When on the road, one can’t avoid having bad days where they would probably experience heavy traffic, problematic engines, or flat car tires. Thus, it’s greatly essential for you to know what to do in these situations — especially for the last one.
You won’t actually have any problem with changing flat tires if you have someone to assist you with it, yet when you’re really unlucky and don’t have any access to help, you’d have no other choice but to do it yourself. In this guide, we’ll teach you the easiest way for you to learn the DIY way of changing your tires.
I can assure you that after these, you won’t be stressed anymore in case you were put in the same situation!
Step-by-step Procedure:
- First, pull over and find a place where you can park. Then, set your car to park — it’s a safety feature that will keep your car in place while you change your tires.
- To help you ensure your own and others’ safety, you can also post warning signs. Simple acts like turning on your hazard lights or placing triangle reflectors at the front and back of your car could already help other drivers see your position and not accidentally drive into you. Moreover, if you’re at home, make sure to post signs alerting others when they’re about to pass by and potentially endanger you or others.
- If you’re on the side of the road, make sure to place wheel wedges in front of your tires before changing it so as to prevent the car from moving. When changing your back tires, make sure to put them on the front. This would be the same if you are changing them in your home.
- Remove the hubcap if you have any in your car, otherwise, you can simply skip this step. Cars without hubcaps can easily be distinguished if the lugs holding their car in place can be seen. To remove the hubcap, use the flat end of the lug wrench, or a pry bar.
- Once removed, the next thing for you to do is loosen your lug nuts. It’s important to note this step for you to avoid damaging your car. Then, lift your car with the car jack. Before you position your car jack, check the car manual to find out where it is optimal to place it and the position for changing it, avoiding unneeded damage to your vehicle. Once identified, you may start raising your car slowly.
- Make sure that while raising your car, no person or part of the body is directly under it. If the car starts to go down, do not stop it. Step back and wait for it to go back down, then lift it again. Once successful with raising the car, you can now remove the loose lug nuts by hand and place them in a safe location to avoid any instance of misplacing it.
- Now, after placing them in a safe place, remove the flat tire. Keep it to the side, out of your way. Afterwards, take your spare tire and insert it into the lug bolts — all the bolts should fit inside the tire holes. Then, use your hands first to screw in the lug bolts, holding off on using the lug wrench.
- Lower your car slightly, allowing the spare tire to touch the ground, but making sure that you’re not letting it bear the whole weight of your car. Now using the lug wrench, tighten the nuts by turning them clockwise as tight as you can to make sure they are attached correctly and securely.
- After that, lower your vehicle thoroughly, tightening the lug nuts one more time to make sure they are secured all the way. Once finished, place your hubcap back on.
- Lastly, return all the supplies and tools that you used back to your car. Keep your flat tire in a safe place until you can get it repaired by a professional. Easy, right? Now, you won’t have any trouble with fixing your car tires on your own. Apply this 10-step guide and you’d surely have the confidence you need on the road
