Nothing ruins your favorite driving song quite like hearing that annoying thum-thum-thum noise that means you have a flat tire. You could call a service mechanic to fix the problem for a small fee or you could change the flat tire yourself in a few easy steps.
Essential Items You’ll Need:
- Spare Tire
- Jack
- Lug Wrench
Additional Items You’ll Want:
- Emergency Road Signals
- Flashlight
- Gloves
- Wheel Wedges
- Vehicle Owner’s Manual
Step by Step Instructions
Step One: Find A Safe Place To Stop
As soon as you notice that you have a flat tire, you should put on your hazard lights. Start gradually slowing the vehicle down and check road signs for an upcoming service station or rest area. If you can’t limp your way to a safe location, then just pull over to a wide shoulder. Try to avoid any stretch of pavement that has a slope.
Step Two: Secure the Vehicle
Once you’ve pulled over, engage the vehicle’s parking brake. Secure all of your necessary repair items and place them in an orderly fashion where you can see them. If you have emergency flares, place them around your vehicle so that other motorists can clearly see you. Then, put your wheel wedges behind the tires. If you don’t have wheel wedges, you might be able to find some heavy rocks or lumber nearby that will stop the wheels from rolling.
Step Three: Loosen Up the Flat Tire
Next, you should take out your spare tire. Place it to the side. Now, remove the hubcap cover or wheel cover on the flat tire. Some vehicles have them; some don’t. When you can clearly see the lug nuts, attach the lug wrench and rotate it counter-clockwise. Don’t take the lug nuts off, just loosen them up a bit.
Step Four: Jack It Up
Now, use the owner’s manual to locate the correct place to jack up your vehicle. There should be a notch in the frame that fits the jack plate. Use the crankshaft of the jack and slowly unwind it. Avoid raising the jack to its fullest extension. Open it just enough so that the damaged tire comes off the ground.
Step Five: Change the Tire
You should be able to unscrew the lug nuts quite easily now. Put them somewhere safe so you don’t lose them. Remove the flat tire and place it to the side. Now, you can put the spare tire in place. Lift it slightly to line up the bolts and slide it into place. Now, tighten the lug nuts with your fingers. Start on one side and then tighten the opposite side. Move in a star pattern.
Step Six: Lower the Vehicle
You’re almost done. Now you just need to lower the vehicle back down to the pavement by rolling up the jack stand. Once the full weight of the vehicle is down, then use the lug wrench to finish tightening the bolts. Collect all of your equipment. Put away the damaged tire and you’re ready to roll out.
