Changing a Flat Tire Can Be Done By Closely Following These 7 Simple Steps:
- Park your car in a way that will make changing the flat as safe as possible. You should make yourself as visible as possible to traffic passing by so switch on four blinkers, put on the emergency vest and position a warning triangle.
- Make sure the car is parked on a level, solid surface.
- Get everything you will need ready next to the wheel to be changed. This includes the jack (along with its handle), a wrench (which may double as the jack’s handle) and the spare wheel. In some cars, you’ll also find working gloves which may help with grip and keeping hands clean.
- Place the jack in the spot intended for it or in a spot that can support the weight of the car. Such a spot will be somewhere just under the side of the car which needs to be lifted, it should be either in the middle or closer to the flat tire.
- Before lifting the car undo the nuts (by turning anti-clockwise) about half a turn. You may need to step on the wrench in order to unlock each nut. A hub cap may need to be removed in order to expose the nuts.
- Use the jack to lift the car until the flat tire is at least three-five inches of the ground. Make sure the car does not slip sideways when being lifted, if this happens it may fall off the jack!
- Undo the nuts, remove the flat tire and replace it with the spare. Redo the nuts (starting with one of the top ones, then one opposite and below it, then the other one on top etc.).- Lower the car and lock all nuts securely. Step on the wrench if you feel this is necessary. make sure to do each nut several times, you may find you can turn a nut you thought was fastened as far as it will go after you do other nuts.
Collect all the equipment you used and place each item back where it belongs.
