Changing a Car Tire

It always happens at the worst times! You need to know how to
change a tire even if you have an auto club membership. Depending
on where you get a flat, there may not be a phone nearby to call
a tow truck. Let's take is step by step and always remember to
read your owners manual, there will be detailed instructions
relating to your car there. I should mention also a few tips for
getting to the side of the road safely if you have a blowout on
the road.

Stay calm, do not panic
Slowly take your foot off of the gas and let the vehicle coast to
a stop.
Do not make any sudden braking or steering actions.
Put your flashers on to alert other drivers.
Now that you are safely off of the road.
Step 1: Make sure you are on firm level ground and away from
traffic. If you are not, then try to drive to a better spot, but
only if you can do it safely. Avoid going back onto the road and
into traffic.

Step 2: Set your emergency brake and put the car in Park or 1st
gear if you have a manual transmission. Make sure the engine is
turned off.

Step 3: Locate the spare tire, jack, and lug wrench. These are
usually located in the trunk underneath the carpet on cars.
Trucks usually have the jack and lug wrench behind the seat or
under the hood, with the spare tire under the bed.

Step 4: Typically there are instructions printed on the jack or
somewhere near the storage compartment. Read these instructions,
they will tell you where to jack the vehicle and any special
steps you will need to take.

Step 5: First remove the hubcap or wheel cover. The lug wrench
often has a flat end, which you can use to pry off the cover. If
not, a screwdriver will work just fine.

Step 6: Before you jack the car up you will want to break loose
the lug nuts. The weight of the car will keep the wheel from
spinning and allow you to apply more force to the nuts. You do
not want to completely remove the lug nuts yet.... just break
them loose. Once the lug nut begins to move, STOP and move onto
the next one. I often carry a small pipe, which will fit over the
lug wrench. This pipe can provide additional leverage and allow
you to get those stubborn lug nuts off. Always remember righty
tighty, lefty loosy. Turn the lug nuts left or counter clockwise
to loosen.

Step 7: Now it's time to jack up the car. Make sure you know
where the manufacturer has placed jacking points by reading the
owners manual or the instructions near or on the jack. Most cars
will have a reinforced lip where the jack can be placed. If you
can not locate this, look for a solid portion of the frame to
jack on. Make sure the jack is on firm level ground and start
jacking. Take it slowly and only go as far as you need to get the
wheel off.

Step 8: The wheel is off the ground and it's time to remove the
lug nuts. Use the wrench or your fingers to remove the nuts.
Slowly take the wheel off and set it to the side.

Step 9: Get the new wheel and put it on the car. Tighten the lug
nuts as tight as you can without the wheel spinning. Don't worry
about getting the nuts super tight, as you will do the final
tightening when the car is off of the jack.

Step 10: Let the car down off of the jack and get your lug
wrench. Tighten the lug nuts in a star pattern if there are five
nuts. Start with one lug nut and skip the next one until they are
all tight. If you have 4 nuts, just tighten the opposite nut from
where you started and then the remaining two in any order.

Step 11: Replace your wheel cover or hubcap and clean up the
jack, lug wrench and blown tire. If your spare tire had air in
it, you should be able to continue your journey.

Finally: Remember if you have a temporary spare tire (AKA
doughnut) you can only drive a few miles to a service station and
usually not over 50 MPH.


Kevin Schappell maintains http://www.carbuyersclub.com where he
gives advice on buying, selling, insurance, and financing. A
mechanical engineer and car guy, Kevin has decided to spend his
online time helping others learn about automobiles. To learn more
about how your car works, Kevin has created
http://www.mycarwizard.com