Knowing how to change a tire is a necessary skill for all drivers. If you rely on a cell phone to save you in a roadside emergency, there’s always that chance you will forget to charge it, be out of range, or leave it at home. Flat tires can happen anywhere, and a cell phone is no substitute for knowing how to change a flat tire. Show
Thankfully, changing a tire isn’t all that hard! Just adhere to the following guidelines to be prepared in case you have a flat. ITEMS YOU'LL NEED TO FIX A FLAT TIREThese items should have come with your vehicle: Jack Lug wrench Fully inflated spare tire Vehicle owner’s manual If you have misplaced any of these items, or if your car did not come with these items, you should purchase new ones right away. And be sure you’re regularly inflating the spare tire to your vehicle manufacturer’s recommended PSI. You should check the spare’s air pressure every time you check your other tires. Remember to check pressure every month and before long trips or carrying extra load. Here are some items that don’t come with your vehicle but that you should stow in your trunk or glove box in case you have to change a flat tire: Flashlight with working batteries
 Rain poncho
Small cut of 2"x6” wood to secure the jack Gloves Wheel wedges HOW TO CHANGE TIRES1. FIND A SAFE LOCATIONAs soon as you realize you have a flat tire, do not abruptly brake or turn. Slowly reduce speed and scan your surroundings for a level, straight stretch of road with a wide shoulder. An empty parking lot would be an ideal place. Level ground is good because it will prevent your vehicle from rolling. Also, straight stretches of road are better than curves because oncoming traffic is more likely to see you. Never attempt to change your tire on a narrow shoulder near oncoming traffic. Keep moving (slowly) until you find a safer spot. While driving on a flat risks ruining your rim, replacing a rim is better than being hit by an inattentive driver. Make sure to consult your owner’s manual and review their specific steps on how to change a flat tire for your vehicle 2. TURN ON YOUR HAZARD LIGHTSYour hazard lights or “flashers” will help other drivers see you on the side of the road. To avoid an accident, turn them on as soon as you realize you need to pull over. 3. APPLY THE PARKING BRAKEOnce stopped, always use the parking brake when preparing to replace a flat tire. This will minimize the possibility of your vehicle rolling. 4. APPLY WHEEL WEDGESWheel wedges go in front of or behind the tires to further ensure the vehicle doesn’t roll while you fix the flat tire. If you’re changing a rear tire, place these in front of the front tires. If your flat tire is at the front, put the wheel wedges behind the rear tires. Bricks or large stones will work just as well as “real” wheel wedges. Just be sure they’re large enough to stop the car from rolling. 5. REMOVE THE HUBCAP OR WHEEL COVERIf your vehicle has a hubcap covering the lug nuts, it’s easier to remove the hubcap before lifting the vehicle with the jack. If your lug nuts are exposed, you can skip ahead to Step 6. Use the flat end of your lug wrench to remove the hubcap. This will work for most vehicles, but some hubcaps need a different tool to come off. Consult your owner’s manual for proper hubcap or wheel cover removal procedures. 6. LOOSEN THE LUG NUTSUsing the lug wrench, turn the lug nuts counterclockwise until you break their resistance. You may have to use force, and that’s ok. Use your foot or all of your body weight if necessary. Loosen the lug nuts about ¼ to ½ of a turn, but don’t remove them completely yet. Save that for when it’s time to remove your tire/wheel from the vehicle. 7. PLACE THE JACK UNDER THE VEHICLEThe right place for the jack is usually beneath the vehicle frame alongside the tire that’s flat. Many vehicle frames have molded plastic on the bottom with a cleared area of exposed metal specifically for the jack. To safely lift and avoid damage to the vehicle, follow the instructions for jack placement in your vehicle owner’s manual. 8. RAISE THE VEHICLE WITH THE JACKTo prevent the jack from settling under the weight of your vehicle and coming off balance, place a small cut of 2x6” wood beneath it before attempting to raise your vehicle. This tactic is especially helpful on asphalt. With the jack properly positioned, raise the vehicle until the flat tire is about six inches above the ground. Never put any part of your body under the vehicle during or after raising the vehicle with the jack. 9. UNSCREW THE LUG NUTSNow it’s time to remove the lug nuts all the way. Since you've already loosened them, you should be able to unscrew them mostly by hand. 10. REMOVE THE FLAT TIREGripping the tire by the treads, pull it gently toward you until it’s completely free from the hub behind it. Set it on its side so that it doesn’t roll away. 11. MOUNT THE SPARE TIRE ON THE LUG BOLTSNow place the spare on the hub by lining up the rim with the lug bolts. Push gently until the lug bolts show through the rim. 12. TIGHTEN THE LUG NUTS BY HANDPut the lug nuts back on the lug bolts and tighten them all the way by hand. Once they are all on, check each one again, tightening as much as possible. You will tighten them with the wrench after lowering the vehicle to the ground. 