A flat tyre on a 110km/h highway is one of the most dangerous situations an everyday driver faces. The tyre change itself is simple; the risk is the traffic passing a metre from your shoulder. This guide walks through doing it the Australian way, and — just as importantly — when to leave the job to someone else.

Where should you stop to change a tyre on a highway?

The first decision matters more than any other. If you feel a tyre going down, ease off the accelerator, indicate early, and move to the left as soon as it is safe. Get as far off the road as you can: an emergency stopping bay, a wide sealed shoulder, a rest area, or the next exit. A slightly damaged rim is far cheaper than being struck by a truck.

Look for ground that is firm and level. A jack sinks into soft soil or hot summer bitumen and can topple, so avoid the grassy verge if you can. Park well clear of the traffic lane, straighten the wheels, and leave plenty of space on the traffic side to work.

How do you stay safe from passing traffic?

Before touching a single wheel nut, protect yourself:

• Switch on your hazard lights immediately — day or night.
• Get every passenger out of the car and behind the safety barrier or well away from the traffic side, never sitting in a car parked on the shoulder.
• Put on a hi-vis vest if you carry one, and set out a warning triangle behind the car where legal and safe to do so.
• Work from the kerb side wherever possible. If the flat is on the traffic side of a narrow shoulder, this is the moment to stop and call roadside assistance.

Under “Slow Down, Move Over” style rules that now apply across Australian states and territories, other drivers must slow and give way to a stopped vehicle showing hazard lights — but never assume they will. If in any doubt about your safety, stay behind the barrier and phone for help.

What tools do you need?

Everything should already be in your boot. Locate them before you start:

Item	What it does
Spare wheel	Full-size or a space-saver spare — check it’s inflated
Jack	Raises the car; see the best jacks for roadside changes
Wheel brace	Loosens and tightens the wheel nuts
Wheel chock	A block of wood or a brick to stop the car rolling
Owner’s manual	Shows your jacking points and nut torque
Locking nut key	Needed if your wheels have locking nuts

Step by step: how to change the tyre

1. Secure the car

Apply the park brake firmly and put an automatic in Park or a manual in first gear. Place a chock behind and in front of the wheel diagonally opposite the flat so the car cannot roll.

2. Loosen the nuts first

With the wheel still on the ground, break each nut loose about half a turn anticlockwise. Doing this before you jack means the wheel can’t spin. If a nut is stubborn, use steady bodyweight on the brace rather than jerking it. Don’t remove the nuts yet.

3. Jack the car up

Place the jack under the correct reinforced jacking point nearest the flat — never under a sill, sump or subframe. Raise the car until the flat tyre is roughly 5cm clear of the ground so the inflated spare will fit.

4. Swap the wheel

Undo the nuts the rest of the way and lift off the flat. Line the spare up with the studs, push it on, and hand-thread all the nuts. Nip them up with the brace but don’t fully tighten while the car is in the air.

5. Lower and torque

Lower the car until the tyre takes the weight, then tighten the nuts firmly in a star (criss-cross) pattern, not around the circle. This pulls the wheel down square against the hub. Ideally finish to the correct figure with a torque wrench; if you only have the brace, tighten firmly and get it checked soon.

6. Stow and check

Put the flat, jack and tools back in the boot. Check the spare’s pressure as soon as you can — a detail nearly everyone forgets, covered in our spare tyre pressure guide.

What about a space-saver spare?

Many Australian cars now carry a temporary space-saver instead of a full wheel. As a guide, these are usually limited to 80km/h and a short distance — read the sticker on the wheel itself for the exact limits, as a few are rated higher. Their smaller diameter can affect ABS, stability control and AWD systems, so drive gently, avoid hard braking and cornering, and get your main tyre repaired or replaced promptly. Full details are in our space-saver spares explainer.

When should you not change it yourself?

Call roadside assistance and wait in a safe place if:

• The flat is on the traffic side of a narrow shoulder.
• The ground is soft, sloped or the car is not fully off the road.
• You’ve had a blowout at speed and aren’t sure the car is stable.
• You physically can’t loosen the nuts or the light is poor.

Most Australian motoring clubs and many new-car plans include tyre changes in their roadside assistance cover. On a fast highway, the small wait is almost always the safer choice.

Frequently asked questions

Is it legal to change a tyre on the side of a highway in Australia?

Yes, stopping to deal with a genuine breakdown is legal, but you must pull as far off the road as possible and not obstruct traffic. On many freeways you should use an emergency stopping bay rather than the running lane’s edge where one is available.

How tight should the wheel nuts be?

Tighten to your vehicle’s specified torque (commonly around 100–140Nm for passenger cars, higher for utes and 4WDs — check your manual). Over-tightening with brute force or a rattle gun can warp brake discs and stretch studs, so a torque wrench is the reliable tool.

Do I need to re-torque the nuts later?

Yes. Nuts can settle after the first drive, especially on alloy wheels, so re-check them after about 50–100km.

How far can I drive on the spare?

A full-size spare can be used normally once pressures match, but a space-saver is temporary only — typically 80km/h and a short distance. Get your original tyre sorted as soon as possible.

Figures such as speed limits and torque settings are guides current at the time of writing and vary by vehicle. Always follow the placard, the sticker on your spare and your owner’s manual, and confirm anything safety-related with a qualified tyre fitter.

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