Being caught with a
flat tire is the most annoying thing which can happen to you. May it be seeing
a flat when you get out of the house ready to rush to work or for an errand or
even worse, getting a flat tire on the road—it’s simply wretched!
If you happen to have
flat tire near an auto service station or fuel pump you can get your hands on a
mechanic to give you a deft tire change. However, if lady luck is not on your
side and you find yourself with a flat tire on a highway or far from a
mechanic, then whether you like it or not, you’ll have to change the tire yourself. Keep a spare tire, jack and ideally, a tire inflator in your
vehicle’s trunk.
Here’s a step by step
guide to make sure that you change your flat tire it in the safe and right way:
Step 1: Where to park
your car for a tire change:
Make sure you move your
car to a solid, level surface to make sure it doesn’t roll away. Try parking
farthest from traffic and turn on your hazard lights. Apply the parking brake
and put car into "Park" position. Find a heavy object like a rock, brick or
spare wheel to prop in front of the front and back tires.
Step 2: Using the jack:
Put the jack under the
frame near the tire which needs to be changed. You must make sure that the jack
is in contact with the metal portion of your car's frame. In most modern cars,
there is a small notch or mark just behind the front wheel wells, or in front
of the rear wheel wells where the jack has to be positioned. For larger
vehicles like trucks put the jack on one of the beams of the frame just behind
the front tire or in front of the rear tire.
Raise the jack until it
is supporting the car making sure it is firmly in place against the underside
of the vehicle and is perpendicular to the ground.
Step 3: Removing the
Flat Wheel:
Remove
the hub cap and loosen the nuts using a wrench which came with your car, or a
cross wrench, by turning counterclockwise. You can use your body weight or
stomp on the wrench to loosen the tight lug nuts. Make sure that you're turning
the nuts instead of the wheel.
Crank
the jack to lift the tire high enough to remove the flat tire and replace it
with a spare. All this while make sure the car is stable. Be quick to lower the
jack and reposition it if you notice any instability.
Remove
the nuts the rest of the way and then remove the tire. Place the flat tire
under the vehicle to prevent the car from crashing down if the jack fails to
support it.
Step
4: Fixing on the Spare Tire:
Place
the spare tire on the hub making sure that the rim of the spare tire is aligned
with the wheel bolts. Screw on the lug nuts and tighten them securely with a
wrench. Tighten the nuts in a star pattern, one nut across from the other.
Lower the car without applying full weight on the tire and then re-tighten the
nuts. After lowering the car completely to the ground remove the jack and
finish the job of tightening the nuts and replacing the hubcap.
Bring
your flat tire into Mission Car Care, Katy, Tx on Clay Road to get the puncture
repaired, for tire disposal or getting another spare for your car.
The Mission Car Care
team always gives your tires a thorough once-over whenever you drive in for
routine or preventive maintenance, to make sure you never have less tire
pressure.
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