A puncture always spoils your day. Changing the floor is something that one does not want to do on the road, as it is an unpleasant task and also dangerous. Research has found that tire punctures cause tens of thousands of accidents, including many deaths. Fortunately, most punctures do not cause accidents. The best way to prevent a flat is to have your tires inspected regularly by a qualified tire specialist.
Tools needed: a spare tire, a jack in good condition, and a lug wrench.
Steps to change a flat tire
1. Place your vehicle on a flat surface. Make sure your vehicle is on a flat surface, or lifting it could damage it. Turn on the emergency lights.
2. Remove hubcap and loosen nuts. First remove the hubcaps, if any, and loosen all the lug nuts on the tire, but do not remove them. It’s best to use a non-slip lug wrench as it will give you a firm grip to loosen the lug nuts.
3. Put the jack under your car. Using your owner’s manual, place the jack in the proper location so it doesn’t end up damaging you or the vehicle.
4. raise- Raise the vehicle by turning the jack handle. Raise the vehicle until you can easily remove the tire.
5. Remove the nuts- Now remove the loose nuts and store them safely. Don’t lose them as you need them to fit the spare wheel.
6. Remove the flat tire Grasp the tire and pull it towards you by lifting it up slightly. Tires can weigh 20 to 30 pounds or more depending on the vehicle, so be careful when lifting.
7. Move your spare- Mount the part on the hub, put on the nuts and tighten them only with your hands, without using a wrench.
8. Lower the jack- Lower the car until it is in contact with the ground and remove the jack.
9. Tighten the nuts- Now tighten the nuts that you previously tightened by hand. Tighten one nut first, then the most opposite nut. Repeat this pattern, always moving to tighten the next most opposite nut. After all the nuts are tightened to a certain extent, tighten them more firmly one by one.
10. Repair the puncture (or replace it) ASAP- You may not know when you’ll need a spare tire again.
Things to keep in mind when changing the flat tire
1. Wait until you have a puncture before checking your part. Make sure you have the proper tools (jack, lug wrench, and spare tire) before you travel.
2. Change floors in an unsafe place- Try to get the vehicle off the road, away from traffic hazards, before attempting to change a tire.
3. Ignore visible security measures- Don’t forget to turn on the hazard lights. Also try to keep the doors open, to provide a buffer to keep other vehicles out.
4. Forgetting to block the tire. Raised vehicles can move if the other wheels are not chocked. Block the other wheels with a brick or stone and apply the emergency brakes before raising the vehicle.
5. Lift without loosening nuts- Trying to loosen the lug nuts when the car is jacked up ends up spinning the wheel, since you have to apply a lot of brute force. It’s best to loosen them before lifting, as the ground prevents the wheel from turning.
6. Raise the car without removing the part. Remove the spare tire from the vehicle before jacking it up. Interacting with a vehicle that is on a jack can be dangerous, and you may tilt or pull the vehicle while trying to get a spare tire out of the trunk.
7. Taking a cat for granted- Be careful when handling a car jack. They can cause serious injury or death, as the weight of a car can be very dangerous.
Before your next flat tire
Before your next flat, familiarize yourself with the vehicle manual on the proper procedure for changing a tire. Practice the operation of the jack and wrench. If they are rusty, lubricate them to make them easy to use. Keep a couple of bark blocks, tire inflator, flashlight, tire sealant, reflective road markers, etc., in your car to be prepared for emergencies. Periodically check your tires to make sure they are in good condition, including the spare. Usually the spares are the ones that are neglected as they will be out of sight.