No matter where or when your tire goes flat, you don’t want to be spending too much time fixing it—for convenience and sometimes even safety purposes. If you are in the dark about how to change a flat, your best bet is going to be to call AAA, a tow, or a friend; although if you are not a novice, it might be worth perfection your tire-changing game. The average time it takes someone to change a flat tire who already has knowledge of the process is around 30 minutes. But with these tips, you may be able to decrease that time by a quarter or even half.
Be Prepared: If you are not prepared with the right type of equipment to change a flat, then you won’t be able to do it quickly. Here are not only the basics, but items that will assist you in being a tire-changing pro in any weather:
- vehicle owner’s manual
- jack
- lug wrench
- spare tire (obviously)
- 2”x6” cut of wood to secure the jack
- wheel wedges
- gloves
- flashlight or headlamp with batteries
- rain jacket or poncho
- large screwdriver
- tire inflator
- small towel
Stay Safe: The last thing you want is to have to change a flat tire in an unsafe location, at night, or in a heavy traffic area; but tires don’t take into account what is convenient for you—they can blow out or go flat whenever or wherever. Don’t get stuck in an unsafe predicament. Here are some tips to staying safe while changing a flat:
- Be sure to move your vehicle to the farthest right side of the road that you can go.
- Try to find a level, straight stretch of road to park.
- Keep your flashers on during the entire process and put your hood up so that drivers around you are aware that you are working on an issue.
- Light reflecting warning triangles are a beneficial investment in case you end up having to work in the dark.
- Apply the parking brake even if not on a hill.
- Avoid having any part of your body sticking out from under the vehicle into the road.
- Always be vigilant of what and who are around you, especially at night.
Change the Tire: Now that you have all of the necessities and are prepared, you are ready to change the flat. According to Bridgestone Tire, here are the simple steps to changing a flat tire:
- Apply wheel wedges, bricks, or stones to keep your vehicle from rolling.
- Remove the hubcap or wheel cover.
- Loosen the lug nuts.
- Place the jack underneath the vehicle; many vehicles have a specified area for the jack to go.
- Raise your vehicle with the jack; you want the flat tire to be about six inches off the ground.
- Unscrew the lug nuts.
- Remove the flat tire.
- Mount the spare tire on the lug bolts.
- Tighten the lug nuts by hand.
- Lower the vehicle and tighten the lug nuts again while using the full weight of your body.
- Lower the vehicle completely.
- Replace the hubcap.
- Check the pressure of the spare tire.
- Stow all equipment.
By being prepared and ready for a flat tire, which can unfortunately happen to the best of us, will allow you to independently change it correctly and quickly and let you to be on your way.
If your vehicle ever requires more than a flat repair, contact Downtown Autobody– where they are trusted locally by friends and family and can help you with your paint or body repair needs.
