Be Prepared for Flat Tire – Here’s How

Nowadays, when you get a flat tire, most likely you will just whip out your cell phone and make a service call.  That’s pretty convenient but there will come a time when that would not be probably. Most probably than not someday you actually will need to get down and get dirty to change your tire. When that day finally comes, you’ll want to be ready or you’ll be sorry. You want the deed done as fast and as efficient as you possibly could without stressing yourself out. How? Read to find out.

1. Learn the ropes. The last thing you need when changing your tire is to still be reading the instruction manual. Allot a time, when you’re not busy, to practice changing your tire in your driveway or parking lot. This will allow you to learn the ropes and get familiar with the procedure. Don’t just practice during the day, try it also at night.

2. Keep the necessary equipment in your vehicle. Here is the list of the things you ought to have: a spare tire (preferably inflated), a car jack, a brick (to wedge versus a front tire, if you’re changing a rear one), a cross wrench, an air-pressure gauge, a flashlight, a clip-mounted light, and road flares. Also store extra lug nuts in the suitable size and work gloves in your trunk.

3. Move the car to a safe place. When you’re driving and feel the tire blow out, make an effort to get the car off the route and away from traffic. Try to avoid stopping on a bend so that you won’t be in a blind spot for oncoming cars.

4. Remain visible. Leave your headlights and hazard blinkers on. Put the flares far out making certain that they’re far sufficient enough away from your car to give drivers sufficient response time to steer clear of your vehicle.

5. Prepare your work area. Gather all the rest of your tire-changing equipment and put it next to the flattened tire so that you have all your gear close to hand. If you’ve compiled your “emergency kit” into a single container or bag as noted before, these items will be effective and easy to carry; you won’t have to worry with regards to dropping items and losing them in the dark, or having to make extra trips.

6. Get down to business. Go in front and modify the tire, exactly as you practiced. Just in case, always remain aware of oncoming traffic as you work. Be ready to get out of the way rapidly if necessary.

7. Wrap up loose ends. Once the tire is changed, you may be on your way. . . But you’re not done yet. Most spare tires are called “50-milers” for good reason. They’re not made for long-term or high-speed travel, so keep your speed under 50 miles per hour and stop at the closest establishment where you may have your initial tire fixed, or purchase a new tire as a replacement.

In the context of our busy lives, it may seem foolish or pointless to devote treasured time to preparing for a “what if” situation. We tend to think that our time could be better expended on other, more generative enterprises. When that fateful day comes, though–that day, or that night, when you find yourself stranded on a deserted highway with your cell phone on the blink–those few hours of preparation will remunerate off, and you’ll be glad you expended them as you did.