Well, certain things you should know while replacing your car’s tyre. Replacing a flat tyre is one life skill that every person should know. It is not hard if you can follow a few simple steps, possess a set of right tools and know how to use them. At awkward places, flat tyres often occur. However, when you are on the road, you will need to locate a safe place to steer your car to the edge of the road and then replace the tyre. Here ‘safe’ means, clear from traffic and possibly on a firm, level surface.
THINGS YOU WILL NEED
- For replacing a car tyre, you’ll require a spare tyre, a robust jack and a wheel brace for loosening the lug nuts or a suitably sized socket with an extended handle.
- It is an excellent idea to take with you a brick or wood chunk; this can be fixed against one of the wheels on the opposite side of the car for added safety and firmness. This is particularly essential if the ground is not as level as you would want it to be.
- In case, you are halted on the soft ground, a piece of hard board is a useful item for sticking beneath the jack before you begin lifting up the car.
LIFT UP THE CAR
- Well, you are all set to start the process but before you begin, ensure the car is in the park, apply the handbrake and start your car’s hazard lights.
- You will find the jack at the grooves on the bottom of the car.
- When you are satisfied with the firmness of the vehicle as well as the placement of the jack, begin to turn the wheel brace slowly until you have removed a bit of the weight from the flat tyre.
- You need to ensure there is still adequate weight on the tyre to let you unfasten the wheel nuts without unintentionally spinning the wheel.
PULL OUT THE FLAT TYRE BY LOOSENING THE WHEEL NUTS
- It is all about using the right technique instead of applying brute force to loosen up unyielding wheel nuts.
- As soon as you have the wheel brace on one of the nuts, use a quick anti-clockwise ‘push’ to release it. Keep both your arm and back straight facing the wheel.
- Prevent the brace from slipping off the nut; loosen up each nut successively. The technique is to maintain the wheel brace parallel to the ground and allow your body weight to perform most of the work.
- Once all the nuts are loosened, use the jack to continue lifting the car so that it is adequately high from the ground making it convenient to fit on the new wheel.
- However, never lift up the car more than it is actually required. To take out the old tyre, remove all the nuts from the wheel and keep them aside safely (you should know where you have kept them) and cautiously lift the wheel from the vehicle.
FIT THE REPLACEMENT TYRE
- Take your replacement wheel from its nook in the boot and place it up against the wheel assembly.
- First, align the wheel holes so you can raise it straight onto the car in a single attempt without winding and turning.
- After you have lifted and positioned the wheel, screw on all the lug nuts and manually fasten them by hand. Nonetheless, do not completely tighten them all at this point rather wait for the car to get down from the jack and be totally firm on the ground, then you can perform full tightening.
- It is vital that you don’t get any twists in your back when lifting up a tyre from a car or fitting a replacement tyre.
- To remain safe from back injuries – position your feet for the utmost firmness and do not lean over more than it is required.
LOWER DOWN THE CAR AND TAKE OUT THE JACK
- Lower down your car and gradually remove the jack when the replacement tyre has completely taken the vehicle’s weight.
- Now, it is the right time to tighten up the wheel nuts completely. When tightening each wheel nut, use your body weight instead of only using arm strength, and keep the wheel brace horizontal (i.e. level) to the ground.
- Appropriately store your flat tyre, jack and wheel brace in the boot. Do not just put your old tyre in the recess but also fasten it in place so it does not slide around when you are driving.
Finally, you are all set and back on the road now, bear in mind, to have your flat tyre fixed, so at all times, you will have a spare tyre to depend on. Eagle tyres are one of the few tyre dealers that are known for their excellent wheels and tyres services.
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