How to Fix A Flat Tire Under 15 Minutes
One of a driver’s nightmares is having a flat tire. Imagine you are driving on a long road, and the next thing that happens is a loud sound like a gunshot! Guess what? Your tire is out and the situation is that you have a flat tire. More than 40% of drivers all around the world find it difficult to fix a flat tire. This is a very important lesson to learn as a driver because you can find yourself in a fix at any time.
In this article, you would be learning how to fix a flat tire in under 15 minutes. This knowledge is very important to have for now and future purposes. Women are not exempted in this process of learning, as it would also benefit them, as a lot of women these days are into driving. So, it would be of great importance to learn this lesson to apply it when something of such happens. You can do this real quick under 15 minutes and get yourself on the road again.
How to Fix a Flat Tire
The following measures below are guidelines in fixing a flat tire, and they are following;
· Park and find a safe location
When you have a flat tire, the first thing you should do is find a safe location, move the car to that location and start with fixing the flat tire. You need to find a safe location when trying to fix a flat tire because it helps you stay off the road from reckless drivers that might be having bad brakes, and also drunk drivers who wouldn’t see your park because of a bad tire.· Put your hazards light on
This is a very important thing to do when trying to fix a bad tire. The hazards lights help in diverting oncoming traffic. It tells people coming that, something is going on here, so divert to the other side of the road. So many times, there has been a collision due to drivers not turning their hazard lights on. Putting the light on would help save and reduce ongoing accidents.
· Get your parking brake
When trying to fix a flat tire, always apply your brakes. It helps and prevents your vehicle from rolling. Nobody wants to deal with a vehicle rolling when trying to fix a flat tire. So, in order not to allow this to happen, it is advised to apply your parking brake.
· Apply tire wheels wedges
Since you have applied your brakes, you still need to put some wedges against the tires as a way of preventing the car from moving or rolling. Some people use chocks, and some use stones to wedge their tires from rolling. But whichever one you use, as long as it is good and prevents the car from rolling, you can carry on.
· Loosen up the lug nuts
To do this, you need a lug wrench to loosen the nuts till it breaks their resistance. What you need to do is turn it anti-clockwise till it is completely free. But don’t take them off yet. Before you take off the nuts, make sure that you are ready to remove the tires completely.
· Place the jack under the vehicle
Going through this process is quite tough as you might have to use your body to support yourself in putting the jack underneath the vehicle. It is necessary to have the jack in your car at all times, as anything can happen anywhere which would warrant you to make use of the jack.
· Raise the vehicle with the jack
When you have successfully placed the jack underneath the car, start rolling the handle of the jack in a clockwise direction till the car is raised to a level that would enable you to remove the tire easily without forcing the tire out. Some people raise it high enough, and some raise it not too high. It depends on what, and how you want it to be.
· Put on the spare tire
Before you start bringing out your jack, make sure you have your spare tire by your side. After raising your car with the jack, put on your spare tire, fix in the nuts back, and tighten the nuts back up.
· Tighten the lug nuts
Make sure your nuts are well tightened up. You are going to drive for a lot of hours and a lot of time. Making sure that your nuts are tight will help prevent you from getting into another tire problem which can even cost you your life.
· Lower the jack
After everything you must have done with fixing your tire, you then lower your jack down and take out the jack. Put it back in a safe place in your car.
· Start your car and check to make sure it is balanced
After taking out your jack, get into your car to ensure that the positioning is balanced accordingly. You wouldn’t want one side of your car to be bent one-sided because you made it too low on one side. So, ensure that you balance all sides before moving on the road.
· Take the bad to a certified mechanic for repairs
Now you have fixed your bad tire and you are ready to get moving on the road. Do ensure to take your car to a certified mechanic to fix your bad tire. If you have the funds enough to get a new tire after changing the old one, go ahead. But, if you don’t have enough funds, then it is advisable to visit a professional mechanic to fix the bad tire for replacement as a spare tire.
Nobody likes having issues on the road while driving. It is important to see that you also avoid problems by taking good care of your car. Have all the necessary tools you need as a driver. Gain some lessons on handling issues like fixing a flat tire and you won’t need to be frustrated every time something happens to your car.
