Tip: While attempting
to loosen lug-nuts, remember to position the lug-nut wrench in such a way
that you’re pulling up on the wrench to loosen the nuts, not pushing down
on it. This will help to prevent injury in the case of a nut suddenly
cracking loose.
Tip: If one of the
lug-nuts on the wheel looks different from the others, and your lug-nut
wrench just doesn’t seem to fit onto it, you’ve got a locking nut on your
hands. This type of nut helps to prevent the theft of your wheels. If this
is the case, check in you glove box for the key, and refer to your owner’s
manual for the proper instructions for removal.
Once you’ve loosened (but not
removed) all of the lug nuts, it’s time to jack up your vehicle. Check
your vehicle’s owner’s manual to locate the closest “jack-point” to the
disabled wheel. Most vehicle’s have a small slot, or small metal plate,
just in front of the rear tires, or just behind the front tires, designed
specifically for use with the jack. Once you’ve found the jack point,
place the jack squarely underneath it. At this point, you’ll want to make
sure that the jack is on solid, level ground (not grass or dirt).
Jack the vehicle up until the
flat tire leaves the ground. From that point, continue raising the vehicle
for about 6 more inches. Remember, the spare tire will be full of air, and
require more space than the flat tire you’re presently working with.
Remove the lug nuts from the
flat tire. They should be loose enough to simply spin off by hand. Be sure
to put them somewhere they won’t get lost – a pocket works best.
Grab the flat tire at the 9 o’clock and 3
o’clock positions and evenly pull the flat tire off the
vehicle.
Using the same hand positions
on the spare tire (9 and 3), position the spare tire in front of the wheel
well. Make sure the air pressure valve is facing out, and then align the
holes in the center of the wheel with their respective bolts on the
vehicle. Push the wheel onto the bolts, and then back into the wheel well,
until it won’t move any farther.
Remove the lug nuts from your
pocket (or wherever you chose to put them), and screw them on to the
threaded bolts. First tighten them by hand, then with the lug wrench. To
ensure that the tire is tightened evenly, use a star or crisscross pattern
when tightening the bolt. For example, number each lug nut from one to
five in a clockwise order. Then, tighten them in the pattern 1, 3, 5, 2,
4.
Once you have all of the lug
nuts properly tightened, it’s safe to lower the vehicle and remove the
jack.
At this point, give each of
the lug nuts one final tightening. You want to make sure that your spare
tire is as secure as it can be. If you have a leverage pipe, use it now to
finish tightening the lug nuts. If you don’t have a leverage pipe, use as
much pressure as possible (as before, you may want to press down on the
wrench with the bottom of your foot for additional force).
If you had to take the hub
cap off earlier, pop it back onto the wheel.
Put all of your tools away in
your trunk so they’ll be available the next time you need them. Grab the
flat tire and put it in the trunk - you may want to put a towel or cloth
down beneath it, as it will probably leave a number of black marks
wherever you store it.
Remove the wheel blocks from
all the wheels.
Drive to the nearest auto
repair shop. In most cases, they’ll be able to fix your tire while you
wait, and you’ll be back on your way in no time.