Raise The Car With The Jack
Consult your owner’s manual in the section of tools to change a tire for the proper placement of the jack and how to operate it.
- Place the jack under the vehicle frame next to the tire that is flat.
- Raise the car with the jack until the flat tire has a 6-inch clearance from the ground. Do not place any part of your body under the car while you are changing the tire.
How Long Can You Drive On A Spare Tire
The length of time you can drive on a spare tire depends on the tire itself. In fact, many spare tire options are available, including full-size, donut, and run-flat varieties.
Matching and non-matching full-size spare tires are the same size as the tires currently on your car. A matching full-size spare tire is exactly the same as the other tires on your car, while a non-matching spare is only the same size as your vehicles tires.
Comparatively, donut spare tires are narrow and compact, and they are designed to fit in the trunk of your car. Donut spare tires typically last for about 50 to 70 miles, and shouldnt be driven at high speeds when using these tires.
Run-flat tires are commonly found on BMW and MINI cars. They are often stronger and more durable than other types of tires. If a run-flat tire gets punctured while you are driving, you can continue to drive safely for about 50 miles before your tire needs to be replaced.
Different Types Of Spare Tires
When looking for a new spare tire, drivers must decide what type of spare tire they need.
Full-sized spares would be the ideal choice, but not all vehicles offer the storage space needed for them. Donut spare tires minimize the space they take up, but they do not offer the same performance.
Today, we will walk you through the different types of spare tires to make your decision easier.
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One: Gather Your Tools
The first step is jacking up the truck if you have not done so already. You will need a jack, the key to the trucks access hole, and the lowering equipment used to bring it down.
There are different ways to set up the jack depending on the weight of your vehicle and how you intend to lift it. If you are unsure how to do this, consult your owners manual to set up the jack appropriately without damaging the vehicle or injuring yourself.
Can Donut Tires Be Repaired
You should never attempt to repair a donut spare tire. No reputable shop is going to do it because its dangerous. There is a reason that the donut spare is known as a temporary tire and it shouldnt be used for anything else.
The rubber of the donut spare isnt designed with the same integrity as your standard vehicle tire. The tread isnt going to be as deep and the rubber is thinner. If you attempt to plug the spare tire, its not going to hold and your life will be in danger.
If theres something wrong with the spare tire, you need to replace it. Its also wise to replace the spare tire after eight years, even if it hasnt been used. Otherwise, the materials could degrade, leaving you without a reliable spare.
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Six: Loosen The Lug Nuts
If you dont see the lug nuts on your tire, you may need to remove your hubcap or wheel cover to access them. Now, you will use the appropriate lug wrench for your vehicle to loosen the lug nuts.
You will use the wrench to turn the lug nuts counterclockwise until you feel the change in their resistance. Loosen them, but dont remove them yet.
Lower The Car And Tighten The Wheel Lugs Completely
Once the spare tire is on, carefully lower the jack. Pull the jack away from the vehicle. The final step is to tighten down the lugs completely. The reason you tighten the lugs now is because the tire is on the ground and it won’t rotate around as it would if it were still hanging in the air.
Wheel lugs have a specific torque rating to which they are supposed to be tightened, but there is pretty much no way you can figure that out using a simple tire iron. The general rule here is to tighten down the lugs as much as possible.
That’s it. Put the flat tire where the spare had been. Put back the jack and tire iron. Most compact spare tires are smaller than regular tires, so it is possible that the flat tire won’t fit in the spare tire well.
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Lower The Vehicle And Tighten The Lug Nuts Again
Use the jack to lower the vehicle so that the spare tire is resting on the ground but the full weight of the vehicle isnât fully on the tire. At this point, you should tighten the lug nuts with the wrench, turning clockwise, as much as you can. Push down on the lug wrench with the full weight of your body.
Five: Getting The Tire Ready
Push the tire partially underneath the back of the vehicle to return it to the original storage location. This will be above the secondary latch that fastens the tire underneath the truck.
Install the retainer for the wheel in the center, then pull on the cable that will be inserted from the end of the hanging chain through the hole in the spare tire. Realign the parts at the end of the cable before pulling the chain through the hole in the wheel.
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How To Change A Car Tire
Tips to make an unpleasant roadside task safe and easy
Many drivers dread being stuck on the side of a road with a flat tire. It can leave them stuck in a dangerous spot or a remote location where help isnt readily available. Here, we explain what to do if you experience this common problem.
For most people, the best response is to contact a roadside-assistance service such as AAA or the service provided by the cars manufacturer. And many drivers do just that. AAA said it responded to 3.5 million calls about flat tires in the past 12 months , underscoring how common flats are.
