How to Mount a Spare Tire

Having a spare tire can get you out of a jam quickly and save you some money. 

In order to replace a popped tire with your spare one you will need:
Spare tire (of course)
Lug wrench
Owner’s Manual
Jack

You must have all of these items in order to change your spare tire. In case you have lost your owner’s manual, you might me lucky to find online b y visiting your car manufacturer’s website.

How To Change A Tire

1. Get To A Safe Place

From the moment you realize you have a flat tire, turn on your hazard lights to alert other drivers and slowly decrease your vehicle’s speed while searching for a safe place where you can park. An ideal spot would a long straight stretch so cars coming behind you can see you. Do not park  on a curve with fast traffic as other drivers will not be able to see you fast enough.

2. Get Your Vehicle Ready

To prevent your vehicle from rolling when it’s jacked up, apply your parking brake (different from having your car in park). Just in case you have wheel wedges, places them behind the opposite side of the popped tire. If your tire popped in the rear, place them in the from (and vice versa)

3. Loosening The Lug Nuts

All cars differ. Some have hubcaps while others have alloy wheels. If you are not able to see your lug nuts, you most likely have plastic hubcaps covering them. Most plastic hubcaps can be yanked off with your hands, or by using the flat end of your lug wrench.

Once you are able to see the lug nuts, use the lug nut wrench to loosen up the nuts one by one by turning the wrench counterclockwise. Remember that you will have to use force, so don’t be afraid to use your whole body weights. Don’t remove the lug nuts completely, we just want to loosen them up a but. The nuts will be fully removed once the car is jacked up.

4. Jack Up Your Car

Consult your owner’s manual to find where your jack points are located under your car. Once you figure out where they are, place the jack under and start jacking the car up. Make sure you lift the car so that the flat tire is about 6 inches from the ground. NEVER go underneath your car or sit in your car while your car is in the air.

5. Remove Lug Nuts

You can now completely remove the lug nuts. Since they are already loose, you can twist them off by hand. Place them in a visible place and make sure they don’t roll away.

6.Remove The Popped Tire

Carefully grab the tires by sides and pull it out straight. Watch out as some popped tires have exposed metal which can cut your hands.

7. Mount Your Spare Tire

With the popped tire removed, we can now mount the spare tire. Grab the spare tire by its sides and try mount it on the car. You will have to align the holes on the rim to the hub.

8. Put The Lug Nuts Back On

With the spare mounted on the car, you will take the lug nuts and put them back on. You can hand tighten each one, just make sure they are all the way in and that they go as far as your hand can tighten them. You will tighten them with the wrench when the car is back on the ground.

9. Lower Your Car a Bit and Tighten Lug Nuts

With the spare wheel and lug nuts securing the spare, we can now bring the car down a nit. You want to bring the car down enough that the tire is resting on the ground, but the full weight of the car isn’t on the tire. Tighten the lug nuts with the lug nut wrench by turning it clockwise. Use all your strength to tighten  each bolt.

10. Fully Lower Car and Tighten Again

Lower the jack completely and remove it from under the car. Tighten the lug nuts again using all your body weight.

11. Put up Equipment.

Take your jack, lug nut wrench, owners manual, and tire wedges and put them back in your car.

12. Get Back On The Road

Make sure that you remove the parking break once you get in your car. Look around you and make sure that you can get back on the road, If you are on a highway, remember that cars travel fast so it’s good to wait when there are no cars. If you are on the feeder then it helps to pick up a little bit of speed while on the feeder, then merging on to the highway.

13. Replace your Spare and Have a Professional Look at Your Car

If your car did not come with a full sized spare, then make sure you get to a tire shop as soon as possible. Compact spare tires (aka donuts) are not meant to be used for a long period of time. Stop by a tire shop to replace your compact spare or have a professional look at your regular spare to see if it’s on right.