How to change a tire

Changing a Tire

-Hurst

Before you start:

Before you begin the process of exchanging a flat tire for the spare tire, there are several preparatory steps that must be taken. First, make sure that you slowly steer the vehicle off of the road and park in a safe area. This area needs to be wide enough for you to be able to move around the vehicle without putting yourself in danger of being hit my other drivers. Make sure your emergency flashers are on so that other drivers know to take caution when driving past you as you change your flat tire. If you have a reflective warning sign, place it several feet behind your car for additional safety.

Reorder

Let's recap: Reorder the following

• Park in a safe area

• Turn your emergency flashers on

• If you have a reflective warning sign, please it a few feet behind your car

1

2

3

• 1
• 2
• 3

​Apply the parking brake

Take the foot off of the accelerator and apply your parking brake. This step will keep your car from rolling while you are busy changing out your tire. Be sure to disengage this once you've completed all steps.

Apply wheel wedges

Place wheel wedges (a large rock or stick will work just as well!) behind the tire opposite of the flat to prevent the car from rolling. If you’re changing a rear tire, place them in front of the front tires, or the other way round. If you have a reflective warning sign, place it several feet behind your car for additional safety.

Locate your spare tire and jack in the trunk of your vehicle

Now that you've pulled off the road, take your spare tire out from the trunk. You'll also need to have your jack handy before you start. Most models store these two items in a compartment underneath the floor of the trunk. Find a safe and level area to place your flat tire on, preferably with grass or dirt instead of asphalt. This will protect you from oil leaks that can stain your clothes when changing the tire back onto the car. Remember to shake any debris out before placing it down! Carefully place the spare tire on the ground in close proximity to the flat tire.

Remove hubcap or wheel cover

If your vehicle has a hubcap covering the lug nuts, you'll need to remove it (if your lug nuts are exposed, you can skip ahead. Car jacks usually have a built-in lug wrench. Remove the lug wrench from the jack and use it to loosen the hub cap on the tire that is damaged. Once the hub cap is removed, place it to the side. Note: If there is anything covering the bolt head such as mud or snow, use an abrasive brush to remove it before using any other tool.

Loosen the lug nuts on the wheel

After the hubcap is removed and before you use the jack to lift the wheel off of the ground, use the lug wrench to loosen the lug nuts on the wheel with the flat tire. The lug nuts will be located just below the hub cap, and they are usually either hexagonal or round. Place the lug wrench onto each nut and apply pressure to the handle in a counterclockwise fashion. Only loosen the nuts about ¼ to ½ of a turn, do not remove them completely. If you have trouble loosening a lug nut, use your foot or knee to gain leverage on the handle of the lug wrench.

Multiple Choice

Are you supposed to take the Lug Nuts ALL THE WAY OFF before Jacking the car up?

• Yes

• No, only loosen them!

Use the jack to lift the wheel off of the ground

Position the jack on a strong part of your vehicle’s frame. Your vehicle’s owner manual will give specific information about the proper placement of the jack on your particular vehicle. Turn the jack in a clockwise fashion by hand until it meets the vehicle. Then, use the jack’s handle to continue to turn in a clockwise fashion until the damaged tire is several inches above the ground. Once there is enough room between wheel and ground, place your jack’s handle under the car to hold it there. Never put any part of your body under the vehicle when it’s being jacked up.

Unscrew the lug nuts

After the vehicle is lifted, remove the lug nuts that you loosened prior to using the jack by using the lug wrench. Take off the lug nuts and place them in a safe spot to keep from losing them or getting hit by any flying debris.

Remove the tire

Almost there! Carefully remove the flat tire from under the car. Take it with you to your garage or somewhere away from the road where there is a lot of space, and lay it on its side for now so that it doesn't roll away.

Mount the spare tire on the lug bolts and hand-tighten the lug nuts

Now, place your spare tire onto the wheel by lining up the holes with the bolts. Place the lug nuts back onto the bolts and turn them in a clockwise fashion. Use your hand to ensure the lug nuts are tight enough before you go any further.

Lower the vehicle and tighten

Use the jack to lower the vehicle off of the jack by turning the handle in a counterclockwise fashion, so that the spare tire is resting on the ground but the full weight of the vehicle is still not fully on the tire. Tighten the lug nuts just one more time with the wrench as much as you can to ensure they are tight enough before lowering the jack and removing it from under the car.

Multiple Choice

True or False: YOU MUST TIGHTEN LUG NUTS AGAIN AFTER LOWERING THE VEHICLE!

• FALSE: Ain't NOBODY got time for that

• TRUE: It's safer to tighten them again so the wheel wont fall off during driving

Lower the vehicle completely and remove the jack

Finally, bring the vehicle all the way down to the ground and remove the jack once the spare tire is securely on the ground. After the jack is removed, use the lug wrench to tighten the lug nuts on the spare tire to ensure that it is secure enough to be drivable.

Stow your equipment

After the spare is completely installed, place the jack, lug wrench, hub cap, and flat tire back into the trunk of your vehicle. You're done. You've changed a flat tire!

CHECK PRESSURE IN SPARE TIRE

It's a good idea to check the air pressure of your spare tire after installing it.

It's also good idea to occasionally check spare tire's air pressure throughout the year in case of needing it!

Temporary spares (also known as mini-spares) require a minimum of (420 kPa) of air pressure.

Cautions when driving on SPARE

1.Don't drive above 50

2. Limit your distance

   1. 50-70 miles MAX

   2. breaking, accelerating times differ

   3. Turn slower

3. Know the affected Systems

   1. Warning lights-Sensors

4. Handle with care

   1. When stopping check spare for damage

Multiple Choice

Should you drive above 50 with a SPARE on?

• Yes, completely fine

• No, the wheel can fall off due to pressure at high speeds

Multiple Choice

Should you drive for long distance with a SPARE on?

• Yes, I'm on a long road trip and need to get there

• No, Spare tires are NOT meant to be a long-term solution but built as an emergency to get me to a close place to fix/replace original tire