When you get a flat, do you have what it takes to do your own tire change without calling a tow truck? It’s not too complicated, but one wrong step can cause a lot of extra frustration in addition to damaging your car. The towing experts at Mountain Home, AR’s Discount Towing and Recovery give their top tips for making sure your tire change goes without a hitch.

Prepare Your Car

Make sure your vehicle is in park and the parking brake is engaged. This will keep it steady and prevent it from rolling. If you have a couple of small pieces of wood, placing them in front of and behind the opposite tire will also keep the car from moving.

Loosen Nuts First

Loosen lug nuts before jacking up the car, or else they’ll be too tight to move when the car is raised.

Position The Jack

Read your owner’s manual to determine the proper jacking points of your car. This will put the weight on the car’s frame rather than its axles, which is critical to avoid damaging your car. Trying to jack up the car in the wrong spot will cause problems and force you to call a tow truck. Jack it up until the wheel can spin freely.

Tighten Diagonally

When you re-tighten the lug nuts, move to the next nut diagonally instead of tightening the one right next to the one you started with. This ensures they will tighten evenly, keeping your spare tire from wobbling.

Take It Slow

Once your spare is on, don’t drive very fast or very far. Get your tires replaced as soon as possible, as spare tires are only designed for short-range, temporary use.

If you’ve broken down in the Mountain Home, AR, area, Discount Towing and Recovery can help. Whether you just need help with your tire change, have had an accident, or are broken down and need a tow truck, their roadside assistance specialists are ready to help. Call them at to learn more about their services, or visit their website to see what used auto parts they have in stock.