Changing a flat tire on a horse trailer

I got the spare out (on right) while Dave started loosening the nuts on the flat tire. I also put the trailer-aid under the good tire.

Now I've got the trailer up on the trailer aid and Dave is finishing removing the nuts from the flat tire.

I usually have to change at least one flat or blown tire every ride season.  Every so often I get lucky and go more than a year in between that happening.  I didn’t have any in ’08 but already have had one this year.

Fortunately this time it wasn’t a blowout while I was driving.  The tire leaked after I was parked at Cuyama a couple of days and went flat.  The tire picked up something in the sidewall so it couldn’t be fixed.  I took these photos of that tire being changed.

Dave Rabe was kind enough to do the hard labor and I made myself useful taking photos (ha ha – I paid him back with some ice cream later)

Before you leave on a trip you should first make sure you have everything with you for changing a flat- a tire iron, breaker-bar, spare tire(s), Trailer Aid jack, blocks of wood.

It is also a good idea to do a practice run tire change at home under non-stressful circumstances too.  You may have a decorative cover over your lug-nuts and if so should know how to remove it.  You’ll note that my trailer no longer has any decorative covers!

So far, I’ve never called for roadside service help when changing a flat – not just because it usually happens where there is no cell service but because I can have the flat changed and be on my away again 20 minutes later.  I don’t think it’s safe to be sitting around on the side of the road somewhere waiting for help to arrive, especially if it takes an hour or two.  I also always carry two trailer tire spares with me.  That way if I need to use one, I still have a spare.  This is a good idea for anybody that travels often with horses.  Even if some of the far away places we go to have tire shops it is often after hours, a holiday or weekend and they are closed when we need them.

If you are driving and get a blowout – pull over as far away from traffic as possible and turn on your emergency flashers.  If it’s dark or there is no safe place to pull over try to limp along to the next exit or a wider area so that you can change the tire safely.

1)  Remove your spare tire and ensure that the bolt attachment pattern on the spare is the same as the tire you are replacing and that it has air in it – this is something you should check before every single trip.

2)  Use the tire iron to slightly loosen the nuts on the affected tire before driving the trailer up onto the trailer jack. The weight of the trailer on the flat tire will make easier to slightly loosen the nuts without the tire rotating. It is good to have a breaker-bar with you to help get the nuts started.

3) Drive the trailer up onto the Trailer Aid jack (blocks of wood work too, as would a large smooth rock–we used that at Bryce one year). Once you have done this, lock your emergency break and chock the other wheels on the trailer and don’t get underneath anything – you don’t want anything rolling or moving and squashing you.  I always have left my horses in the trailer if we are on the roadway as it is safer for them there than outside.

4)  Now that the tire is up on the Trailer Aid jack, loosen the nuts completely and remove them (be sure to keep them all together). Pull the tire and wheel straight out from the bolts and set them aside.

5) Mount the spare tire onto the bolts that are exposed.  Use your foot or a piece of wood to help lift it up high enough to get it on there.  Spin all the nuts loosely onto the bolts to hold the tire in place.

Tightening the nuts in a star pattern - Once the trailer is backed off of the Trailer Aid they'll be tightened again.

What the flat tire looked like - darnit - it still had good tread on it too!

6)  Use the tire iron to tighten the nuts a few spins at a time in an alternating star pattern. This will ensure an even tightening of the wheel onto the axle. Tighten as far as possible until the wheel starts to rotate.

7)  Move the trailer off the Trailer Aid jack so that the tire is in contact with the ground. Do a final tightening of every nut, as tight as you can.

8)  Put your spare away.  If you got the flat due to a blowout check to see if there was any additional damage like to your wiring or if something may be bent in such a way as to cause a problem.

When you get to your next stop it’s a good idea to check the tightness of your nuts again and make sure everything is good and secure and have somebody help you check to make sure all of your lights are working properly.  Remember to practice good trailer maintenance and always check the tread wear and air pressures on your tires prior to every trip.

Trailer Aids can be purchased most anywhere.  I’ve had  mine for a dozen years and it’s gotten lots of use – I also use it for leveling the trailer when I”m parked at rides.

Did I forget anything?  The most unusual place that I’ve ever changed a tire was in the parking lot of a Bunny Ranch (aka brothel or whorehouse) in the middle of Nevada.  Does anybody have any good trailer tire changing stories?