13. LOWER THE VEHICLE AND TIGHTEN THE LUG NUTS AGAINUse the jack to lower the vehicle so that the spare tire is resting on the ground but the full weight of the vehicle isn’t fully on the tire. At this point, you should tighten the lug nuts with the wrench, turning clockwise, as much as you can. Push down on the lug wrench with the full weight of your body. 14. LOWER THE VEHICLE COMPLETELYBring the vehicle all the way to the ground and remove the jack. Give the lug nuts another pull with the wrench to ensure they’re as tight as possible. 15. REPLACE THE HUBCAPIf the hubcap you took from the flat tire will fit your spare, put it in place the same way you removed it initially. If it doesn’t fit, stow it away with the tire when you stow your equipment. 16. STOW ALL EQUIPMENTYou have before you a jack, a lug wrench, wheel wedges, your flat tire, and possibly a hubcap. Don’t forget to put all of them in your vehicle before driving away. 17. CHECK THE PRESSURE IN THE SPARE TIREYou should check the tire pressure of the spare tire to make sure that it is safe to drive on. “T-Type” temporary spares, also called “mini-spares,” require 60 psi (420 kPa). If the tire needs pressure, drive (slowly) to a service station immediately. 18. TAKE YOUR FLAT TIRE TO A TECHNICIANTemporary spare tires aren’t made to drive long distances or at high speeds, so drive cautiously until you’re able to visit a tire technician. A professional should be able to determine whether your tire needs a repair or if it’s time to replace it. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO FIX A FLAT TIRE?Aside from taking your tire to a professional, the above procedure shouldn’t take more than 15 to 30 minutes to change a tire. Just be sure you don’t leave out any steps. It’s beneficial practice changing a tire in your garage or driveway to ensure you’re ready to handle this situation if it ever happens to you. A FEW MORE TIPS ON CHANGING TIRESKnowing how to fix a flat tire is great, but regular tire maintenance is even more important. In addition to reviewing this guide regularly, remember to do the following: Keep your tires properly inflated Rotate your tires according to the manufacturer’s guidelines Monitor for tread wear All of these precautions will extend the life of your tires and reduce the likelihood of a flat. While there’s no way to prevent flat tires completely, proper care can improve performance and ensure your tires last as long as possible. CONTINUE YOUR JOURNEYThere’s never a good time for a flat. That’s why Bridgestone DriveGuard tires are masterfully engineered to keep you moving for up to 50 miles at speeds up to 50 MPH without disruption.
Drifting Thread Starter Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 2,406 Received 23 Likes on 17 Posts
I unsuccessfully tried to fix a puncture 1 day ago with "Fix-A-Flat" without knowing how nasty that stuff is. I could have used the spare tire instead. (how lucky we are that the 993 has still one). I took the wheel off today to get it to a shop asap for removal but this is was in impossible task on Thanksgiving. I hope that I can take car of this tomorrow. It appears that at least some of the stuff is still in liquid phase because it dripped through the puncture. The Fix-A-Flat website says that cleaning of the liquid is kind of easy. I was thinking about cutting a window in the tire to get this stuff out asap and flush out as much as possible through that window. Do you think this is a good idea or should I wait one extra day to do it at the shop. Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving Erik
Drifting Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Fairfax Virginia Posts: 2,373 Likes: 0 Received 1 Like on 1 Post
I vote for letting the shop do it. They should be able to clean it off. Happy thanksgiving!
Quote:
Originally Posted by e9stibi I unsuccessfully tried to fix a puncture 1 day ago with "Fix-A-Flat" without knowing how nasty that stuff is. I could have used the spare tire instead. (how lucky we are that the 993 has still one). I took the wheel off today to get it to a shop asap for removal but this is was in impossible task on Thanksgiving. I hope that I can take car of this tomorrow. It appears that at least some of the stuff is still in liquid phase because it dripped through the puncture. The Fix-A-Flat website says that cleaning of the liquid is kind of easy. I was thinking about cutting a window in the tire to get this stuff out asap and flush out as much as possible through that window. Do you think this is a good idea or should I wait one extra day to do it at the shop. Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving Erik
Three Wheelin' Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: somewhere on a twisty road... Posts: 1,597 Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
+1, I would leave the tire standing vertical, so hopefully all the liquid pools in the tire and not on the wheel.
Drifting Thread Starter Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 2,406 Received 23 Likes on 17 Posts
Thank for the advice. The tire is standing in the garage. I will let you know how it all worked out. Enjoy your Turkey, Erik
Drifting Thread Starter Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 2,406 Received 23 Likes on 17 Posts
Just went to our new P-car dealer in North Houston. The tire is off and the fix-a-flat messed up the machine a little bit. However, it was all still liquid and cleaning of th rim was very easy. Rim looks very good. David at the dealership was very friendly and helpful. Let's see how they do the new tires and balancing. Erik
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How to remove fix a flat from tire
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