Tires are considered an essential part of motor vehicles, the only place that vehicles come in contact with the road. The tire plays the role of the pilot who steers the car on the road. A car with damaged or poorly-maintained tires create decreased braking system and reduced steering assist control.
Flat tire is an unpleasant experience of any car driver. You will learn how to change a flat car tire regardless of whether it involves hitting the road sharp object or vehicle aging.
Article Summary
Tools You Will Need
For your car tire replacement, you’ll need a few essential tools and equipment:
Jack: A jacker which is double coupled can lift your vehicle. The user’s guide of the vehicle will be the source of comprehensive information about the jack placement points.
Lug wrench: The lug wrench is a useful tool which you can use for both loosening and tightening the lug nuts that hold the tires to the wheel hub.
Spare tire: Make sure that your spare tire is at the right pressure, a value that should be checked and adjusted all the time. Temporary spare tires for the car may have the restrictions of their speed and mileage, so be mindful and know how many miles per hour is the speed limit and how many miles you can drive before the wheel gets damaged.
Safety glasses: A safety measure that you could take is to ensure that you keep some eye protection in your vehicle during tire replacement to prohibit small items of debris from entering your eyes.
Wheel wedges (optional): Place the tiresк wedges and make sure the vehicle is secure while changing the deflating one.
Take A Safe Position
If you hear that car sounds like flat tire, then it is better to move the car on a safe spot. At the end lines, on the sides of the road, or on the level themed areas; those are the best places to do so. When the car is going to slow down, switch on your hazard warning lights to alert the other drivers and use a parking brake to stop the car from rolling forward or backward.
Ensure stability of your car by placing stones or wheel chocks behind/in front the flat tire as a good precaution to avoid car rolling. Keep in mind that tires may sometimes fail due to defects, in which case it may be worth consulting with a car accident attorney in Roanoke.
Remove The Flat Car Tire
Firstly, creating a secure place where unwanted tires can be changed is also very important. Secondly, if you want to perform this work, you should start replacing it. You can begin by:
Loosen the Lug Nuts
For a hub cover version it may be necessary to remove it using a flat end of the lug wrench or a flathead screwdriver. Using a wrench but not removing them, remove the lug nuts in a clockwise direction only loosely.
Jack Up the Car
Your owner’s manual should explain the recommended jacking spots in the frame of the car. Situate the jack under the proper height, then either begin to turn or pump until the jack is about to lift the flat tire and it is off the ground.
Remove the Flat Tire
Completely take away the lug nuts and put them in a safe place away from potential threats such as high pressure or heat. Slowly tubeless tire out of the vehicle and put it under the car.
Install A Spare New Tire
So, now when you have got rid of the old tire and it’s out of sight, then it is time to install a new one on your vehicle. You can do so by:
Mount the Spare Tire
Let the studs on the head of the spare tire line up with the wheel lugs on the vehicle bolted beneath it, and then shove the tire onto the hub until it cannot be moved any more.
Tighten the Lug Nuts
Secure the lug nuts loosely into the car rim with your hand. The jack’s primary purpose is lowering the car down until when the spare tire touches the ground while at the same time the car shouldn’t be bearing the full weight. The star pattern of tying the lug nuts with a wrench will ensure a uniform and tight attachment.
Lower the Car Completely
Lower the vehicle into jack stands by the provided jack and then remove the jack. Including the lug nuts, give each of them a spin just to make sure they are tight.
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If so, align the hubcap to the spare tire’s wheel and knock it into place. First turn back the tire, then the jack, and finally the lug wrench into the trunk.
Final Safety Checks
Before you leave your new tire, it is essential to do a long-term health check. You should check the following:
Check Tire Pressure
Besides the pump, make sure of the air pressure of the spare tire by having a tire pressure gauge at hand. Your first step is to check the pressure for your car and determine the psi required for the tire’s location.
The recommended tire pressure information is, sometimes, also printed on a sticker within the driver’s door jamb or, possibly, in the glove box on the passenger side of the vehicle.
Lug Nut Tightness
Finishing the procedure with the last check of their joint stiffness through the lug wrench.
Test Drive and Monitoring
Go for a short walk or biking on the designated routes free from traffic and at a low speed. Keep in mind, any uncommon noise, vibration or handling problems could be caused by an unsecured tire or other similar issue.
Please perform a thorough inspection before you take up the caravan on the road. If anything looks wrong, use the ‘safe check’ which is stopping the vehicle and fixing the problem where necessary.
FAQs on How To Change A Flat Car Tire
Where do I place the car jack when lifting the vehicle?
Each vehicle, therefore, has the outlined jack points that are built to lift the frame of the car without the risk of falling and damaging the frame. Many of these locations are usually tagged or pointed out in the car’s manual. In most cases, stock suspension consists of 4, one under the front and the rear, just after front and before rear wheel which are all placed at the vehicle’s respective rocker panels.
Why should I tighten lug nuts in a star pattern?
At the time of the last nut tightening, the star (or the crossed) pattern will guarantee long-time uniformity of the pressure radiating onto the wheel hub avoiding any damage and preventing the reluctance of the wheel sitting flush. Thus, such an arrangement would off the chance of wheel warping or their inaccurate positioning.
How often should I check my spare tire?
It is advisable to undergo regular car maintenance check-up and thus, we must inspect the spare tire’s pressure and condition at least once in every 6 months. That helps avoid being left unprepared in unforeseen situations with your spare wheel being unready. Further, in order to make sure that the jack and lug wrench are in working condition, make sure you check them out as well.
Conclusion
If you think that the job may seem tough to perform at the beginning, but if you can acquire the essential tools and some practice, then replacement of a flat tire will not be a big deal for you. Please, never forget to check your spare tire and make sure that it is in good shape to replace the flat tire immediately.
