Getting a flat tire on the go is never convenient. If you’re not prepared, it can derail your whole day and even put you in danger. However, if you have a spare tire on board, you can probably be back on the road within an hour, provided you know what you’re doing.
Road & Track spoke to Kevin Hines, Senior Technician at McLaren Philadelphia, to learn how to quickly and safely change a flat tire on the side of the road. Hines is North America’s only factory-certified McLaren F1 Technician, which means his day job is working on $ 20 million worth of exotics. If anyone understands how to exchange an apartment, it is him.
Before reading any further, we recommend that you consult your car owner’s manual for detailed instructions on how to change a flat tire on your car. The manufacturer’s suggestions may differ from the instructions below.
How to be ready for a flat tire
Above all, make sure that you are prepared for any flat tires that may arise. “Always make sure your replacement part is properly inflated,” said Hines. “Every time you do an oil change, you should also check the pressure in your tires, and that includes checking the pressure in your spare tire.”
Aaron Brown
Aaron Brown
The last thing you want to discover when you change a flat tire is that your spare tire is flat too. Also, regularly check the other devices in your car that are required to change tires. “Usually you have some sort of emergency jack, a wrench specific to your vehicle, and all the other bits and bobs that are needed,” says Hines. Make sure the kit is complete and the contents free from damage before using it.
Where to park your car if your tire goes flat
If you are experiencing an outbreak on the highway, your first instinct may be to pull up immediately to get off the road and avoid other motorists. If your car is damaged so badly that it can no longer move on its own, this may be your only option. However, if you can hobble your car to the nearest exit or safe area, it is better to do so instead.
Roadside Emergency Triangle – 3-pack
“It is better to go to a safe place with a flat tire than take the risk of changing a tire on the side of the road,” says Hines. “We all saw it. At night, in the rain, on the side of the road, someone way too close [to the road]. It is not worth.”
If your car is stuck on the side of the road and you are uncomfortable changing a tire while cars fly by, call a tow truck. In these situations, it is important to keep reflective triangles or flares in your car.
If you can find a safe area to park your vehicle for tire changes, make sure you are on level, level ground. Make sure the material you are parked on is not soft dirt, sand, snow, or grass. You want your emergency lifter to have a solid base from which to lift your car safely in the air.
How to change a flat tire
Once you’ve parked in a safe place, it’s time to deal with your flat tire. Take all the necessary tools out of your car and assess the situation. You should make sure that the tire is the only part of your car that has been damaged. Finding out if there is a piece of plastic or a loose hose hanging from the underside of your vehicle after you’ve replaced an apartment is never fun.
Before you lift the car in the air, make sure that it cannot roll forwards or backwards. Apply the emergency brake. If your car has a manual transmission, put it in first gear (with the ignition off, of course). If your car has an automatic transmission, put it in park. You should also block the wheel farthest from the flat corner with a solid object as a backup.
Aaron Brown
Next, before you lift the car in the airUse the wheel wrench supplied with your vehicle to break the wheel nuts on the wheel with the flat tire. Do this after you have used the jack and you do not have the leverage required to loosen the nuts.
Pittsburgh Automotive 3 ton jack
Once that’s done, you can use the jack to lift the car into the air. These sockets are safe – Hines notes that they wouldn’t be plugged in the car without them – but they’re not of the highest quality. You should therefore ensure that you only lift the car from the jacking points provided for this purpose, which you will find in your owner’s manual. Otherwise, you could find yourself in an unsafe situation, which could damage your car or put you in physical danger.
Once the car is in the air, place your spare tire under the car next to the jack. This acts as an extra layer of safety in case the jack collapses while you remove the flat tire wheel. Then use your wrench to completely remove the nuts. Then remove the wheel, open the spare wheel and place the wheel with the flat tire next to the jack where the spare wheel was. security again.
The jack on our demonstration car was missing, so we used a standard jack instead.
Aaron Brown
Aaron Brown
Tighten the wheel nuts with the spare part as tight as possible, then slowly lower the car back to the ground. When you’re done with the jack, go back to the wheel nuts and tighten them. Throw it all back in your car. If you’ve done everything right, your car should be drivable again. We recommend driving a few miles and then rechecking the wheel nuts to make sure none of them have come loose.
Refer to the owner’s manual for information on how to drive your car with a replacement. Some cars have space savers with a factory recommended speed rating while others are full size tires that can be used normally. Driving with a space saver that has been equipped for long periods of time can lead to uneven wear on your tires or even put additional strain on your differential if the space saver is on a driven wheel.
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