There are many reasons to remove a tire from your vehicle: to change a flat, service your brakes, or switch between all-season and snow tires. Changing a tire can be an intimidating task, but with the proper tools and procedure, anyone can do it.
The best place to change a tire is on flat, level ground, away from any traffic. If you're changing a tire on the side of the road, you might not have much of a choice, but it's safest to get as far from traffic as possible and turn on your hazard flashers. If you're changing a tire at home, a flat, paved driveway is ideal. Don't park on an incline or on soft ground. Set your parking brake and place a chock against the opposite wheel.
You'll need, at minimum, a jack and a lug nut wrench. Don't use your car's emergency jack unless you have to. A better choice is a floor jack that can be rolled into position to provide a more stable platform for lifting. Whenever possible, a jack stand should be placed beneath the vehicle after jacking (see below). An ordinary lug nut wrench works fine, but a cross-shaped wrench allows you to get more leverage and makes your job easier. For the home mechanic, a pneumatic impact wrench is ideal. You also want to use a torque wrench whenever possible to make sure your lug nuts are correctly tightened.
After your vehicle is properly parked, chocked and the parking brake is set, it's time to go to work. Consult your owner's manual for the proper jacking points on your vehicle. This is where the jack will come into contact with your vehicle. Get the jack into position and under tension, but don't lift the car yet. Loosen the lug nuts (but do not remove) one at a time, working in a star pattern. Lift the vehicle slowly, making sure that the jack does not shift position. Once the tire is completely off the ground, place a jack stand beneath the axle (or at another safe point) to act as a back-up in case the jack fails. Finish loosening the lug nuts, remove them, and remove and replace the tire. Reinstall the lug nuts until they are finger tight, then remove the jack stand and lower the vehicle completely. Tighten the lug nuts in a star pattern. Use a torque wrench, if possible, to ensure that your lug nuts are tightened to the correct specification. After you've driven a few miles, it's a good idea to check the torque on your lug nuts again to make sure they're still seated properly.
