By Jeff Masterson*, for Inpui.com
That’s all there is to it! With a few tools, supplies and the right knowledge, you’ll be able to change your tire without looking like a mess in the process! Who says that only guys can do this job?
 |
| Photo by Sergio Vassio. Creative Commons |
If you think that changing a flat tire is a job meant for the guys, then think again. As long as you have a few simple tools, you’ll have no problem changing a tire. It’s not as hard as you think, and you won’t get dirty and greasy as long as you have some of the supplies mentioned in this article. Follow these steps and you won’t have to worry about paying for a tow truck or flagging someone down for help.
Getting Your Car to a Safe Area
The first and most important step to take is to turn on your emergency lights and get your car should be completely off the road and out of the way of oncoming traffic. Also, you need to make sure that the car is parked on a flat surface. Never try to change a flat tire if the car is parked on an incline.
Once you’re parked on a flat piece of land, make sure to set the emergency brake. You should also place an object behind or in front of the tire opposite the flat tire. This means that if your rear right tire was flat, you would place the object in front of your front left tire. The object you use could be as simple as a rock you find on the side of the road.
Once you’re parked on a flat piece of land, make sure to set the emergency brake. You should also place an object behind or in front of the tire opposite the flat tire. This means that if your rear right tire was flat, you would place the object in front of your front left tire. The object you use could be as simple as a rock you find on the side of the road.
Removing the Flat Tire
Get all of your supplies together. The main tools you’ll need are a car jack, a tire iron (an L- or X-shaped wrench) and a spare tire. All of these items should already be in your car, and your owner’s manual will tell you where they’re located. Additional supplies you should have include a towel to rest on the ground to keep from getting dirty, a pair of work gloves to keep from injuring your hands and hand sanitizer to clean up after you’re finished.
The first thing you need to do now is loosen the lug nuts. These are like the screws that hold the tire onto the car, and they’re found in a circle around the center of the wheel. Take your tire iron and place it over each lug nut. To loosen the nuts, just turn the tire iron counter-clockwise. With your towel on the ground, you can sit parallel with the car to give yourself leverage.
Give it a Lift
The first thing you need to do now is loosen the lug nuts. These are like the screws that hold the tire onto the car, and they’re found in a circle around the center of the wheel. Take your tire iron and place it over each lug nut. To loosen the nuts, just turn the tire iron counter-clockwise. With your towel on the ground, you can sit parallel with the car to give yourself leverage.
Give it a Lift
Once the lug nuts are loosened, you’ll now need to use the car jack to lift the car. Use your owner’s manual to show you where to place the jack. You’ll now be able to raise the car by turning the hand crank on the jack clockwise. Raise the car just enough to get the tire off of the ground and finish removing the lug nuts from their studs. You can now carefully remove the flat tire.
Installing The Spare Tire
Now it’s time to put the spare tire on the car. Carefully roll the tire into position, place it over the wheel studs and begin tightening the lug nuts back onto the wheel. For now, just use your hands to tighten the lug nuts.
After you’ve completed this step, you can now lower the car using the car jack. Don’t get too excited – you’re not finished yet! Using the tire iron, you’ll need to tighten the lug nuts the rest of the way. This time you’ll turn the tire iron clockwise to finish the job. You’ll want to tighten the lug nuts as tightly as you can, so double check your work after you’re finished. You can now put the flat tire and your supplies back into your car, and don’t forget to remove the object you placed on the opposite side of the car.
After you’ve completed this step, you can now lower the car using the car jack. Don’t get too excited – you’re not finished yet! Using the tire iron, you’ll need to tighten the lug nuts the rest of the way. This time you’ll turn the tire iron clockwise to finish the job. You’ll want to tighten the lug nuts as tightly as you can, so double check your work after you’re finished. You can now put the flat tire and your supplies back into your car, and don’t forget to remove the object you placed on the opposite side of the car.
That’s all there is to it! With a few tools, supplies and the right knowledge, you’ll be able to change your tire without looking like a mess in the process! Who says that only guys can do this job?
About the author:- Jeff Masterson is a content contributor for online car insurance companies, which offer quotes from popular carriers such as Geico car insurance.
Post a Comment
Comments not related to the news or article may be deleted.