LaFollette Towing · LaFollette, TN · Updated July 2026

How to Change a Flat Tire in LaFollette, TN

A flat tire never happens at a convenient time. Maybe you are heading out US-25W toward Jacksboro, or you just pulled off I-75 near Exit 134, and suddenly the steering pulls hard to one side and you hear that unmistakable flapping from a corner of the car. For most drivers in LaFollette, TN, a flat is more of an inconvenience than a true emergency, but only if you handle it safely. This guide walks you through exactly how to change a flat tire here in Campbell County, what to keep in your trunk, when it makes sense to do it yourself, and when you are better off calling a licensed and insured operator to come to you.

We run 24/7 flatbed and wheel-lift towing across LaFollette, Jacksboro, Caryville, Jellico, Rocky Top, and the rest of ZIP 37766, so we see flats every week, on shoulders, in parking lots, and on the winding roads around Norris Lake. The steps below are the same ones our drivers follow, minus the parts that only a tow truck can do.

When It Is Safe to Change a Flat Tire Yourself

Before you touch a lug wrench, look at where you are. The single most dangerous part of changing a tire is not the tire, it is the traffic going by. If you are on the shoulder of I-75 or a fast stretch of US-25W, ask yourself whether you can get fully off the road and out of the flow of traffic. Cars pass at 65 to 70 mph on the interstate, and a driver kneeling by a wheel is very hard to see.

It is safe to change the tire yourself when you can pull onto a firm, level surface well clear of moving traffic, with the ground solid enough that a jack will not sink. It is not safe, and you should call for help, when you are stuck on a narrow mountain shoulder, on a blind curve, on soft or sloped ground, or in heavy rain or darkness with no room to work. In those cases the smart move is to stay buckled in with your hazard lights on and let a tow truck reach you.

What You Need in Your Trunk Before You Get a Flat

Changing a flat only works if you have the gear, and a surprising number of vehicles are missing a piece of it. Before you ever need them, check that your car has these items and that they actually fit your vehicle:

• Spare tire, properly inflated. Spares slowly lose air over the years, so check the pressure a couple of times a year.
• Jack rated for your vehicle, usually stored with the spare under the trunk floor.
• Lug wrench that matches your lug nuts. If your wheels use a locking lug nut, make sure the key adapter is in the glovebox.
• Wheel wedges or a couple of chunks of wood to block the tires so the car cannot roll.
• Flashlight, gloves, and a reflective triangle or flares for night or low-visibility flats.

Many newer vehicles ship with a tire inflator kit instead of a spare. Those kits can reseal a small puncture, but they do nothing for a blowout or a sidewall tear, which is exactly when you are most likely to need a tow.

How to Change a Flat Tire Step by Step

Once you are parked somewhere safe and level, work through these steps in order. Do not rush the loosening and lifting steps, that is where most mistakes happen.

1. Secure the car. Put it in Park (or first gear for a manual), set the parking brake, turn on your hazards, and wedge the tires diagonally opposite the flat.
2. Loosen the lug nuts. With the tire still on the ground, break each lug nut loose about a quarter turn, counterclockwise. They are easier to crack loose now than after the wheel is in the air.
3. Position the jack. Slide the jack under the reinforced jack point nearest the flat, usually a notch in the frame just behind the front wheel or ahead of the rear wheel. Check your owner manual if you are unsure, jacking on the wrong spot can dent the body.
4. Raise the vehicle. Lift until the flat tire is about six inches off the ground, enough clearance to swap in the fully inflated spare.
5. Remove the flat. Finish unscrewing the lug nuts, keep them in your pocket or a cup so none roll away, and pull the wheel straight toward you.
6. Mount the spare. Line up the holes with the bolts and push the spare on. Thread the lug nuts back on by hand so they are snug.
7. Lower and tighten. Lower the car until the spare touches the ground, then tighten the lug nuts firmly in a star or crisscross pattern so the wheel seats evenly. Lower the jack the rest of the way and give the nuts one final check.

Stow the flat, the jack, and the tools before you drive off. For a deeper dive on doing this correctly, the NHTSA tire safety guide is a solid, no-nonsense reference worth bookmarking.

Driving on Your Spare Around Campbell County

If your spare is a full-size matching tire, you can drive more or less normally, but still get the flat repaired soon so you are not left without a backup. If it is a compact donut spare, treat it with care. Most donuts are rated for about 50 miles at up to 50 mph, which is plenty to get from the Norris Lake area or Jellico into a LaFollette tire shop, but they have less grip and no tread depth to speak of.

On the hills and curves of TN-63 and TN-116, a donut spare changes how the car handles, so slow down, avoid hard braking, and skip the interstate if you can take a slower surface road instead. Get the real tire fixed the same day if possible.

When to Call a Tow Truck Instead

Not every flat should be a do-it-yourself job, and there is no shame in calling for help. Reach out for a flatbed or wheel-lift tow when the tire is shredded or the wheel is bent, when you have no usable spare, when the lug nuts are rusted on or stripped, when you are on a dangerous shoulder or mountain road, or when weather or darkness makes working on the roadside risky. A DOT compliant flatbed can load the car and take you straight to a tire shop, which is often faster and far safer than wrestling a spare on the edge of US-25W.

Our typical response time across LaFollette and Campbell County runs about 30 to 45 minutes, and we run 24/7, so a late-night flat on the way home from Norris Lake is exactly the kind of call we handle. If you are weighing the cost, our roadside assistance cost guide breaks down what you would actually pay.

Flat Tire Costs: Doing It Yourself vs. Roadside Service

Changing a flat yourself costs nothing but time, assuming your spare and tools are in good shape. A roadside tire change or a short flatbed tow to a shop is an affordable alternative when you cannot, or should not, do it on the roadside, and it is a lot cheaper than the damage caused by driving on a flat or jacking the car incorrectly. If your low-tire warning light stays on after the swap, that is often a sensor issue rather than a new leak, and our TPMS sensor replacement cost guide explains why.