Experience changing tires yourself in the middle of a journey

Mr. Vu Quynh, a mechanic in Cau Giay, Hanoi, shared that during the long September 2nd holiday, many repair shops are also closed. Therefore, during this time, there are very few mechanics working. In case the tire blows out on the road, the vehicle owner can change the tire himself.

“Usually, cars are equipped with spare tires and repair tools in the trunk. Vehicle owners can open the trunk to get them,” Mr. Quynh shared.

To ensure safety, first of all, the vehicle owner needs to drive the vehicle to a flat place with no obstructed vision, turn on the hazard lights. Then the driver needs to perform the following steps in sequence.

Accordingly, the driver needs to find hard objects such as rocks, wood, concrete to block the front and rear wheels. Doing this can help balance the vehicle when repairing or disassembling.

Once the vehicle is in a safe location, the driver needs to prepare all the necessary tools including: spare tire, tire changing kit and car jack.

When ready, the driver needs to place the jack near the tire to be replaced. The jack must be perpendicular to the ground. The jack head must be in contact with the metal part of the chassis. Never place the jack on the plastic cover or plastic cover under the chassis. Current car models often have a groove or mark to let the user know the exact jack position. This position is usually 20 cm behind the front tire and in front of the rear tire. After placing the jack in the correct position, lift the jack so that it fits tightly against the chassis. Note that at this time there is no need to raise the chassis, the wheel still needs to be close to the ground.

After jacking, the driver loosens the tire lug nuts. The driver uses a tube to turn the lug nuts counterclockwise. It will take a lot of force to remove the lug nuts. If you don't have enough strength with your hands, you can use your entire body weight or hold onto the vehicle and use your feet to push the tube.

After loosening all the nuts, jack up the car so that the tire is about 2 cm from the ground, enough space to easily remove and install the wheel.

When jacking up the chassis, make sure the jack and the vehicle are stable. If you see the jack or vehicle shaking a lot or the jack tilting, quickly lower the jack, check the jack placement, and start over.

After completing these steps, the driver proceeds to remove the punctured tire. Accordingly, the driver completely removes the lug nuts from the tire. Use both hands to skillfully lift the punctured tire off the axle and place it directly under the chassis to prevent the chassis from falling if the jack fails.

In case the tire is rusty and difficult to lift, you can use a rubber hammer to tap on the inside or use the spare tire to hit from the outside. This will help loosen the tire and make it easier to remove.

Next, the driver mounts the spare tire. The driver slowly lifts the spare tire onto the axle, paying attention to aligning the lug nuts so that they match. Note that the tire is mounted in the correct direction, avoiding reverse mounting. The tire valve stem should always face outward.

At first, just install the nuts by hand. Then use a tube to tighten the nuts. Do not tighten each nut to its maximum at once, but tighten it in a circular motion. Tighten each nut a little in order, then repeat the second and third tightening cycles. Note that at this step, there is no need to use force to tighten because it can easily cause the car to shake, just fix the nuts in place.

Finally, the driver lowers the jack and tightens the lug nuts. Accordingly, the driver slowly lowers the jack until the tire touches the ground firmly, then takes out the jack. Use all your strength to tighten the lug nuts in the order of the star diagram. You should use your entire body weight or hold on to the car and use your feet to push the lug nuts to tighten the lug nuts.

East