Sixt Car Hire Magazine

Travel Tips & News from Sixt rent a car

How to Change a Tyre

Should you ever be in the situation where you have a flat tyre, Sixt has provided a breakdown below of how to remedy that. Bear in mind: changing a tyre is relatively simple but does require specific knowledge and equipment. If you need help, contact your roadside assistance provider. If you break down in a Sixt car rental, simply call our free Breakdown Assistance line on +44 (0)344 4 993399.

Safety and equipment checks

First of all make sure that you have all the required equipment such as a spare wheel that has the correct grip and is properly inflated. You will also need a vehicle jack, a wheel nut wrench, wheel chock, gloves and possibly a torch if it is dark. Make sure you have no passengers in your vehicle and that you are parked away from traffic on a tough surface.

Before lifting the car

  1. Try to make sure that the car is raised for the minimum amount of time.
  2. Turn off the ignition and turn on the hazard lights.
  3. Apply the handbrake and put the vehicle in first gear.
  4. Chock the road wheel diagonally opposite the one that needs to be replaced.
  5. Remove the spare tyre from the boot/carrier.
  6. Put the spare wheel on the ground so that it is convenient for fitting.
  7. Remove the wheel trim if fitted.
  8. Place the jack at the correct point closest to the wheel that needs to be removed.
  9. Make sure that the jack head engages correctly and extend the jack until it starts to lift the car on its springs.
  10. Please check your car manual for the correct placement of the jack.
  11. Undo the wheels nuts and bolts carefully. 

Lifting the car

Raise the jack just enough so that the wheel of the car is just clear of the ground.

Fitting the spare

Fitting the spare is the same procedure as the removal procedure in reverse.

  1. Make sure all the nuts and bolts of the wheel are tightened properly starting with the top nut and doing so in a diagonal order.
  2. Carefully lower the wheel to make contact with the ground before fully tightening the wheel nuts.
  3. Make sure that you carefully store away the old tyre in your car boot or carrier.
  4. Also make sure that you check and adjust the pressure of the new tyre as soon as possible and get the wheel nuts tightened to the correct torque.
  5. Replace the old tyre as soon as you can.