How to Change a Car Tire
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Your Step-by-Step Guide to Changing a Flat Tire
Getting a flat tire is a frustrating experience for any driver, especially when you’re in the middle of nowhere with no one to call for help. It’s a common occurrence, and almost all drivers have experienced it. That’s why it’s essential to learn how to change a flat tire.
The good news is that changing a tire isn’t as complicated as you might think. it requires only a few simple steps and some tools that you might already have at home. Here’s everything you need to know.
What You’ll Need:
- Spare tire
- Lug wrench
- Jack
- Vehicle owner’s manual
- Gloves
- Screwdriver
- Wheel wedges or bricks
- A small cut of 2”x6” wood for the jack
- Flashlight
- Tire gauge
- Rain poncho (optional)
Steps to Follow:
1. Look for a safe place to pull over
Once you realize that you have a flat tire, don’t step on the brakes or maneuver abruptly. Instead, slow down and find a straight stretch of road with a wide shoulder and solid ground. Avoid pulling over near any bends in the road since it will reduce visibility for you and approaching drivers.
Never change a tire on a hill or an inclined surface. Use wedges, metal wheel chocks, or bricks to block the wheels at the opposite end of your car from the end that should be raised.
2. Turn on your hazard lights and parking brake.
Be sure to use them as soon as you pull over. This will help other drivers see you on the side of the road as you’re changing your tire.
3. Remove the wheel cover.
Pry off the wheel cover with a screwdriver. Insert the point of the tool into the edge where the cover meets the wheel and see to it that you apply a little leverage. You might have to do this in a few other places as if you’re removing the lid off a can of paint.
4. Loosen the lug nuts.
Secure the lug wrench onto a lug nut and turn it counterclockwise to loosen it. Repeat the process with each lug nut until you break their resistance. You may use your foot or all of your bodyweight if necessary.
5. Safely lift your vehicle off the ground.
After you’re done loosening all the lug nuts, place the jack under the metal portion of your car’s frame. Consult the owner’s manual to know where to place your jack properly. The best placement varies depending on your vehicle’s type and model. Make sure that the jack remains perpendicular to the ground at all times.
6. Unscrew the lug nuts.
Since your lug nuts are already loose, you should be able to remove them by hand. Keep them all together in a safe spot because you’ll be needing them to secure the replacement tire later on.
7. Remove the flat tire.
Grip the tire by the treads and pull it gently toward your body until it’s free from the hub behind it. Set it on its side to prevent it from rolling away.
8. Mount the spare tire.
Now that you’ve completely removed the flat tire, you may proceed to mount the spare tire on the lug bolts. Line up the holes with the lug nut posts and place the spare on the wheelbase. Push the tire as far onto the wheelbase as possible.
9. Replace the lug nuts.
Keep the spare tire in place by putting the lug nuts. However, don’t tighten them all the way just yet. You must tighten them in such a manner that keeps the tire even.
10. Lower your car to start the tightening process
Lower your automobile slowly until your spare tire touches the ground. Then, tighten the lug nuts in increments, and be sure that you alternate in every other nut. For instance, if you’re assigning a number to each nut, you can tighten using this sequence: 1, 3, 5, 2, 4, 1, 3, 5, 2, 4, and repeat.
11. Lower your car completely.
Bring your vehicle all the way to the ground before removing the jack. Give the lug nuts another pull using the wrench to ensure that they no longer budge. Finish up by stowing away all your tools.
You Can Use Your Spare Car to Fight Breast Cancer
If you happen to have an old car that you no longer use, the easiest and most rewarding way to get rid of it is by donating it to us at Breast Cancer Car Donations. Doing so will enable you to help save the lives of breast cancer-stricken women in your community.
We will place your vehicle up for auction, with the proceeds going straight to our nonprofit partners. These IRS-certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations use the funding we give to sustain their delivery of critical breast health services to their beneficiaries.
Thanks to your donation, uninsured and indigent breast cancer patients in your area will gain access to top medical facilities and receive financial assistance to help pay for their treatments, consultations, medications, and follow-up care. Other beneficiaries get to receive free breast cancer screening and other breast health services.
To reward you for your charitable contribution, we’ll mail you the 100% tax-deductible sales receipt of your vehicle days after it gets sold. This receipt will entitle you to claim the maximum tax deduction in the next tax season.
You can count on us to haul your vehicle away without charging you a single dollar. We offer free vehicle removal to our donors in all parts of the United States.
Best of all, you’ll get to experience the priceless satisfaction of doing a life-saving charitable act.
We accept almost all types of vehicles regardless of their age or condition.
To see how our donation process works, head over to our FAQs page. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to call us anytime through our toll-free hotline at 866-540-5069 or write to us here.
Save Lives with Us Today!
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It only takes an auto donation to make a positive impact on the lives of breast cancer sufferers in your community. Give your no-longer-needed car a new and meaningful purpose by handing it over to us. Call Breast Cancer Car Donations at 866-540-5069 or click here to donate now!
Last Updated: March 10th, 2023