Getting ready for your summer road trip means making lots of preparations if you want a carefree and enjoyable time. Inspecting your vehicle and having it maintained is an important part of those preparations. The Thelen Subaru Service Center in Bay City is staffed by expert service technicians eager to help you inspect your vehicle to ensure it is ready for your travels. One area that is important to inspect is your vehicle’s tires. Check for proper tread, even wear, inflation, and any potential damage. Even if your tires are inspected and well-maintained, a flat tire can occur. So, learning to change a tire is important before heading out on your travels.
If you find yourself experiencing a flat tire, first find a safe spot to pull over and turn on your hazard lights. Consult your owner’s manual for any pertinent information, such as the location of the spare tire or any intricacies specific to changing a tire on your vehicle. Always check the spare tire before placing it on your vehicle (in fact, you should inspect your spare tire on occasion to ensure it is ready when needed).
Now that you are ready to change the tire, remove your hub cap, if equipped. You can use the sharp end of the lug wrench to help. Then, loosen the lug nuts slightly. Do not remove them completely at this stage in the process. Locate the vehicle’s strongest spot so you can place the jack and lift the vehicle. When lifting, be sure to move the jack handle up and down in even motions. Now, fully loosen and remove the lug nuts and the defective tire.
Replace with the spare tire. When you put the lug nuts back on, just tighten them by hand for now. Lower the vehicle to the ground and remove the jack. Check the vehicle’s manual for a recommended lug nut tightening sequence. Then you can completely tighten the lug nuts with the lug wrench. Clean up everything used during the tire change.
*If there are any issues while following the process, be sure to call a towing service to make sure everything is done safely and correctly.