Steps Involved in Changing a Car-Tyre
A flat tyre can be something that gets really annoying, especially if you are running late from work or in a traffic jam. Changing a tyre is an easy process and can be done in about 10-20 minutes. Here is a walkthrough of the steps involved in changing a car’s tyre.
Secure the Car’s Wheels
The first thing you need to do is make sure your car is not on a slope. It is generally better to off load any passenger in the car before changing the tyre. Use bricks or big stones to block the other wheels of the car, so that it stays firmly without rolling. Always change your car tyre on a flat surface, and never on an incline or hill. After the wheels are secured, remove the spare tyre from the boot of car along with the car jack.
Remove the Wheel Cover
If your car has wheel covers, gently remove them by using a screw driver to pry the wheel cover off. If your car has alloy rims, you could go to the next step immediately.
Loosen the Wheel Nuts
Place the wheel spanner on the wheel nuts, and apply all your weight on it. Note that you are to turn the spanner to left (Anticlockwise) to loosen the wheel nuts. Don’t remove the nuts completely, just loosen them. A hollow metallic pipe or a cross wheel spanner can loosen the tightest wheel nuts.
Use Car Jack to Lift the Car
Place the jack under the car. The proper location to place the jack may vary depending on the car’s make and model. If you have a hydraulic jack, all you need to do is place the jack in the proper place and pump it gently. For scissors jack, place rod over the knob and gently begin to jack the car. Jack the car to about 6 inches above the ground.
Remove the Flat Tyre
Unscrew the wheel nuts completely now and remove the flat tyre. Keep the wheel nuts in a safe place and place the flat tyre back in the boot to get it out of the way.
Place the Spare Tyre
Place the spare tyre onto the bolts of the wheel. Tyres can be quite heavy and you may have trouble lifting them, especially if you are not used to lifting heavy objects.
Tighten the Wheel Nuts
Place the wheel nuts on the wheel bolts and screw them tight. Screw them with your hands first so that you don’t damage the bolt thread. After the bolts are screwed, you should use the wheel spanner to tighten the bolts firmly. Jack the car down and place the jack back into the boot. After the car is down, use the wheel spanner to further tighten the nuts.
Replace the Wheel Cover
After the nuts are tightened firmly, gently place the wheel cover back into place by whacking it against the rim. Remove the supports (brick or stones) from the other wheels and you are good to go.
Please share your flat-tyre experiences with us in the comments!