Changing a tyre is perhaps the most unglamorous car chore. It involves delving in your boot for the jack, and handling a big dirty tyre. If you're an  AHG customer don’t be afraid to call AHG Roadside Assist, and save the knees of your pants. If you are determined to do it yourself though, here are some simple steps. If you don't feel confident that you can change a tyre after reading these steps do not attempt to change your tyre. Call for help.

Safety First
Pull over. You never seem to get a flat tyre on a nice, peaceful stretch of road. Make sure you pull over out of everyone’s way, for your safety and for theirs.
Warning signs
Put on the hazard lights before getting out of the car. This will warn other drivers and give them time to slow down.
Secure it
Make double sure you have the car in “park” (or 'in gear' for manuals) and the hand brake is on. For extra safety, chock a wheel on the opposite side of the car with a piece of wood or a rock. If your have a 'hazard triangle' place this in clear view of oncoming traffic, a few metres from your car. Sometimes these are mounted on the underside of your boot, in which case extend the boot lid fully to warn other drivers.
Don’t go underneath the car
It is not safe to go underneath a car that is only supported by a jack. There is no reason for you to go underneath the car while changing a tyre, especially when the tyre is off. If your spare tyre is located underneath your car (some 4wd's) it's important to remove the spare tyre before jacking the vehicle up, or losening the wheel nuts. You need to jack up the car before you can change the tyre. If you rummage around in the back of your boot, you should find a jack, crank handle and a wheel brace under the carpet.
Step 1
Look over your jack and make sure it is in working condition, with no rust spots or missing rivets. Don’t change your tyre if the jack doesn’t look safe.
Step 2
Use the wheel brace to undo the catch of the wheel nuts. Pull each nut until it 'cracks', and then unwind it one full turn only. This needs to be done with the car firmly on the ground. You might need to find a 'wheel nut key' somewhere in your car if your vehicle is fitted with mag/alloy wheels.
Step 3
Locate the jacking points. There will be a ridge or groove on the underside of your car. If you get down on your hands and knees, you will be able to see this clearly.
Step 4
Make sure the jack is on a hard, flat surface. A soft surface like grass will cause the jack to sink into the ground and make the car unsafe to be near. Insert the jack into the groove about 30cm from the wheel, and turn the handle until you can see a gap between the ground and the tyre. This may take a bit of effort.
Step 5
The next step is all down to technique, not brute force. You need to loosen the nuts that are holding the wheel on. Place the wheel brace on one of the nuts horizontally, and rotate anti-clockwise to remove each nut. If you have a 4-way wheel brace and the flat tyre is on the drivers side of the vehicle, face the front of the car and pull up on the far side of the brace while you push down on the near side of the brace with your leg. Face the rear of the vehicle if the flat tyre is on the passenger side.
Step 6
Once all the nuts are loosened, jack up the car enough so there is enough room to place the new, inflated, tyre on. Remove the nuts, and lift the wheel from the car.
Step 7
Remove your spare wheel from the boot and line it up with the holes, then lift it straight onto the car.
Step 8
Tighten all the wheel nuts by hand, starting with the bottom one. Use the wheel brace to tighten the nuts a little more, but not too much.
Step 9
Unwind the jack, and remove, then tighten the wheel nuts as firmly as possible. Tighten the nuts in a “star pattern”:
4 wheel nuts: Tighten the wheel nut on top, and then tighten the bottom one. Then go from left to right. 5 wheel nuts: Choose any wheel nut and tighten it firmly. Skip the next wheel nut and tighten. Continue on, skipping a nut each time, until all the nuts are tightened.

That's it, you're done! Secure the flat tyre in your boot, or under the vehicle, and un-chock the wheels. Don’t forget to replace or repair your flat tyre. You never know when you might need it again!