This article was co-authored by Andrew Quinn. Andrew Quinn is a Master Mechanic in Kansas City, Missouri. He is ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) certified and has over 9 years of experience working with companies such as Valvoline, Instant Oil Change, National Tire & Battery, and Tires Plus. This article has been viewed 1,982,620 times.

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To change a tire, first chock a wheel on the opposite end of the car that you’ll be working on. You can use a piece of wood or a rock if you don’t have a wheel chock. Chocking the wheel will prevent the car from rolling when you jack it up. Next, remove the lug nut cover on the tire you’re changing if there is one, and use a lug wrench to loosen all of the lug nuts on the tire. Now, locate the jack point underneath the car next to the wheel you’re changing and position a car jack under it. Crank the jack until the tire you’re working on is lifted off the ground. Then, remove the loosened lug nuts from the tire, and use your hands to pull the tire off. Align the holes on the new tire with the studs on the hub, then push the new tire into place. Put the lug nuts back on using the lug wrench, and lower the car back down to the ground using the jack. Finally, tighten all of the lug nuts with the lug wrench in a crisscross pattern so they’re as tight as possible. To learn more from our Mechanic co-author, like how to store the old tire so you can get it inspected, keep reading the article!