Flat Tire « Brake Buddy's Auto Repair & Maintenance Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Flat Tire’

A Visual Guide To Changing A Tire

Tuesday, March 8th, 2011

Changing A Tire At some point or another, you’re probably going to have to change a flat tire on your car or truck. It happens to everyone.

If you have never changed a tire before, you may be wondering what to do. Luckily, changing a tire is a simple process. If you follow the seven steps below, you will be able to change a flat tire in no time.

Step 1: Find a Safe Place To Pull Over

For safety reasons, you will want to find a safe place to pull over and change the flat tire. If possible, pull into a parking lot or on a non-busy road. Do not drive too long on the flat because you could damage the wheel.

Step 2: Locate Your Spare Tire and Tools

Get the spare tire, tire wrench and jack from your car. You may also need a flashlight if it’s dark outside. Keep these items near the flat tire.

Step 3: Loosen the Lug Nuts

If necessary, remove the wheel cover. Then using your tire wrench, loosen the lug nuts on the flat tire. Loosen them enough until it’s easy to turn the wrench. Remember, turning the wrench to the left will loosen the lug nuts.

Step 4: Lift the Car

Lift the Car

Using your jack, raise the car up to remove the wheel. Be sure to read the owners manual to see how to properly operate the jack.

Step 5: Remove the Flat Tire

Use your tire wrench again to remove the lug nuts from your vehicle. Place all of the lug nuts in the same place so you do not lose them. Then remove the flat tire. Be sure to pull the flat tire toward you when removing.

Step 6: Place the Spare Tire On the Car

Take your spare tire and align it with the bolts on the car. As you can see from the picture above, you will want to make sure the holes on the wheel of the spare tire line up with the four bolts. It is important to note that some cars and trucks have five bolts.

Step 7: Place Lug Nuts on Tire and Lower The Car

After you get the spare tire on your car, place the lug nuts on the bolts, getting them tight, but not too tight. You want it tight enough to keep the tire in place when the car is lowered. After lowering the car, finish tightening the lug nuts.

Summary

Following these seven steps will help you to change a flat tire. If you ever have any questions about changing a tire, be sure to ask friends or family members. You also can ask your mechanic during your next Sacramento car tune up or your next Santa Fe timing belt replacement.

Tags: Flat Tire, Sacramento car tune up, Santa Fe timing belt replacement, tire change
Posted in Automotive Maintenance | Comments Off

Quickly Change Your Car’s Tire After A Blowout

Thursday, September 23rd, 2010

It happens to all of us. You’re driving down the road and all of a sudden you hear a thud, thud, thud noise coming from one of your tires. You’ve got a flat tire.

Changing a flat tire may be a little more difficult than you think. We’ve included the steps you need to follow to change your tire.

Make sure you are on a flat surface. If you are in a busy traffic area drive to another location such as a parking lot or a side street.
Turn off your engine and turn on your hazard lights.
Take the spare tire, tire wrench, and jack out of your vehicle. For some vehicles, the spare tire may be underneath the truck bed or trunk.
Take off the hubcap or wheel cover from your vehicle’s wheel.
Using the tire wrench loosen the lug nuts on the tire. Do not completely take off the lug nuts.
Following the directions for your jack, lift the car up. Be sure to place the jack under the vehicle in the proper place as designated by the owner’s manual.
Remove the lug nuts and the wheel.
Put the spare tire on along with the lug nuts. Be sure to get the lug nuts as tight as you can without spinning the wheel.
Lower the vehicle. Be sure to tighten the lug nuts with the tire wrench.

When driving with a spare tire, do not drive at excessive speeds. Be sure to take your vehicle to a mechanic as soon as possible to replace the tire. To help prevent blown tires, have your mechanic check the tire tread during a Phoenix brake repair or a Albuquerque transmission flush.

Tags: Albuquerque transmission flush, Flat Tire, Phoenix brake repair
Posted in Automotive Maintenance, Car Repair, Tires | Comments Off

The Most Common Car Breakdown We See

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009

The most common car breakdown and how it can be prevented.

Having your vehicle breakdown while you’re driving can be a scary and aggravating process. If you’ve had your Las Cruces brake check recently you can at least rest easy in knowing that you can stop your car and get to the side of the road.

The most common issue we see every day is a flat tire. They usually happen at the most inopportune time and if you do not know how to change a tire, it can be an incredibly frustrating experience.

Flat tires are mostly caused by wear and tear and lack of maintenance. Try to remember to check your tire pressure when you stop for gas and observe the wear on your tire tread at the same time. Check often for nails or glass that may be stuck in your tire and may potentially puncture it. Also, make sure that you have the right equipment to change a tire in your trunk and double check your tire pressure in your spare tire also.

If you’re not sure how to do any of this, don’t hesitate to ask somebody during your next Santa Fe car tune up.

Tags: Auto Maintenance, Flat Tire, Tire Pressure, Vehicle Breakdown
Posted in Car Repair | Comments Off