Are You Surprised? | Your iPod Top 10 | Musaq | Movies
| Video Demonstration | ||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
Changing a flat car tire: It’s a skill that will impress the ladies or rev up an unsuspecting man.
Oh yeah, it can save your life, too.
Since you’re not born knowing how to change a flat, here are the written instructions.
First, grab the lug wrench, jack and spare tire that should be in your trunk or back hatch.
Step 1: Secure the car. Make sure it’s in park and put a brick or something similar behind the tire diagonally opposite from the flat tire.
Step 2: Loosen the lug nuts. After removing the wheel cover (if there is one) crack the lug nuts loose with the lug wrench. Do not remove them yet. Sometimes kicking the wrench is necessary.
Step 3: Place the jack. Put it under a spot on the car that won’t cause damage (usually noted in your owner’s manual).
Step 4: Raise the car. Slowly and steadily raise the car until the tire is just touching the ground.
Step 5: Remove the lug nuts. Put them in a safe place.
Step 6: Remove the wheel. Raise the car until the wheel clears the ground and remove the wheel.
Step 7: Place the replacement. Put it onto the wheel studs and put the lug nuts back on by hand as far as you can. Wiggling the wheel sometimes helps.
Step 8: Lower the car to where the wheel touches the ground. After it’s lowered tighten the lug nuts as much as possible with the wrench following a specific pattern: tighten opposite lug nuts one after the other to ensure the wheel goes on evenly.
Step 9: Lower the car completely. Give the lug nuts a final tightening. Here you want to tighten them as much as possible using hands, feet and anything else that helps.
Step 10: Go to a tire store or garage. Get a new tire or at least get the lug nuts properly torqued.
Adam Shull can be contacted at 575-8653.