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Changing a Tyre

When changing a tyre, the first and most important thing to do is to get the vehicle to a safe area, far enough from the road to save you from becoming pavement pizza. Put your hazard lights on, and put a triangle 100 feet or so up the road.

Leave the vehicle in park and set the emergency brake. Loosen all the lug nuts on the flat a full turn. Take the spare out of the trunk and put it halfway under the car near the jack. In the unlikely event the car falls off the jack, it will only fall onto the spare--not your foot or head--and will leave you a fighting chance of raising the car and continuing. If the car falls to the ground, you'll have no way to raise it.

Raise the jack until it is nearly high enough to contact the bottom of the car. If the ground isn't firm, put the third piece of wood under the jack point, and the jack on top of the wood. Be sure everything is level. Jack the car up until the flat clears the ground by several inches, because the spare isn't flat and will need more clearance.

Remove the lug nuts, and put them inside the hubcap or in some other place where they won't get lost in the dark, or accidentally scattered into the weeds by your feet. Pull the flat off and put it halfway under the car. Hang the spare tyre on the bolts. Finger-tighten all the lugs and then lightly tighten them with the lug wrench, again in a crisscross pattern.

Lower the vehicle and pull the jack out. Now you can tighten the lugs.

As you're putting away your tools and jack, be sure you haven't left them covered with mud or moisture, which might cause them to rust while stored. Don't forget to pick up your safety triangle.

Finally, as soon as you can, take your flat to a tyre technician for repair. And don't let him overtighten your lugs with his air wrench!  

 

Adapted from: http://www.channel4000.com/sh/houseandhome/stories/houseandhome-popularmechanics-186570920030102-130101.html 

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