a wheel clear of the ground while you swap it, nothing more.
- Never change a wheel on a motorway, its hard shoulder or an emergency area, or on a busy road with no safe space around the car.
- Never jack on a slope or soft ground, and never without the handbrake on and a wheel chocked.
- Never leave anyone in the car while it is on the jack.
- Never use a jacking point other than the one in the handbook, or stack objects under the jack to gain height.
- Never guess at tightness. The right figure is in your handbook, covered below.
- Never drive on a sealant-filled or space saver tyre as if it were a normal tyre. Both are temporary.
If a tyre has gone completely flat, don't keep driving on it to find a better spot for longer than you need to. Our guide on whether it's safe to drive on a flat tyre explains the damage that causes.
How fast and how far can you drive on a space saver?
Usually no faster than 50mph, and TyreSafe recommends no more than 50 miles. A space saver is the narrow temporary spare many cars carry, and it is designed only to get you to a place of repair.
| Question | What the guidance says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Top speed | Usually restricted to 50mph, in dry conditions | The AA, TyreSafe |
| Distance | No more than 50 miles recommended; the AA notes there is no set maximum, but it shouldn't be excessive | TyreSafe, The AA |
| Wet or icy roads | Drive with even more caution and at a slower speed | TyreSafe |
| Which axle | Some are restricted to the front or rear axle; check your handbook | The AA |
| Towing | Drive straight to a tyre specialist rather than attempt a long journey | The AA |
Your handbook has the limits for your car's spare, and they are the ones to follow. Expect the car to feel different: TyreSafe notes reduced grip and says a space saver tyre deteriorates much faster than a regular tyre, and the AA says handling will be different and you will need to allow for it. Arrange a proper tyre as soon as possible.
How tight should wheel nuts be?
Tight to the torque figure in your vehicle handbook, set with a torque wrench, and checked again after a short distance. Continental notes that different makes need different torque values, and that the details are "included in the owner's handbook and vehicle documentation" (Continental).
A roadside wheel brace can't measure torque, so after a wheel change the nuts are either a little under or a little over. Both are a problem. Too loose, and Continental warns there is "a small risk that the wheel could come off while you're driving". Too tight is no better, which is why Continental stresses the manufacturer's figure rather than as tight as you can manage. If the car vibrates after a wheel change, stop and check, and see our guide to steering wheel vibration.
Continental says garages and tyre dealers retorque wheels 30 miles or 50 kilometres after a tyre change. Haynes gives the same advice for roadside changes: have the nuts checked as soon as you reach the next town. If you have a torque wrench at home, set it to the handbook figure and check each nut in the star or cross pattern.
When should you call a mobile tyre fitter instead?
Call for help if you are somewhere unsafe, if anything in your kit is missing or stuck, or if you simply can't do the job comfortably. There is no prize for struggling with a seized nut in the rain. Common reasons to stop and call:
- You are on a motorway, a busy road or soft or sloping ground.
- There is no spare, or the spare is flat, or the sealant kit can't fix the damage, such as a sidewall cut or bulge.
- The locking wheel nut key is missing, or a nut won't move.
- Your car has run-flat tyres and no spare.
- You aren't physically able to use the brace or jack safely.
- You need a proper replacement tyre, not a temporary spare.
Rescue Tyres is a fully mobile tyre service covering London, the Home Counties and the Midlands, seven days a week with 24-hour callouts. We come to your home, your workplace or a safe place off the road, carry tyre fitting and balancing equipment in the van, and can repair a puncture to BS AU 159 where it is repairable or fit a new tyre sourced to your car's size. A realistic arrival time is agreed on the call, the price is confirmed before any work, and you pay once the job is done. Book online, read how mobile tyre fitting works, or call 07473 720871.
If the wheel will not come off because the locking nut key is missing, see our lost locking wheel nut key guide.
