Jun 13, 2018
There is nothing worse than being in a rush to get somewhere, whether it’s work, a social event or a road trip, and you have to change a flat tyre on the way. MyCarNeedsA.com is here to help you get to grips with exactly what you need to do to change a tyre.
There are a few essential bits and pieces that you will need in order to change a tyre. Some new cars do not come with a spare tyre, instead, they come with a liquid tyre sealant which you can pour into the tyre for a temporary repair until you get to the nearest garage. Here is exactly what you need to fix the flat tyre:
The warning triangle is used to alert other oncoming drivers that you are using the hard shoulder or side of the road, so they know to slow down. The high visibility jacket is used to make yourself seen to approaching traffic. If you are changing a tyre at the side of the road make sure you are doing it away from traffic and if you can avoid doing so on a bend, the key is to make yourself as viable as possible.
You will need to keep a spare tyre to change the punctured or damaged tyre as well as the lock and wheel nut and a wheel brace to safely remove the bolts and replace the tyre. The jack will be used to lift the car up slightly so you can replace the tyre with ease.
Now that you have all the right equipment, let’s take a look step by step what you will need to do to change a flat tyre.
First things first make sure you are safe and away from oncoming traffic, bring the car into a layby or a safe location away from harm. Remove any excess weight from the boot and ask passengers to step out of the car, this will make the car easier to jack up.
Use the wheel brace to remove the bolts from the wheel, the first few turns will be tougher but once they loosen up then it’s time to start using the jack. Look for the jacking point, typically near the front wheel of the car there will be a slot for the jack. Always check your user manual if you are unsure where it is. Once you have the jack in place start to raise the car off the ground, make sure you have enough height so you can put a new inflated tyre on.
Now that the tyre is jacked and the wheel nuts are loosened, you can now completely remove the nuts now by hand. Now lift the wheel off and align the new spare wheel and start inserting the wheel nuts back and tightening them as you go along. Then simply start bringing the jack back down and lastly give the wheel nuts one last tighten.
At MyCarNeedsA.com we recognise when it comes to your tyres that you can never be too careful, why not book in to have your tyres checked by a professional garage or should you need a new set of tyres fitted then why not get in touch for some quotes today.
