By: Cameron Strawhacker
An extremely important skill all drivers should know is how to change a tire. This is a simple and common task many drivers run into, yet some may find it scary or unfamiliar. Though simple, it’s very important to know and could potentially be life saving.
In some cases you will experience a flat tire after your car has been parked. If you drive over something that punctures your tire it may cause a slow leak that will cause it to go flat. If parked in a parking lot around other cars make sure it is safe before you start to change it. If your tire pops or is punctured while you are driving you may hear a loud pop or flapping noise, as well as less control of the wheel, or the vehicle pulling towards the side of the flat. If this is the case, find somewhere safe to immediately pull over so that you don’t damage your vehicle. Again, make sure your surroundings are safe before beginning to change the tire.
When speaking with experienced flat tire changer Lane Kenny, he gave important advice: “Make sure to loosen the lug nuts before jacking the car up in the air, otherwise you run the risk of knocking it off the jack and potentially damaging the car as well as injuring yourself.” He also gave his step-by-step instructions on how to change a flat tire.
“The first step is to put the car in park, and engage the parking brake. Next, locate the spare tire, jack and wrench to change it. You want to take the lug wrench and loosen each lug nut just enough so that you can easily take them off when it is time. Next you want to find the jack point under the frame of the car close to the tire. Once it is secure, jack the car up in the air. Now you can remove the lug nuts the rest of the way and set them aside. Now carefully slide the wheel off of the car. Now align the spare tire with the wheel hub and slide it on. Finally, hand tighten each lug nut, then use the wrench to tighten them the rest of the way, working in a star pattern to ensure they are fully tightened,” Kenny said.