Before you begin, If your vehicle is on or nearby a public road, turn on your hazard lights to remain visible to other road users. Next, ensure the parking brake is applied to the vehicle before changing the tire. This will reduce the risk of your vehicle moving unintentionally.

Pick up the lug wrench. Turning counter-clockwise, loosen all five lug nuts on the wheel just until tension is broken, about a 1/2 turn each. Ensure that the lug nuts aren’t removed completely. This will be done in a later step. For best results, remove the lug nuts in a star pattern. This is done to reduce tension on the wheel evenly. 

Pick up the car jack. Consulting your vehicle’s owner manual, find the best place to mount your car jack under the vehicle. For most vehicles, there is typically an exposed portion of your vehicle’s metal frame designed to be lifted by the jack. Ensure the car jack is not in contact with any plastic molding or moving parts under the vehicle.

Once a suitable mounting location for the jack is found, turn the lever on the jack clockwise until it makes contact with the vehicle’s frame and is secure. Once secure, continue turning until the tire to be changed is lifted about six inches from the ground.

Completely loosen and remove all five lug nuts from the wheel and set aside in a safe place.

Lift and pull the wheel towards you until it’s clear from the vehicle. Set aside for now.

Grab your spare tire. Ensuring that the holes in the rim of the spare tire line up with the lug rods on your vehicle, push your spare tire onto the car until the lug rods pass through the rim and are visible through the front side of the tire.

Pick up the lug nuts you set aside earlier. Using your hands, tighten each lug nut clockwise as much as you can. You will fully-tighten the lug nuts with the lug wrench in a later step. 

Once the lug nuts are hand-tight, turn the lever on the jack counter-clockwise until the spare car tire is just touching the ground. You don’t want the entirety of the vehicle’s weight on the spare tire just yet.

Using the lug wrench, continue to tighten the lug nuts on the tire by turning clockwise. Ensure this is done in a star pattern so that even tension is applied to the wheel.

Once the lug nuts have been tightened as much as possible, continue lowering the jack until it is no longer in contact with the vehicle. 

Remove the jack from below your vehicle and put away any tools used as well as the original tire. You have now successfully changed your vehicle’s tire.