How do I change a flat tire?

      How to change a Flat Tire

Step One: Setting the scene

Scene is safe. Flat tire or not a vehicle needs to be  in a safe spot before you can attempt repair. Try to start out in a fairly level  place well out of traffic. A car can be moved a short distance on a flat at very low speeds, think football fields not 1/10s of miles. If you are on the side of the road make sure your flashers are on.

Step Two: Safety

  Put on emergency brake and straighten front tires - put an automatic in park, low gear or reverse for a standard transmission. - You don't want your car to roll while there's no a tire on it.

Step Three: Inventory

  Do you have a jack, spare, lug wrench, something to get hubcaps off with? You can not do much of anything without the right tools. Have them in reach and not in the car or truck, once the tire is off you don't want to be bouncing the car around while it is on the jack. Passengers should know to get out or sit still while you are changing the tire.

Step Four: Using your tire tool

  All cars have lug-nuts  some you have to take off a hubcap to get to. A screwdriver can usually be used to pry at the edge og a hubcap at short intervals all around until it comes loose. Once you can see the lug-nuts you will put your tire tool on the lug-nut pointing at what would be 10 o'clock on a clock face. This allows you to push down on the end of the lug wrench or even step on it if you aren't strong enough, just be careful to ensure it is on well before you exert maximum force or you could brake the lug or strip the lug-nut. You should be able to turn them 2-3 turns until they become easier to tun then stop you have to jack up the vehicle before you go any further. 

Step Five: Using the jack made for your vehicle

  I wont go into this cause there's too many jacks that all work differently for different vehicles

- jack up the corner of the car where the flat is. Try to make sure the ground under the jack is solid

so it doesn't sink in the mud as it lifts the corner of the car. A short length of board can be placed under a jack in some cases to help support the jack.  Jack the car up just enough to fit the spare on - the higher the less stable and less safe.

Step Six: Take Precaution

Finish loosening the lug nuts and wiggle the flat off of the studs. Being careful not to bump the jack slide the flat under the car as an additional safety if it were to fall off the jack. Do no place your arms legs or torso or head under the car or suspended axle. 

Step Seven: Putting spare on studs

Align your spare tire up with the studs and lift it into position -don't jostle or bounce the car while pitting it on. Start one lug-nut, being careful not to cross thread it and tighten it with the lug wrench until it is just past finger tight. Then start one straight across from it and continue in a star pattern pulling the wheel squarely onto the axle. Once all lug-nut are on and just past finger tight start over and tighten them pretty tight and finally one more time around tightening them to the manufacturers recommended  torque. Don't overt-tighten or the studs may break.

Step Eight: Now you are ready to pack up and hit the road. 

Drag your flat out from under your car and slowly let down the jack. Pack up all your tools and hubcap. Don't forget your flashers are on you can turn them off now and let off your emergency brake.Go carefully down the road to get your tire fixed or a new one. Remember you don't have a spare now and you may have not gotten your lug-nuts tight enough. If your spare is a temporary or donuts sized spare you must not exceed the speed that the spare was rated for and your auto will handle different with the odd ball spare. Good luck!

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