Need to remove a tyre from your wheel rim but don’t want to risk damaging it? This guide walks you through the process step by step — from deflating the tyre to prying it off the rim safely. Whether you’re replacing a flat or fitting a new set, you’ll learn how to do it confidently and correctly with just a few basic tools.
We’ve all been hit with the dread of a flat or damaged tyre – realising that not only do we need to pull over and replace the tyre with a temporary spare or call for roadside support, but also then pay a mechanic to repair or replace the tyre professionally.
The alternative is to remove the tyre yourself and fit a new one. But how easy is it to lift a tyre away from the wheel rim without causing damage to the wheel structure?
What Do You Need to Remove a Tyre?
If you opt to remove your own tyre from the wheel rim and replace it yourself, you will need a few basic tools…
- A jack to lift the weight of the vehicle away from the wheel
- Lug wrench to remove the nuts which are holding the wheel in place
- Valve core tool to remove some of the pressure from the tyre and relax its structure
- Tyre level to pry the tyre away from the rim
You may also want to wear gloves throughout the process to keep your hands protected and clean.
Removing the Tyre: A Step by Step Guide
Once you’ve got all the tools listed above, you need to follow the below steps to safely remove the tyre without causing damage to the wheel rim. Damaging the wheel itself is a much more expensive issue, so take care not to be too heavy handed when removing the tyre.
NOTE: The first few steps of the process are the same as when fitting a spare tyre, first removing the weight from the damaged tyre and then removing it from the vehicle. If you have already removed the wheel with the damaged tyre – perhaps to replace it with a spare while out on the road – then you can bypass the first few steps and move straight into removing the tyre from the wheel.
Step 1: Removing the Wheel
The first thing you need to do is to remove the wheel from the vehicle. Place the jack on the road surface or floor under your vehicle and extend it to support the weight of the vehicle. Keep lifting until the damaged tyre is no longer supporting any weight of the vehicle.
Step 2: Remove the Lug Nuts
One at a time, use your lug wrench to loosen the nuts which are holding the wheel in place. Loosen each of these a little at a time, taking care not to completely remove any of the nuts until you have loosened all of them – otherwise you risk putting too much pressure on one or two nuts.
Once all the nuts have been removed, you can lift the wheel away from the vehicle and get to work on removing the tyre.
Step 3: Release Air From the Tyre
To make the tyre more pliable and easier to remove from the wheel rim, use the valve core tool to let out some air. Doing this will relax the tyre and make it much easier to lift away from the wheel.
Simply press the valve core tool to the tip of the valve until you hear the hissing noise of gas escaping.
Step 4: Use the Tyre Lever to Remove the Tyre
Now for the fiddly bit – removing the tyre from the rim, using your dedicated lever.
You will need to do this gradually, working the lever between the tyre beading and the wheel rim to dislodge the rubber. Once you have completed this, moving around the circumference of the tyre and wheel, you should be able to lift the rubber tyre away completely.
A quick check of the wheel rim, and you’re ready to fix the new tyre in place.
