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How To Change A Flat Tire

Sometimes changing a flat tire can be a hassle. But with a few simple steps it can be a breeze. Before changing a flat tire you should be somewhere safe. If you were driving when you got the flat tire it is always safe to pull off the road. If you're on a busy highway try getting off the busy road. Safe is better than sorry. After you pull off the road so that you are safely out of the flow of traffic. Try to stop in a straight part of the road, so that passing traffic can see you from a distance. Stop the car on a level spot, it is unsafe to jack up a car on an incline. Next, you should turn on your Hazard lights. After you have turned on the hazard , go to your trunk and retrieve the following tools: jack, lug wrench, gloves if you have any, and the spare tire. If you have gloves and you desired, put on the gloves, so that you wouldn't get you hands dirty.

Remove the hubcap, if necessary some cars won't have hubcaps. If you car does have a hubcap consult your owners' manual for proper instructions in removing the hubcap. Using the lugwrench, begin to loosen the lug nuts sometimes the lug nuts are quite difficult to loosen if you can't loosen them, try jumping on the lug wrench to loosen them but be careful when you are jumping on the lug wrench to loosen the lug nuts. Always turn counter clockwise when trying to loosen the lug nuts, thus you are pulling up on the lug wrench. Remember do not remove the lug nuts, only loosen them. Consult your owners' manual and find where the jack needs to be positioned usually, the jack contacts the car at a small plate on the frame of the car this plate is usually located just in front of the rear tires, and just behind the front tires. Position the jack under the car, and raise the jack until it contacts the frame. Make sure the jack is properly positioned.

Extend the jack until the tire is about 6 inches off the ground remember: don't stop raising the car when the flat tire is just off the ground, the spare tire is fully inflated and will require more ground clearance. Remove the lug nuts from the bolts, and put them aside. Grab the wheel, it is easiest to grab the tire at the "nine o'clock" and "three o'clock" positions. Pull the wheel straight toward you, and off the car. Position the spare tire directly in front of the wheel well. Align the holes in the center of the spare tire with the bolts on the car. Lift the spare tire and position it on the threaded bolts. Push the tire onto the car until it cannot go any farther. Replace the lugnuts on the bolts and tighten them, but not too tight. Just enough to hold the tire in place while you lower the car. Lower the car with the jack until the car is again resting on all four tires. Tighten the lugnuts, starting with one, then moving to the one opposite it, and so on. To tighten the lug nuts, you turn clockwise. Place the flat tire where the spare was located. Replace the jack and lug wench in their proper locations. Carefully inspect your work area and make sure that you're not leaving anything. Continue on to your destination, and have the flat tire repaired. It is not safe to drive on a spare tire because it is smaller than the regular tire. So try to get it replace.

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