If you are one of those people who are lucky enough to have never punctured and replaced a car tire, good for you, but since this unpleasant incident does not only happen to others, it is better to know how to change a wheel at his vehicle, the day it happens when you are far from everything and alone on a small deserted road. Here are the necessary explanations to remember to get out of it without stress and without outside help.
First step: securing the vehicle and the road
While driving, if you feel you have a flat tire, the first thing to do is stop. On the other hand, do not panic, stop slowly and choose a flat place , away from the road and on solid ground. Above all, avoid stopping on bends, on slopes or in a dark area.
The equipment needed to change the wheel
Even if you haven’t had a puncture, you should always have a minimum of tools on hand in your car trunk in case you have to deal with this type of incident. So, before leaving, put in your trunk:
Second step: nuts
Once your vehicle has stopped properly and you have taken the equipment necessary for changing the wheel out of the boot, apply the handbrake securely (even on flat ground). You will start by removing the hubcap from the wheel by levering. Then put your wrench on a nut and turn it counter-clockwise to start loosening it. Repeat for each bolt until the last. In the end, the nuts should be able to be turned by hand.
Third step: raise the car from the ground
On the metal part of the chassis , you will find the place where you will have to insert your jack. In any case, it must not be in contact with plastic parts. Consult your manual to find out where the manufacturer recommends the location of the jack. Once it is in place, you can then start lifting the vehicle with the crank. During this operation, the jack must always remain perpendicular to the ground.
Fourth step: removing the nuts
In this step, you will have to remove the wheel nuts. Continue to loosen them by turning them counter-clockwise all the way and remove them from the threads. Put them in a safe place so you don’t lose them. Once this operation is carried out, you can remove the wheel whose tire is punctured. Be careful, press your body against the wheel to help you get it out, because it is quite heavy.
Fifth step: replacing the wheel
To fit the spare tire in place of the one with the flat tire, you must first align its holes with the lug nut posts and then place it on the wheelbase . Push it as far as possible. Refit the nuts so that the spare wheel does not move, but do not tighten them completely, because at this stage of the operation, it is just a question of holding the spare wheel evenly.
Sixth step: put the car back on the ground
You can now lower the car back to the ground using the jack. This operation must be done slowly, until the tire touches the ground. Then start by tightening the nuts in increments , that is to say that you must tighten one nut out of two and redo a second pass for those that you did not tighten first. This operation serves to keep the tire straight. When you have finished tightening all the nuts, you can put the vehicle back on the ground completely and tighten each nut even more in the same order until they do not move at all.
Seventh step: storage
You have just changed your tire whose wheel is punctured. Congratulations, at this stage, you will be able to start again, but it is necessary to store your flat tire properly (which you must bring very quickly to a station to have it repaired, if it is salvageable). Clean the tools you used and pick up all the things to throw on the place where you settled. If it turns out that your old tire is not salvageable, then buy a new one immediately, because the law of series unfortunately exists, even if we do not wish you to… It is better to be safe than sorry!
