Kimber Creek Ford Official Blog

How to replace a damaged tire

Whenever a driver puts their key into the ignition and hears their engine turn over, there’s always the fact that a lot of thing could go wrong on the road rattling around in the back of their head. Driving defensively can usually keep you safe on the road, but there are always those unexpected mishaps that seem to be inevitable. One of the most common of these occurrences is the ever-unfortunate flat tire. Today, we’ll be letting you know how to replace a damaged tire. Follow the steps below, and you’ll be well on your way.

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How to put on a spare tire

It may seem daunting at first, but replacing a punctured or damaged tire with a spare tire is fairly easy. When you find that your tire is flat, first pull over to a safe spot. Turn your hazard lights on, and make sure there is ample space between you and your vehicle, and oncoming traffic. Once you are situated, carry out the steps as follows.

Items you will need:

• Car jack
• Lug wrench
• Inflated Spare Tire
• Vehicle owner’s manual

Steps:

1. Once you have all of your necessary materials, place your jack under the frame of your vehicle near the damaged tire. Use the provided lever or handle (in some cases the lug wrench) to jack up your vehicle until the flat tire is off the ground.
2. Once your wheel is above the ground, take your lug wrench, and begin loosening the lug nuts on the wheel of your damaged tire. In most cases, the old “righty-tighty, lefty-loosey” saying will prove true. Make sure to keep the lugnuts in an accessible spot, as you will need these when putting on your spare.
3. At this point, remove your damaged wheel. It may be somewhat jammed, but it should slide straight off.
4. Place your spare tire and carefully line up the screws with the holes in your spare. The deep side of the spare tire should face inward.
5. Place the lug nuts you just removed from the wheel onto your spare tire. At first, place and screw in each lug nut by hand. Once all are about half tightened, use the lug wrench to fully tighten them. Once your first one is tightened, tighten the one across from it, and then the one across from that one, and so on. This will ensure that the entire spare tire is flush with the surface.
6. Place your damaged tire and the supplies back in your trunk. Make sure that you replace your tire as soon as possible. A spare tire is just that a spare. Most spare tires are not rated for use above 50 mph, and can become unsafe after prolonged use.

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