It’s happened to all of us. We’re just driving along the road, everything seems fine, then out of nowhere your tire just pops. If you don’t have AAA or a cellphone and good friends, you’re out of luck. Everyone should know how to fix a tire (whether you use the information or not). Here’s a quick how-to-guide:
Pull over safely:
A rogue driver can cause devastation; you’re trying to avoid them at all costs by taking the next exit or pulling as far onto the shoulder as possible. Remember to keep your hazard lights on throughout the whole process. You also need to look for flat ground to ensure your jack will remain stable.
Loosen lug nuts:
Don’t take them off, just loosen them. You don’t want to have to mess with them once the car is lifted up.
Lift car up:
Depending on the make and model of your car, the jack will need to be put in different spots; refer to your owner’s manual. When you’ve determined where to place your jack, lift your car up 6 inches off the ground.
Remove lug nuts and tire:
Ensure that you don’t lose any lug nuts, keep them all together. To get the tire off, pull it towards your body.
Put spare on:
Align lug nut posts with the holes in the spare; push the tire in until it won’t go any further. Always remember never to keep any part of your body under the car where it will get crushed if the jack falls down.
Put lug nuts back on:
Don’t tighten them all the way, just enough to hold the tire on.
Lower jack:
Crank down the jack until the car isn’t resting on it; then just pull it out from under.
Tighten lug nuts:
The most effective method for tightening lug nuts seems to be to tighten each one 50%, moving to the opposite lug nut each time; when you’ve gone all the way around, repeat and tighten them fully. Get them as tight as you can. After that, put everything back in your trunk. That’s all there is to it.
Always remember to practice safety when driving or working on your car. Here at Express Auto, we offer a host of auto-services to keep your car in top shape. For more information, please give us a call at (847) 895-9131.