Imagine this scenario… You are 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 exit. What are you going to do?
Reluctantly, he pulls over to the side of the road and gets out to survey the damage. Yes, it’s just as you suspected, the front passenger tire is flatter than a pancake. Then what do you do? You can’t make it to the exit, and it will take too long for someone to come 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 have shot on a stable, flat surface. If you stopped on a hill or even soft ground, slowly move 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.
Next, roll up your sleeves and head to your trunk to get out the spare tire and jack. 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 exactly where 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 to be placed.
Next, raise the jack until it supports but does not raise the car. Now it’s time to remove the hubcap and start loosening the lug nuts with the wrench that came with the car. Put the correct size wrench on the locknut. 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 lift the tire off the ground enough so you can remove the flat tire and put on the spare. Make sure you jack the car up and down. Now remove the lug nuts the rest of the way and lift off the flat tire. Place the flat tire under the vehicle so that in the event the jack fails, the vehicle will fall onto the old wheel, hoping to avoid injury.
Now it’s time to put the spare wheel on the hub. Be sure to carefully align the spare tire rim with the wheel studs. Now, put the nuts in the right place and start hand-tightening them. Next, tighten the lug nuts, but to ensure the tire is balanced, do not fully tighten the lug nuts one 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 to lower 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’ve retightened the lug nuts finish lowering the car and remove the jack. Tighten the nuts one last time before putting the hubcap back on. 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 (undersized “doughnut” tires) are not rated for more than 50 MPH or for long distances. Exceeding this speed can cause problems, including spare tire failure. Drive slowly and carefully to a shop 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 learn for the first time on the side of the road alone in the dark or in the rain.