Changing a tire is a straightforward task in perfect conditions, says Ryan Pszczolkowski, CRs project leader for tire testing. But often the location is dangerous, such as a busy roadway, or theres a wrinkle, such as when you find out your car doesnt have a working spare tire. Its wise to know how to change a tire, but its just as important to know when to summon help and who to call.
Become familiar with how to use the tools youll need by reading your owners manual. Follow the instructions precisely failure to do so could result in injury to you or damage to your car. Practice at least once on each of the cars you drive in your own driveway.
The tips below outline how to deal with a flat and how to reduce the likelihood of getting one in the first place.
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Dobbs Tire & Auto Centers
Tires dont last forever, but we can help you make them last. At Dobbs Tire & Auto Centers, our ASE Certified technicians keep up-to-date on the latest tire maintenance and repair techniques. If you have a tire problem or youre running on your spare tire right now, come in and talk to one of our experienced technicians about your repair options. With 42 locations, theres bound to be one convenient to your home, job, or school.
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Replace The Spare Asap
Spare tires are lifesavers, but they arent meant for long periods of use. Traditionally, they tend to be smaller than the rest of your tires. You should try not to drive faster than 55 mph when using a spare, and you ideally dont want to drive it farther than 30 miles before having it replaced.
Hopefully, you or a mechanic will be able to patch the tire that blew out. In the case that its irreparable, you dont want to wait to invest in a new one. Once you fix or obtain a new main wheel, remember to fill your spare up with air. Youll want to ensure that its in proper driving condition before returning it to the back of your car.
Spare Tire Time How To Put One On
Almost every car on the road has a spare tire, but do you know how to use it? Better yet, do you even know where it is? It seems that many people dont even realize they have one, and weve seen spare tires in 15-year-old vehicles that have never seen the light of day. Chances are you, too, may never need to use one, but its a good thing to know. After all, you never know if you might wake up to a flat tire in your driveway or have the TPMS give you a warning out on the highway.
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Items You’ll Need To Fix A Flat Tire
These items should have come with your vehicle:
Jack
Fully inflated spare tire
Vehicle ownerâs manual
If you have misplaced any of these items, or if your car did not come with these items, you should purchase new ones right away. And be sure youâre regularly inflating the spare tire to your vehicle manufacturerâs recommended PSI. You should check the spareâs air pressure every time you check your other tires. Remember to check pressure every month and before long trips or carrying extra load.
Here are some items that donât come with your vehicle but that you should stow in your trunk or glove box in case you have to change a flat tire:
Flashlight with working batteries
Small cut of 2″x6â wood to secure the jack
Gloves
Remplacer L’enjoliveur Ou L’enjoliveur De Roue
Maintenant, il est temps de remettre l’enjoliveur. Remettez-le en place de la même manière que vous l’avez retiré initialement.
Si vous avez du mal à placer l’enjoliveur correctement, rangez-le en toute sécurité avec le pneu et les autres équipements. Demandez à l’atelier de réparation de remettre l’enjoliveur en place lorsque vous déposez le pneu crevé.
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Retirer Les Crous De Roue
À l’aide de votre clé, desserrez soigneusement les écrous de roue si vous ne les avez pas encore dévissés. Si vous avez des difficultés à desserrer l’écrou, mettez-vous à genoux pour mieux tenir la clé à ergots.
Retirez tous les écrous de roue et placez-les dans un endroit plus sûr où vous pourrez facilement les ramasser et les remettre en place plus tard.
Tools To Change A Tire
You need specific tools to change a tire. They should have come with your vehicle, but it helps to check if any items are missing or in need of replacement. At minimum, your trunk should have these:
- A manual car jack designed to raise your vehicle high enough to remove the flat tire.
- A spare tire. Most vehicles are equipped with a donut tire, a spare that is smaller in diameter than a regular tire.
- A lug wrench or torque wrench. This wrench is designed to remove the nuts attaching the wheel to the rotor.
- Wheel wedges. Also known as wheel chocks, these are placed against the wheels to immobilize the vehicle.
- A tire gauge to read the recommended tire pressure.
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Tools Needed To Change A Tire
Changing a tire is a relatively simple affair and most cars come with the equipment to perform the procedure as part of a basic vehicle-maintenance package. The car’s owner’s manual should also have instructions on where your tire changing equipment is located and the proper procedures.
