Driving is a responsibility, but it can also be a pleasure if you do it responsibly - following traffic rules and signs, driving defensively, and knowing how to maintain a car are part and parcel of such a responsibility.
In a perfect world, you wouldn't have to worry about a car's maintenance, but the many incidents and issues that plague them due to poor maintenance and just dumb bad luck can be a wake-up call for those who don't know how to handle them.
Getting a flat tire, whether due to low tire pressure, a puncture, or worse, is one such issue that could leave you crying on the side of the road until help shows up.
Thankfully, changing a flat tire is relatively easy if you have the tools and the know-how.
Tools You Need To Change A Flat Tire
Getting a flat tire can happen anywhere, whether at home or on the road. As such, you must have all the tools and gear you need in or on your car at all times to replace a flat tire.
Having a spare tire is a no-brainer; you can't replace a flat tire with nothing. However, having a spare tire means nothing if you don't have the proper tools and gear to replace your flat one with your spare.
Here are the tools and gear you would need to change a spare tire:
- Early Warning Device (EWD) - as previously mentioned, getting a flat tire can happen at any time. Placing an EWD 10 feet to the rear of the vehicle can help warn others that you have a problem, giving you the space you need to change your tire on the road.
- Car jack - a car jack lifts your car and keeps it at the height you need to change your tire. Most car dealerships provide a car jack for every new unit they sell if not all. So if you don't have one readily available, you better go get one fast.
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- Lug wrench/ cordless lug nut impact drill - a car's wheels are attached to its axle with lug nuts, which could be a pain to remove if you fasten them too tightly or for other reasons like heat. Having the right lug wrench size helps you tighten and loosen them without much of a fuss. If you want to skip the manual labor, go get yourself a cordless lug nut impact drill that does the same thing, except it makes the process faster and less exhausting.
- Gloves and rain gear - changing a flat tire can be a dirty job rain or shine. Gloves prevent you from dirtying your hands and keep them safe; having rain gear like a poncho-style raincoat also helps you in keeping yourself dry when it's raining.
How To Change A Flat Wheel
before we discuss how to change a flat tire, there are some things you may want to do before doing so: if you get a flat tire in the middle of the road, find a safe spot for you to park your car there before doing anything else. If there's no safe space for you to use, either get your car on the side of the road or deploy your EWD to give you the space you need.
Regardless of where you are, always switch your hazard lights on so people can see and avoid you, even with the EWDs.
That aside, Here are the steps on how to change a flat tire for you to keep in mind:
- Get your spare tire from where it's stored and prepare the items you need.
- Place your car jack under a secure spot of your car and slowly raise it with it.
- Get your lug wrench/ cordless lug nut impact drill to loosen and remove the wheel's lug nuts. If you haven't worn gloves yet, wearing them now would be good if you have them. Keep the lug nuts in a safe place for later.
- Remove the flat tire and place the spare tire on your car's wheel axle. You can attach the lug nuts by hand at this point to fasten the wheel beforehand but don't go all the way.
- Get your lug wrench/ cordless lug nut impact drill again and fasten the lug nuts.
- Slowly lower the car to the ground with the car jack and return your tools to where you got them; put your flat tire to where you previously stored your spare for possible repairs.
Congratulations! You now know how to change a flat tire.
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