How to Fix a Flat Tire

Most drivers face a flat at least a few times in their lives. Although it can be daunting the first time you attempt it, changing a flat tire is not difficult. Almost anyone can do it in under 15 minutes--less time than it usually takes for a tow truck to arrive.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Leverage Pipe
• Lug-nut Key (for Locking Lug Nuts Only)
• Chock
• Rag
• Spare Tire (with Air In It)
• Flashlight
• Jack
• Lug-nut Wrench
• Screwdriver

1. Turn the flashers on and slowly and safely pull off the road. Find a spot that is visible but also away from traffic. Avoid soft shoulders and inclines. Put the hood up to indicate to other motorists that you are in mechanical distress, or set a few flares out on the road at 10-foot (3-m) intervals.

2. Apply the hand brake and put the transmission in park or in gear so the car won't roll.

3. 
    

   Open the trunk and take out a spare tire, leverage pipe, jack, lug-nut wrench and (if it's dark out) flashlight (see illustration). The leverage pipe is simply a piece of hollow pipe that can help you loosen a lug nut previously tightened with an air ratchet; you can buy this at a hardware or plumbing supply store.

4. Chock the other wheels with a large rock or a log to prevent the car from rolling.

5. Remove the hubcap (if necessary) with a screwdriver. Many newer cars have hubcaps that don't require removal for access to the lug nuts.

6. Use the lug-nut wrench to loosen the lug nuts on the flat tire (but do not remove them). To loosen a bolt or nut, turn counterclockwise. Remember: lefty-loosy, righty-tighty. If it doesn't come off easily, place the leverage pipe over the end of the lug-nut wrench and pull up rather than push down to avoid back injury. If one lug on each wheel looks different from the rest and the lug-nut wrench doesn't fit it, then you have locking lug nuts (to prevent wheel theft). Check the glove compartment for a special key that fits on this lug nut and makes removal with the lug-nut wrench possible.

7. When all the nuts are loose, jack up the car, making sure the jack is vertical and well planted on the hard surface of the road (do not jack up a car on sand or dirt). You'll find diagrams indicating where to place the jack either in the car owner's manual or on a sticker affixed to the jack. Most cars have a small slot near each tire for the jack. Jack up the car slightly more than needed to remove the flat tire; the spare will be larger because it is full of air.

8. Remove the lug nuts. Put them in your pocket or someplace else where they won't get lost.

9. Take the flat tire off and put it in the trunk.

10. Put the spare on. If you are unsure which way the wheel goes on, look for the air-pressure valve--it always faces out.

11. 
     

    Tighten the lug nuts by turning clockwise (see A). Use a crisscross or star pattern so the wheel doesn't go on cockeyed (see B).

12. Lower the car and remove the jack.

13. Tighten the lug nuts again using the leverage pipe. Make them as tight as you can.

14. Pop on the hubcap (if applicable).

15. Put everything away neatly so it's ready for next time.

16. Remove the chock, then drive to a tire shop. Most shops can fix flats while you wait, and it's usually inexpensive.

Tips & Warnings

• Check the air pressure in your spare tire every month. Many drivers forget about the spare tire tucked away in the trunk and let it go flat.
• Practice changing a tire in your driveway. Figure out how your jack works so you'll be less stressed when the real thing occurs.
• Jacks for changing tires are meant for that purpose only. Do not crawl under a car you've jacked up with a tire-changing jack.
• Many smaller cars come equipped with a temporary spare, a smaller and thinner tire not intended for driving long distances at highway speeds. This will be indicated on the side of the tire. A small spare requires more air than a regular tire does.

[paul1]

on 5/10/2007 where is the best spot to put the jack when changing back tire on a cattle trailer

on 8/14/2006 There are pressure sensitive tire caps available now which are quite useful. They are configured for a certain pressure (e.g. 32 psi) and if it drops 4 psi below this rating it'll turn yellow, and more than 8 psi it goes red. Just eyeball the caps when you fill your gas and you should be okay. Much easier than squatting down and measuring the pressure on each individual tire with a gauge.

on 7/5/2006 It is not wise to reenter a vehicle or try and move things in or out of the trunk (or vehicle) while the car is held up by the jack. Excessive movement of the vehicle can cause the vehicle to slip from the jack and fall. Only remove or replace tire, equipment, etc... from the trunk while the vehicle is stable and on all wheels, not on the jack.

on 11/22/2005 It should be noted that on vehicles with disk brakes that the wheels lug nuts should be properly torqued by a mechanic (unless you carry a torque wrench in your vehicles and know how to use it). The brake rotors can warp if uneven torque is applied to the lug nuts.