A basic a tire changing kit typically includes:
- A lug wrench with a socket on one end and a pry bar on the other
Additional tools, depending on the make, model and year of your vehicle may include:
- Extension bars for lowering the spare tire
- Alignment studs
Jacks come in several varieties — scissor jacks, floor jacks, bottle jacks and even bumper jacks. A scissor jack is the most common type and uses a mechanical scissor mechanism to lift the car. A bottle jack is more powerful but less compact and uses hydraulic fluid to lift the car.
The tire rim is held to the wheel hub by lug nuts screwed on to wheel studs. Before the spare tire can be fitted to the car the old rim and flat tire needs to be removed. Before this is accomplished, the lug nuts must be loosened and this is done with the lug wrench. A lug wrench is essentially a large socket wrench with one socket that matches the size of the lug nuts on your wheels. The length of the handle adds mechanical advantage — the longer the handle, the more force you can exert on the nut. The pry bar on the other end is used to remove the hub cap and sometimes to pry the rim off the wheel hub if it’s stuck on with rust or dirt.
What Should You Do If You Experience A Flat Tire
If you hear a bumping or thumping sound coming from your car, you may be dealing with a flat tire. When this happens, remain calm, activate your cars emergency flashers, slow down, and pull off to the side of the road. If possible, pull your vehicle into a parking lot. Or else pull onto the right shoulder as far as you can.
Remember, driving on a flat tire is dangerous, and it can cause long-term damage to your car. It also puts you and other drivers at risk of an accident or collision. So, when faced with a flat tire, exit the road until you can either replace the tire with a spare or get help from others.
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How Fast Can You Drive On A Spare Tire
Generally, 50 mph is the fastest you should drive on a spare tire. Although there are exceptions where the manufacturer states their tires can travel greater than 50 mph, doing so would increase the risk of a blowout, especially if the spare tire has been previously used. Thus, you should try to keep your car speed under 50 mph until you can replace your spare tire.
Mettez La Roue De Secours En Place
Ensuite, vous devez placer la roue de secours sur la roue en l’alignant avec les boulons de roue. Replacez les écrous que vous avez retirés à l’étape précédente sur les boulons.
Utilisez la clé à ergots pour serrer les écrous en les tournant dans le sens des aiguilles d’une montre. Avant de passer à l’étape suivante, vérifiez soigneusement avec vos mains que les écrous sont bien serrés.
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Flat Tire How To Install A Spare In Nine Steps
Statistically, theres a good chance youll have to deal with a flat tire at least once in your life. Good news if you belong to a roadside assistance service! But if you travel a lot, live in a remote area, or occasionally forget to take your cell phone or charger with you, you just might have to change a tire yourself at some point down the road. Heres how to get the job done right in nine steps.
Step 1 Make sure you have a spare tire and all the tools you need to install it.
Its best to do this right away, especially if youre driving a used car. Consult your car manufacturers website or drivers manual to find out where the spare, jack and lug wrench are located, or take a quick peek under the floor of the trunk where theyre usually stored. This is a good time to verify if your car comes equipped with run-flat tires. If it does, you wont have to perform a tire change since this technology allows you to drive with a flat at reduced speeds and for limited distances until you can make it to a garage. Run-flats vary, so its a good idea to check with the tire manufacturer or your car dealership to determine the maximum distance and speed allowed. Another essential piece of equipment is a headlamp or other source of light .
Step 2 Pull over in an area thats hard, flat, and free of traffic
Step 3 Take out your spare tire and tools, and get started
Step 4 Loosen the tires lug nuts WITHOUT REMOVING THEM
Step 5: Installing the jack
Three: Time For Your Hazard Lights
When you have found a safe place to pull over, turn on your hazard lights. Your hazard lights, or flashers, are the lights youve seen on other cars that repeatedly blink on the front and back of the vehicle.
These let other drivers know that youre there, and they can see you more easily. This will help you, and the other drivers avoid an accident. Youll typically have a button in your instrument panel with a symbol of a traffic triangle on it. This button will turn on your hazards.
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Two: Find A Safe Location To Pull Over
Next, you want to slowly reduce your speed and check your surroundings as you do so. Look for an empty parking lot or an area of the road that best meets these conditions:
- Level ground to prevent your vehicle from rolling
- Straight and away from bends to improve your visibility for other drivers
- Wide shoulders to give you space to work out of the way of oncoming traffic
Remember that your safety is paramount. If you cant find a piece of road that meets these conditions, particularly the wide shoulder, then you should keep driving slowly until you reach a better place to pull over safely.
You shouldnt drive on a flat for very long because it can mess up the rim of your tire, but your safety is more important than anything else. So, be sure to choose a safe place to pull over.
When you have pulled over safely, check your owners manual for instructions on how to change your vehicles tire specifically.