There's no worse feeling than being stuck in a remote spot with a flat. Here's how to change a tire and get back on the road

By Brian Smyth | Published Nov 5, 2021 10:09 AM

A flat tire can put a damper on any hunt, especially since AAA likely doesn’t offer roadside assistance to your favorite deer stand. Knowing how to change a tire when there’s no one around to help is an absolute must for anyone who spends time in the backcountry or the back 40. You should practice a tire change at home before heading afield so you know where all the tools are, how to remove the spare, take off the flat, and put on the spare. There’s no worse feeling than searching for tools or being unprepared on a dark, cold night. Here are a few tips and a step-by-step guide for changing a flat.

I recommend buying your own tire iron and keeping it in the truck. Typically stock tire irons from the manufacturer don’t give you as much leverage to unscrew the lug nuts, and they are harder to use than a four-lug tire iron. You could also keep a 1/2-inch cordless impact drill in the truck. Just make sure you have the right fitting to remove the lugs and keep it charged. Impact drills are nice to have handy because 1) they make the job go faster and 2) if you’re towing a trailer and get a flat, some trailer wheels are so short it’s really hard (and sometimes impossible) to use a tire iron to loosen them because it won’t clear the ground.

Many hunters will outfit their trucks with a set of aftermarket tires. If you take your truck off-road, it’s a good idea. But you should also get a fifth tire to replace that donut under your Chevy. Most pickups come with a spare similar to, or exactly the same as, the four standard tires on the showroom model. If you drive into the backcountry it’s worth buying a fifth aftermarket tire to carry as your spare. Those stock tires are made for on-road performance, not wheeling around in the mud.

If you can afford one, a hydraulic jack like this one from ARB is ideal for easily lifting your vehicle out of a sticky situation, if you’re on uneven ground, or you can’t find a completely solid surface. Most of these kinds of jacks are rated to lift a portion of your vehicle, not the whole thing, and won’t lift the truck any further once it reaches max capacity. They are invaluable because you can set the jack at different heights. So if you get a flat but the undercarriage of your truck is stuck on a rock, you can free the truck and get it to a flat surface to make the change.

If you run over a small nail, screw, or tree root that punctures your tire, it’s easier to simply patch the hole with a tire plug kit if you can find the leak. I use a spray bottle filled with soapy water, spray it on the tire, and look for the fizz. Wherever you see the water bubble, that’s where the hole is. The key item you also need to have is a portable air compressor. There are many different types to choose from, and you will get what you pay for. I recommend ARB’s portable model, which will run off your truck battery.

Read Next: 5 of the Best Aftermarket Tires for Your ATV

We put Yamaha’s two newest sport ATVs to the test at a 40,000-acre sand mecca on the Oregon coast

Transform your next fireside meal with one of these Dutch ovens

Work up a sweat without working up an odor in one of these top shirts for the outdoors

Want more hunting and fishing stories?

Sign up to receive our emails.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service.