Tyre Change & Puncture Repair
Knowing how to safely jack the car, swap a wheel and plug a small puncture means you'll never be stranded. The same skills also let you rotate tyres yourself (every 6,000 miles) to even out wear and double their lifespan.
Covers safe jacking, wheel swap and refitting. Universal process.
Use the correct jacking points — listed in your handbook. Jacking on a sill or floor pan dents bodywork and can crush the chassis.
Always pair the trolley jack with axle stands. A jack alone can fail; stands give a secondary safety net.
Loosen wheel nuts BEFORE the wheel is in the air — otherwise the wheel spins. Final-tighten in a star pattern after lowering.
Plug repair kits work on tread punctures up to 6mm. Sidewall damage means a new tyre — never plug a sidewall.
Park on flat, hard ground. Apply the handbrake and put it in gear (or P)
Chock the wheel diagonally opposite to the one you're lifting
Loosen the wheel nuts a quarter turn while the wheel is still on the ground
Position the jack under the manufacturer's jacking point. Raise until the wheel is just clear
Place an axle stand alongside as a safety backup
Fully unscrew the wheel nuts. Pull the wheel off straight
Fit the spare or new wheel. Hand-tighten all nuts in a star pattern
Lower the car so the wheel just touches the ground
Final-tighten nuts to handbook torque in a star pattern
PLUG REPAIR: Find the puncture, ream the hole, insert a sticky plug, trim flush and re-inflate
Re-check torque after 50 miles — wheel nuts can settle
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