DIY Network

Roadside Emergencies - Servicing a Flat Tire From "Car Care Workshop" episode DCC-102

(Continued from page 1)

Tip: Use the hubcap to hold the lug nuts while you're working (figure G). Nuts can easily get lost in the grass or gravel if you're working on the roadside.

Install the spare tire. Align the bolts with their corresponding holes on the wheel, then make sure the wheel is flush against the hub. When putting the wheel in place, insert the top bolts first so the rest will line up more easily (figure H). Replace and tighten all the lug nuts as tightly as you can by hand, making certain that the wheel seats firmly against the hub. Be sure to replace the lugs so they go back on the same way they were originally.

Lower the vehicle until the tire just touches the ground, but don't remove the jack. (The jack should still be supporting most of the weight of the vehicle).

Figure G

Figure H

advertisement

	Figure I
	Figure J

Use the lug wrench to tighten the nuts (figure I) in a crisscross pattern --tightening one nut, then the one directly opposite it (the top, then the bottom; the right, then the left; and so on.) This ensures that the wheel seats evenly. Once you've tightened all the nuts, tighten each one again as firmly as you can. Now you can lower the vehicle completely and remove the jack.

Collect the damaged tire, the hubcap and your tools. (If the tire is not too severely damaged, a tire-service center may be able to repair it.) If the spare was mounted beneath the vehicle, be sure to raise the retaining cable before driving away.

Important: If your replacement is a temporary spare, you must heed the restrictions printed on the tire. These tires are designed to get you to a service center where you can purchase a new tire, and many are rated for a certain maximum safe distance and speed limit. Driving farther or faster than recommended on a temporary spare may be dangerous. Also be aware that because the spare is smaller than the other tires, driving on one will affect the vehicle's handling.

You can buy an emergency repair kit (figure J, left) that will reinflate a flat tire and seal it from the inside. Choose the nonflammable type, and keep in mind that the fix is merely temporary. The tire will need to be replaced as soon as possible.

If your tire has a slow leak, you may be able to reinflate the tire and drive on it until you can get to a service center. If you travel a lot, you may want to carry a portable air compressor (figure J, right) for refilling a tire with a slow leak. Some portable air compressors are battery operated; some are plugged into a car's cigarette lighter.

Finally, if you feel that changing a tire is a bigger task than you can manage, membership in an auto club may be a wise investment.

1 | 2

RESOURCES :

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Trouble-Free Car Care
Author: Dan Ramsey
ISBN: 0028635833
Alpha Books

How Cars Work
Author: Tom Newton
ISBN: 0966862309
Publisher: Black Apple Press

Tires, Suspension and Handling
ISBN: 1560918314
Author: John C. Dixon
(Society of Automotive Engineers