Changing a flat tire is a skill we hope to never use, but it’s vitally important to know, as well as other car upkeep tips. Replacing a flat tire shouldn’t be that difficult – don’t panic.
Remember, Safety First!
Here’s a few steps to guide you get back on the road in just minutes:
— Remember, safety first – pull your car into a safe spot
— Have your hazard lights on to be seeing by other drivers
— Make sure your shifter is in park position to prevent car from moving
— Have your emergency breaks to increase stability while you change your tire
— Confirm the condition of your spare tire before removing flat tire
— Ensure you have a jack, and the wrench to operate it, in your vehicle
— Understand how your jack works before starting.
Other recommendations
— Regularly ensure your spare tire is properly inflated
— Chock the opposite wheel with scraps of wood, tree branches or partially flattened soda cans.
— Stock lug wrench is often inadequate to the task of un-torqueing lug nuts. Use a pipe extension. Leave wheel on ground to keep it from spinning
— Jack will have someplace to peg it to its intended location on the bottom of the car.
— Some jacks attach to the frame rail while other may have a small recess on the pinch weld along the bottom of the body.
— A little grease on the jacks screw will reduce effort. Don’t overdo it.
— Toss the old tire under the car in case car falls off the jack