A puncture is the most common breakdown there is, and changing a wheel is a job every driver can learn. The mechanics are simple — the part people get wrong is safety. Take your time, do it somewhere safe, and never put any part of your body under a car held up only by a jack.
You'll need
- Your spare wheel (check it's inflated — see tips)
- The car jack and wheel spanner (usually under the boot floor)
- Locking wheel-nut key, if your car has locking nuts
- Two reflective warning triangles
- Gloves, a torch and a reflective vest
- A wheel chock — or a large stone or block of wood
⚠ Safety first
- Never get under the car, or put your hands or feet under it, while it's supported only by the jack. Jacks can slip.
- If you're on a busy highway, a bend, or a narrow shoulder with fast traffic, don't change the wheel there. Drive slowly (hazards on) to somewhere safe, even if it damages the tyre — a tyre is cheaper than you. If you can't move, get everyone out and well away from the road and call for help.
- Only jack at the manufacturer's jacking points. Jacking elsewhere can collapse the floor or slip.
Step by step
- 1
Get somewhere safe and flat
Signal, slow down gradually and pull over as far from traffic as possible, on firm, level ground. Soft ground or a slope makes the jack unstable. Hazard lights on.
- 2
Secure the car
Apply the handbrake firmly and put the car in first gear (manual) or P (automatic). Switch the engine off. Get passengers out and standing well away from the road — behind a barrier if there is one, never between the car and traffic.
- 3
Put out your warning triangles
Put on your reflective vest. Place a warning triangle well behind the car — at least 50 metres, and further on fast roads or before a bend so drivers see it in time. On a two-way road, place the second one in front of the car.
- 4
Chock the opposite wheel
Wedge a chock, stone or block firmly against the wheel diagonally opposite the flat one (for a flat front-left, chock the rear-right). This stops the car rolling when it's raised.
- 5
Get the spare and tools out
Take out the spare, jack, wheel spanner and locking-nut key. Lay the spare flat next to you. If the wheel has a plastic trim or hubcap, prise it off with the flat end of the wheel spanner.
- 6
Loosen the wheel nuts — before jacking
With the wheel still on the ground, loosen each nut about half a turn anticlockwise. Don't remove them yet. If they're tight, position the spanner horizontally and push down with your foot, using your body weight rather than your back. Use the locking-nut adaptor on the locking nut.
- 7
Position the jack at the jacking point
Find the jacking point nearest the flat tyre — usually a reinforced notch or marked section on the sill just behind the front wheel or just in front of the rear wheel. Your owner's manual shows exactly where. Seat the jack head squarely in it.
- 8
Raise the car
Wind the jack up until the flat tyre is clear of the ground — about 5 cm is enough, remembering the inflated spare will need more clearance than the flat. Watch the car as it rises: if it shifts or the jack leans, lower it and reposition.
- 9
Remove the nuts and the wheel
Unscrew the nuts fully and keep them together (a hubcap makes a good tray). Pull the wheel straight towards you — it's heavier than it looks. Slide the flat wheel under the car's side, next to the jack: if the jack slips, the car lands on the wheel instead of the ground.
- 10
Fit the spare
Lift the spare onto the hub, lining up the holes with the studs (or bolt holes). Screw every nut on by hand first, with the tapered side facing the wheel, so none are cross-threaded.
- 11
Snug the nuts in a star pattern
Tighten the nuts with the spanner just enough to seat the wheel, working in a star or criss-cross pattern (not round in a circle) so the wheel pulls on evenly.
- 12
Lower the car and fully tighten
Lower the jack until the tyre is on the ground and the car's weight is on it, then fully tighten each nut, again in a star pattern. Lower completely and remove the jack. Give every nut one final firm pull.
- 13
Pack up and check
Put the flat wheel, tools and triangles away (pick the triangles up last, walking facing the traffic). Check the spare's pressure at the first opportunity.
- 14
Recheck and repair
Have the wheel nuts torqued to the manufacturer's figure (in the manual — often 100–120 Nm for cars) and rechecked after 50–100 km. Get the punctured tyre repaired or replaced as soon as possible so you're not driving without a spare.
Pro tips
- Check your spare's pressure every month. A flat spare is the most common reason people can't change a wheel — and it's usually discovered at night on the side of the road.
- Know where your locking wheel-nut key is before you need it. Keep it in the glovebox or with the jack.
- Space-saver (thin) spares are for getting you to a tyre shop, not for daily driving — most are limited to 80 km/h. The speed limit is printed on the wheel or a sticker.
- Practise once at home, in daylight, on your driveway. Ten minutes of practice makes the real thing far less stressful.
Stop and get a mechanic if…
- A wheel nut won't move, or the stud turns with it.
- You can't find a safe place to stop.
- The wheel rim is bent or cracked, or the car was hit hard enough to damage the suspension.
General guidance only. Your owner's manual has the final word on specs, fluids and procedures for your vehicle. Last reviewed 24 September 2026.