Imagine this scenario… You’re driving down the highway on your way to an important meeting dressed for success when all of a sudden you hear a soft “thump thump” sound. You tell yourself it’s just the bumps in the road, but then it starts to get louder and louder. You know you have a flat tire, but you are miles from the next start. What are you going to do?
Reluctantly, he pulls over to the side of the road and gets out to inspect the damage. Yeah, just as you suspected, the front passenger tire is flatter than a pancake. Then what do you do? You can’t get to the exit, and someone will take too long to get there to help you. Sounds like the situation we all fear, right? Well, why not change the tire yourself? You are a capable person, and you can certainly change that tire on your own. Is not difficult; you can even do it with your skirt and high heels. Just follow these simple steps and you will never be caught in that situation again.
First, make sure you’ve shot on a stable, flat surface. If you stopped on a hill or even soft ground, move slowly to a new flat location. Also, if you are caught parked on the side of the road, make sure you are as far away from traffic as possible with your hazard lights on. Make sure you park your car and apply the parking brake to make sure your car can’t roll. It’s also a good idea to block the wheels with a large rock or whatever else you can find. Chock a front tire if you are changing a rear tire and vice versa.
Then roll up your sleeves and head to your trunk to get the spare tire and jack out. Place the jack under the frame near the tire to be changed. Be sure to place it where it will meet the metal part of the frame. If you’re not sure where exactly to place the jack, check your owner’s manual. However, for most modern cars, there is a small indentation or mark just behind the front wheel wells or in front of the rear wheel wells where the jack is intended.
Next, raise the jack until it supports but does not lift the car. Now it’s time to remove the hubcap and start loosening the lug nuts with the wrench that came with the car. Place the correct size wrench on the lock nut. The correct size is the one that slides easily over the nut but doesn’t make a noise. Once the lug nuts are loose, pump or crank the jack to raise the tire off the ground enough so that you can remove the flat tire and fit the spare tire. Be sure to jack the car up and down. Now remove the lug nuts the rest of the way and lift the flat tire up. Place the flat tire under the vehicle so that in the event of a jack failure the vehicle falls on the old tire, hoping to prevent injury.
Now it’s time to put the spare wheel in the hub. Be sure to carefully align the spare tire rim with the wheel studs. Now, put the nuts in the correct place and start hand tightening them. Then tighten the lug nuts, but to ensure the tire is balanced, do not fully tighten one lug nut at a time. Following a star pattern around the tire, one nut facing the other, turn each one full turn until equally tight. Now you can start lowering the car to the ground. However, don’t put all the weight on him just yet. First, finish tightening the nuts as much as possible. Once you have tightened the nuts again, finish lowering the car and remove the jack. Tighten the nuts one last time before reattaching the hubcap. Put the flat tire, jack, and wrench back in the trunk. Give yourself a pat on the back; You just changed a flat tire by yourself!
Always remember that most replacement tires (the undersized “donut” tires) are not rated for over 50 MPH or long distance. Exceeding this speed can cause problems, including spare tire failure. Drive slowly and carefully to a garage and have your tire repaired or replaced. Also practice makes perfect. Try to familiarize yourself with the steps before you get a flat tire, so you don’t have to first learn on the side of the road alone in the dark or in the rain.
