How to Change a Trailer Tire

Having a flat tire is never a fun experience. Especially when towing a trailer, a flat tire can pose a dangerous situation if not handled correctly. Follow the steps below if you have or suspect a flat tire on your trailer while driving:

1. Pull off to the side of the road and come to a slow stop. When pulling off you’ll want to:

• Make sure you are as far to the side of the road as possible.
• Try to locate a hard, level surface on which to perform the tire swap.
• Apply the emergency brake once fully stopped.

2. Check to see if you have enough room to place a jack underneath the trailer.

• If there isn’t enough room, first loosen the lug nuts. Next, find an object that has a flat surface on the top and bottom that you can place in front of the deflated tire. Then, roll the trailer on top of the flat object to create enough room to place the jack and elevate the trailer high enough to remove the tire.
• If there is enough room for the jack, loosen the lug nuts prior to elevating the trailer.

3. Once the lug nuts are loosened, block in front and behind the tires with wheel chocks on the opposite side of the trailer you are elevating.

• This is to prevent the trailer from rocking and shifting while in the air.

4. Elevate the trailer into the air, far enough to put a fully-inflated tire back on.

5. Loosen the lug nuts the rest of the way and remove the tire.

6. Replace the tire with a spare. Add and tighten the lug nuts in a star pattern to ensure there is a good seat on the wheel.

7. With all the lug nuts now tightened down, slowly lower the trailer down to the ground. Remove the jack and put it away.

8. With the trailer on the ground, re-torque the lug nuts to 100 lbs. in a star pattern. This allows the lug nuts to seat properly on the hub. Re-torque the tires at 10, 25, and 50 miles to help prevent the lug nuts from backing off.

If you want to make this job a much simpler process, stop by your local TrailersPlus store and pick up a Rapid Jack. You put it in front of the non-flat tire of a tandem axle and drive forward. THAT’S IT!