Summary: With the lug nuts snug and the car on the ground, tighten the lug nuts in a crisscross pattern when changing a car tire; learn how on this free car-maintenance video.
Christopher Fiffie has gained over 20 years of automotive repair experience working in his father's automotive repair shop. Starting at an early age Christopher learned the basics of...read more
"Hello! My name is Christopher Fiffie and I have 20 plus years as an automotive mechanic. On behalf of Expert Village, we will be talking about how to change a flat tire. After snugging the lug nuts, now we will go ahead and lower the vehicle. We won't lower the vehicle completely but we will lower it just enough to where the spare tire touches the ground and then we will take our lug nut wrench and tighten each lug nut individually. Alright, we've lowered the car sufficiently enough, now we will start with each lug nut and tighten it. You may at this point want to refer to your manufacturer's manual for your vehicle to reference the suggested torque specifications for the lugs. If you don't have a torque wrench available, it might be best to just go by a nice snug feeling on the wrench but not too much. You never want to use oil or grease on lugs or nuts. If you do, the lugs might come off or become loose. "
eHow Article: How to Tighten Lug Nuts When Changing a Tire