The only thing more deflated than a flat tire is your mood after you discover it. Those who know how to change a flat tire quickly and efficiently save themselves a great deal of worry. When you are forced to pull over with a flat, follow these steps to get a spare in its place. At AV Bumper to Bumper, we want to help you get back on the road whether you’re in our shop or on the side of the road.
1. Gather Your Equipment
Every car should have a spare tire, a tire iron, and a jack somewhere. Many times, it’s under the mat in the trunk or rear of the car. Other times, the equipment is found in other places, like underneath the vehicle or tucked along the side of the interior. Your owner’s manual should be able to point you in the right direction. Make sure that your spare tire has enough air to get you back on the road.
2. Jack Your Car
Put your car in park and pull the emergency brake on a level section of pavement. If you can, put a heavy object against the opposite tire to keep the car from moving while you work. Loosen the lug nuts attaching the tire one by one by turning the tire iron counter-clockwise. If you don’t loosen them ahead of time, you won’t be able to exert enough pressure to remove them when the car is elevated. Once you’ve got them all, place the jack at the point designated by your owner’s manual, and raise it by turning it with the crank.
3. Change It Up
Once the flat tire is slightly but completely off the ground, you can go ahead and finish unscrewing those lug nuts. Pull off the flat tire and slide the spare on, careful to line up the holes in the wheel with their corresponding studs. Once it’s on, screw the lug nuts on most of the way by hand, and a little more with the tire iron. Lower the jack carefully and give it another go with the tire iron, tightening each lug nut as much as possible.
4. Back on the Road
You’re all done. Nice work! If your spare tire is a full-size (meaning it looks like your other tires) you can take a little more time to replace it, as your car should run as usual. If you replaced the flat with a “donut”, however, you’ll want to have it changed to a regular tire as soon as possible. In the meantime, be sure not to exceed the top speed for the spare, which should be marked on the side of it.
