If you happen to get stuck on the side of the road with a flat tire, it is good to know how to change it. In order to be properly prepared for a flat you should keep a spare tire and lug wrench in your trunk as well as look in your owner’s manual to know where the jack is located. Here are the simple steps to follow in order to change your tire:

1. Be sure to pull over on the side of the road in a spot that is not in the way of traffic. For your safety, select a part of the road that is straight so that other drivers can see you from far away. Also, be sure to be parked on a level surface so that you can safely jack up your vehicle. Lastly, be sure to turn on your hazard lights.

2. Retrieve the tools from your trunk and put them where you can easily obtain them when they are needed.

3. If you have a hubcap, be sure to remove it. Now use the lug wrench to loosen the lug nuts on your wheels. Note that the lug nuts should not be removed they should only be loosened.

4. Jack up the vehicle by placing the jack beneath the car and raising it up until it connects with the car’s frame. Raise the jack until the tire is approximately six inches away from the ground.

5. Take the lug nuts out of the bolts and then pull the wheel towards you and remove it from the car.

6. Put on the spare tire by putting it in front of the wheel well and then by aligning the holes in the spare with the car’s bolts. Put the tire on the bolts than push it as far in as it can go. Put the lug nuts back on the bolts and then tighten them enough to keep the tire in tact while jacking down the car.

7. Lower the car to the ground and then tighten the lug nuts by starting with one of them and then tightening the one directly across from it and continue this pattern until all of them are tightened.

8. Clean up your tools and put them back where you got them. Thoroughly check the area you cleaned up to make sure you don’t miss anything and leave it behind.

Keep in mind that if you are signed up with a roadside assistance program, you can call for help and they will change your tire for you.