How to change a car tire on the road yourself
Driving a car on the road, it is inevitable that there will be times when the tire is flat or the tire is flat, and the road is deserted, there is no repair shop or warranty center. At that time, you must know how to change the spare tire yourself.
1. Find a safe parking space
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While driving, if you feel that your tire is low on air or punctured, you need to find a flat, spacious and special place that does not affect traffic to check and change the tire. It is best to pull over to the side of the road or a nearby vacant lot.
Before checking your tires, you need to park your car safely. Use a wooden block or heavy object to block the wheels to keep the car in place. Then, you need to turn on your hazard lights, place a triangle or other visible object in front and behind your car to warn other drivers.
2. Prepare tire changing tools
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You should always carry a spare tire in your vehicle.
In addition, you need to prepare a tool kit for changing tires and a mini portable air pump. You should also always have wheel chocks, a toolbox, a tire pressure gauge, wrenches, jacks, flashlights... on your car.
Lock your car in case someone tries to steal something from you while you are working.
3. Steps to change spare car tire
Clip: How to change a car tire on the road yourself. |
Once you are ready, you can start removing the old tire to replace it with a new one. The tire replacement process is as follows:
- First, you need to remove the wheel hub cap to place the jack at the pre-designed mounting point.
- Then, jack the tire in the correct position according to the instructions, usually there is also a small instruction diagram on the jack.
- Next, lift the wheel jack off the ground so that the wheel is only lightly pressing against the road surface, not bearing the weight of the car body.
- Remove the damaged tire from the vehicle, and move it to a position near the rear trunk.
When removing the bolts from the rim, you should use counterclockwise force. If they are tight, lower the jack further to make the wheel grip the road more firmly and continue to tighten until all the bolts are removed.
Note, remove the bolts symmetrically, do not remove them in a circle. Remove any bolt and then remove the bolt opposite the one you just removed, and continue removing until all the bolts are gone. Raise the jack and remove the tire. When removing the bolts, place them carefully in one place to avoid losing them.
- Install the spare tire on the wheel.
- Raise the jack higher to fit the new spare tire. Then, put the new tire in the correct position, the way to determine is to find the position of the valve to replace the tire correctly. After the spare tire is in the correct position, you need to tighten the nuts in the same order as when removing the tire.
- Lower the jack slowly, making sure there is nothing under the tire or under the car, put the wheel firmly on the road surface enough to stop the tire from rotating, then tighten it with enough force. The way to know "enough force" is when you hear a "click" sound on the bolt body.
- Raise the jack and rotate the wheel a few times to check for any errors in the installation. If the wheel rotates smoothly and smoothly, it is ok.
- Finally, lower the jack and remove it, check the nuts again, then replace the wheel hub cap, and put the damaged tire in the spare tire position.
- Collect the tools and the damaged tire, making sure not to leave anything behind. Insert the key, start the engine and test drive the car. Pay attention to see if there are any unusual phenomena. For peace of mind, you can then stop by the repair center and have a technician check it again.
