Changing a wheel is well within most people's ability, but it is a job where the order and a few safety rules matter more than strength. Done in sequence, it is straightforward; skip a step and it can go wrong quickly.
Before lifting anything
Safety comes first, before any tool comes out:
- Pull over onto firm, level ground, as far from traffic as possible
- Switch on the hazard lights and apply the handbrake firmly
- Get passengers out and away from the road
- Put out a warning triangle if it is safe to do so
- Chock a wheel diagonally opposite the one being changed if anything is to hand
A soft verge or a slope is not the place to jack a car, moving to firmer, level ground first is worth the effort.
Loosen before you lift
Get the tools ready, the jack, wheel brace, locking nut key if fitted, and the spare. Then, with the wheel still on the ground:
- Crack the wheel nuts loose by half a turn each
Doing this before jacking is important: on the ground the wheel cannot spin, and there is no risk of rocking the car off the jack. Leave the nuts loosened but in place.
Jack at the right point
Position the jack under the car's designated jacking point, a reinforced spot near the wheel, usually marked with a notch or arrow on the sill, and shown in the handbook. Raise the car until the flat tyre is just clear of the ground.
The absolute rule: never put any part of the body under a jacked car. A jack is for lifting, not for working under.
Swap and lower
With the car raised:
- Remove the loosened nuts and lift the wheel off
- Fit the spare, lining up the holes
- Hand-tighten the nuts to hold it
- Lower the car until the tyre takes the weight
- Tighten the nuts fully in a star or diagonal pattern, not a circle, so the wheel seats evenly
Afterwards
A few finishing jobs: stow the flat tyre and tools, check the pressure of the spare against its marked figure, and observe its limits if it is a space-saver. It is worth having the nuts properly torqued with a torque wrench at a garage soon after, and the flat tyre inspected and repaired or replaced.
From the workshop: the two that catch people out are loosening the nuts after jacking, and the car nearly comes off, and tightening in a circle so the wheel goes on skewed. Crack them loose on the ground, tighten them in a star with the car down. Get that right and the rest is easy.
Sources and accuracy. The procedure here reflects standard safe practice at the time of writing; the car's handbook gives the jacking points and any model-specific steps. If in doubt, or if the roadside is unsafe, calling for assistance is the right call. If anything here looks wrong, get in touch and we will check it and put it right.
Common questions
How do you change a car wheel safely?+
Park on firm, level ground away from traffic with hazards on and the handbrake firm. Loosen the wheel nuts before jacking, raise the car at its proper jacking point, swap the wheel, hand-tighten the nuts, lower the car, then tighten the nuts fully in a star pattern.
Should you loosen wheel nuts before or after jacking?+
Before. With the wheel still on the ground it cannot spin, so the nuts can be cracked loose safely. Trying to loosen them once the car is jacked up can rock it off the jack, which is dangerous.
Where do you put the jack to change a wheel?+
At the car's designated jacking point near the wheel, usually a reinforced spot on the sill marked with a notch or arrow. The handbook shows exactly where. Jacking anywhere else can damage the car or let it slip off the jack.
How tight should wheel nuts be after changing a wheel?+
Firm and even, tightened in a star or diagonal pattern with the car back on the ground. They should be properly torqued to the maker's figure, so it is worth having them checked with a torque wrench at a garage soon after a roadside change.