ALT-7 Diy Automotive Repair how to Change a Flat Tire
If you are a woman or a man, and have never had to change a tire, good for you. You may have a great career or you are probably an AAA member or have "Onstar" in your vehicle.For the rest of us hardworking, yet average income folks, it may be a "good" thing to know how to change your tire, just in case, you should get stuck out with a flat. You also need to have the correct tools and supplies in order to avoid a worse situation.
Here are the basics you should have in your car trunk or truck to make the job a breeze:
1. Spare Tire-If you haven't even checked to see where the spare is, then you are in desperate need of instructions. Only kidding. Open your trunk or look underneath your pickup bed and find the spare.
Learn to know what is good or not good tires. If there are dry-looking cracks on the sidewalls, it has been there longer than you can remember, or it is flat, you may need to get a "good" spare tire. Places that sell new tires, also usually sell used tires. Used tires, in good shape, make great spare tires at about 1/5th of new prices. They will usually mount it for you for next to nothing.
2.Car Jack-Most vehicles over around 1980 have a wonderful "scissor-jack" style. Most cars hopefully come equipped with the jack in good working order and the handle that accompanies it. Take your jack out of the car at home and teach yourself to use it properly, so you don't get out somewhere stranded, trying to figure it out. Spray a little WD-40 on the "scissor" part. That keeps it working well. I your car has lost it's jack, stop by Walmart or Advance Auto and pick up this necessary tool. Check out the ones that are remote controlled. Makes life easy during a tough situation.
3.Four Way Tire Lug Wrench-This thing doesn't look like a wrench really, but it is a good purchase to have in your car. It generally runs about 20.00 for a decent one at the auto parts store. Check the picture to the left of this article to see what it looks like. Each hole fits a different size lug nut. Lug nuts are standarized so it is a universal tool.
4.(2)-Approx.4 inch pieces of wood or bricks(Not rocket science and size doesn't matter)-This is to place behind and in front of the tire to prevent rolling or any unexpected movement.
5.A towel or sheet to put down so you don't rip your knees up or get dirtier than necessary. I keep a towel in my trunk all of the time in my breakdown kit.
6.Bottled Water-You'll need this after you get through to drink! Ha!
Ok, now that your trunk has all the needed supplies,let's get that tire changed.
PUT THE PARKING BRAKE ON NOW! ABSOLUTELY IMPERATIVE! SAFETY FIRST, ALWAYS!
Get your car jack out, your blocks or bricks, spare tire, lug wrench, and towel. If you have a flat tire on the front of the car, you need to locate the frame of the car underneath to place your jack under. Get down on the ground and look under the vehicle. (Any frame on anything is the base that everything else is attached to.) The jack has to pick up the car, high enough to allow you to take the old tire off, and put the spare on. Of course, the flat tire needs less room to remove.
If the flat tire is on the back, put the jack under the cross frame beam. Front or back, you can usually get this done from the side of the vehicle. If it doesn't seem stable enough, you need to re-position it. Common sense is needed here. The vehicle weighs between 2000 and 4500 pounds. As good as the jack is, if it is not in the right place, you could have problems.
Before the car leaves the ground, it is a good idea to loosen the lug nuts. It is important also, before you begin to jack the car up, to put a brick or block in front of, and behind one of the wheels, on the opposite end of the vehicle, opposite side. Kick it in tight to prevent rolling or shifting of the car. As you jack up the car, it will put pressure on the opposite side.
Use the long handle that comes with the jack and as most are, you need to turn it like a crank. Universal standards say, turning to the right should raise it and to the left should lower it. This will make the car rise higher and higher. Ok, Ladies, this is where the skill comes in.
Changing a tire for most men, is gravy work. They have the brute strength to manuveur the four-way tire tool. If you have never tried to remove lug nuts from a car tire, you are going to gain so much confidence just doing this part of the task.
Find the lug hole that fits your particular lug nut.(Lug nuts are those things that hold the wheel on. Most cars don't use hub caps anymore, but if you have one, use a screwdriver to loosen it around the edges and pop it off.
After you have determined which lug wrench hole to use, put your towel on the ground. Don't get down on your knees, but squat as if you were going to pick something heavy up. The lug wrench should be positioned so you can put one hand on each horizontal handle.
It is important to use your weight as leverage. Breaking the lug nut loose is all about leverage. You don't have to be a strongman. Pull up on your right hand, push down on the left. If you hold this thing halfway on the socket and halfway on the slender handle, it gives you the proper position for manuvering it. Once you have one loose, work your way through the rest. Lay all of your lug nuts out of the way, but so you can locate them shortly.
Wiggle the tire and work it off of the bolts. At this point, you may need to jack the car up a little bit more.
Take the spare tire and roll it over to the car. Get as close as possible to the bolts. Pick up the tire by putting the handle used to jack up the car, underneath the tire. Pry up and put your foot underneath the tire. This will balance it and give you a hand up to the bolts.
When the tire is actually back on the car, start with one at a time, putting the lug nuts back on. Only put them on loosely. Go all the way around tightening them. Then go back and finish tightening them. Don't tighten one all the way. Do all of them a little at a time, then after they are all hand-tight, you can tighten them snugly with the lug wrench.
Once your tire is on tight, let the car down from the jack. This should be reverse direction on the crank.When your car is all of the way on the ground and the jack is not holding it up anymore, go back and really tighten your lug nuts. Use the same leverage to tighten as you did to loosen, only in reverse direction.
Now that the tire is on, put your tools away, manuveur the flat into the trunk and be on your way. Oh yea, grab that bottle of water.
Yes it is work. However, if you are trying to hold on to your money and can't see calling that tow truck or roadside repair place, teach yourself to do this. It's only hard if you are not familiar with the process.
Every person should know how to get this done. Never totally depend on someone else knowing how to do things, when you should be self reliant in doing things for yourself whenever you can. I think you are only stuck out, when you allow yourself to be. Learn and Be Capable of Helping Yourself....
