Tips

1.Check occasionally to make sure that your spare tire has sufficient air.
2.Familiarize yourself with this procedure and with the particulars for your car before you get a flat tire, so that you don’t have to learn by the side of the road, in the dark or in the rain.

3.When replacing nuts, be sure that the tapered side goes into the wheel. This centers the wheels and locks the nuts in place.

4.If your wheels have locking lug nuts, be sure to keep the key-lug where you can easily find it. You will need it to change the tire.

5.Rotating your tires at manufacturer’s recommended intervals can prevent a common problem when changing a flat.

6.When loosening and tightening the nuts, arrange the cross wrench so that you are pressing down (with gravity). This will remove risk of injury to your back and also allow you to use your body weight rather than just your arm strength. Press on the end of the wrench for the best leverage. You can even use your foot, but make sure to keep your balance and steady yourself against the car.

7.Sometimes the wheels will seize to the hub, resulting in great difficulty in removal of the flat tire. If this happens, you will need a sledgehammer and a 2×4 or other piece of wood to remove a seized wheel rim. Rotating your tires will prevent this from happening when you do have to change a tire.

8.In case the nuts are not locking into place, use a towel and hammer and hammer them into place. The hammer can also be used to release your anger on the flat tire.