Loading ...
As the world continues to advance, old values tend to fade, such as how to change a tire. It may seem like an easy job or one of those ‘it won’t happen to me’ moments, but one way or another, you will need to change a tire in your lifetime. It’s important to know how to because it’s never certain when having that knowledge will be needed. (Step by step tutorial below)
Step 1: Locate the tire jack, tire iron, and spare tire. The tire jack and tire iron will likely be with one another, which you should be able to find either under the back seat of a truck or in the trunk of an SUV or car. Once acquired, remove the spare tire from either the trunk of the car, commonly under the trunk floor, or if an SUV or truck, it will be under the vehicle in the rear.
Step 2: Locate the tire needing replacement. While the car is still on the ground, grab the tire iron and loosen the lug nuts on the tire. Make sure to leave them there to prevent the car from falling over. This is so that when the tire is off the ground, it won’t spin when taking the nuts off, which makes it harder.
Step 3: Place the jack under the rocker panel pinch welds or the frame, there are typically 4 points to place the jack. There are 2 points on each side to make it possible to get either tire suspended in the air. There will be one on each side just before the front wheels and 2 on each side right in front of the rear wheels. Turn the handle clockwise to raise the vehicle up.
Step 4: Now that the tire in need is suspended in the air, fully remove the lug nuts. Remove the tire off the hub, which is the rods that the nuts were tightened onto. At this point, you can put the spare tire on and move the old one off to the side. Remember to replace the temporary tire as soon as possible. Do not drive on a spare regularly.
Step 5: Before letting the vehicle back down, using your fingers, twist the lug nuts on until tight. Then, set the vehicle down and tighten the lug nuts in a star pattern using the tire iron. Finally, clean everything up and get off the side of the road.
As intimidating as it may seem to change a tire, it’s not as hard as it looks. For most people, it takes anywhere from 15-30 mins. It is a very important skill to have just in case of a flat tire in a bad situation, such as on the side of the highway, in a bad part of town, or you have somewhere to be fast. Regardless, now you know how to change a tire and avoid those situations.
