Nothing is more annoying than driving peacefully on the road, and suddenly you feel thump and vibration at one of your wheels. You are left with a flat tyre on the side of the road. And experiencing a car breakdown in a remote area where help may not be accessible that can be a little challenging.
However, changing a flat tyre or patching one is not a difficult task. Because tyre punctures are by far the most common problem any vehicle owner will face and because you can’t always rely on your spare tyre, it makes sense to equip yourselves with the right tool, skills, and knowledge needed to fix them yourselves. Here’s how to do it.
Fixing a Flat Tyre
Parking your car away from the ongoing traffic is always important, as well as turning on your hazard lights. These are the most important safety measures you should take.
There are several methods for repairing a flat tyre, the majority of which are simple and need just a few handy tools.
Must-Have Tools
- Wrench or impact wrench
- Car Jack
- Rasp tool
- Insertion tool
- Knife or razor blade
- Tyre inflator
You can easily find these tools in a tyre repair kit. Sealant for small punctures in the tread, as well as an air compressor to fill your tyres, are also included in kits.
1. Find The Leak
Listen or Feel – Examine the tyre closely and take a minute to inspect your tyre. Check if there are any holes, cuts, or sharp items protruding from the tyre. And If the visual check fails, inflate the tyre to the recommended pressure and listen for a hissing sound. Even if you can’t hear or see the leak, you can feel it if you gently run your hand over the tyre.
Soapy Water – If the puncture isn’t visible, make a combination of soapy water apply it via hand, brush or spray bottle. The bubbling on the specific location will indicate as a warning if there is a hole. Mark the area with tape or a white marker.
2. Loosen the lug nuts
Before jacking up the vehicle, remember to loosen the lug nuts using an impact wrench or a lug wrench. If you do not lose the lug nuts before raising the car, the tyre may spin dangerously.
3. Jack Up the Vehicle
It’s now time to jack up the vehicle and remove the tyre. Maintain vehicle stability by parking your car on a concrete or hard levelled surface and using jack stands.
4. Remove the Lug Nuts
It’s time to totally remove the lug nuts either with hands if they are loose enough or by using a wrench and pulling off the tyre of the wheelbase.
5. Clean the Hole
After removing the tyre, clean the leaking surface by inserting the rasp tool in and out of the hole a few times. In this way, the surface will be roughened, ensuring that the repair will last.
6. Placing the Plug
Push the plug into the hole by threading it through the centre of the insertion tool. For easier insertion and a better seal, lubricate the plug using an adhesive such as glue or rubber cement. Allow at least one minute for the glue to set before moving to remove the excess part of the plug. Remove the extra part of the plug protruding from the tire surface using a knife or razor blade.
7. Tyre Inflation
Fill the tyre with air according to the owner’s manual recommended level. And apply a little amount of the soap & water mixture on the plug. This will allow you to double-check the seal’s integrity.
8. Slip Back the Tyre
While the car is still on the jack stands, slip the tyre back onto the wheelbase and tighten the lug nuts to keep the tyre in place. Then, remove the floor jack to lower the car.
Note: Keep in mind that using a plug to fix a tyre is not a long-term solution. Before driving another 20,000 miles, you should take the tyre to an auto repair shop to have it professionally patched or replaced.
Change/Replace the Flat Tyre
If you are not comfortable with the above procedure and have a spare tyre, then replacing the tyre is quite an easy solution than patching.
Tools Needed
- An inflated spare tire
- A car jack
- A wrench
- A brick for bracing your car tyres
1. Brace the Tyres
Tyres should be braced with brick behind the tyre to avoid cars rolling backwards.
2. Lose the Lug Nuts & Place the Jack
Using the lug wrench, release your flat tyre’s lug nuts. After loosening all of the nuts, do not remove them as yet and position a jack to the recommended jacking points for your car, and then raise the car side you’re working on.
3. Remove the tyre from the vehicle
After ensuring that the jack is solid and perfectly in place, jack up the car to the point where you can easily take the tyre off.
4. Put the Spare Tyre in Place
Place the spare tyre on the wheelbase and tighten the lug nuts. Then lower the vehicle with a jack until all of the vehicle’s weight is on the tyre again.
Get Rid Of Your Car And Put Your Problems Behind You
Cars with higher mileage need some timely maintenance to be done. Unfortunately, these timely maintenances can cost you a lot sometimes if they require repairs instead.
It is never good to drive on tyres that are near to their end of life. But obviously, you don’t want to risk your life or your family/friends lives to avoid some costly repairs.
So, why not get rid of your car by selling it to Adrians Metal Recyclers. We are the top Car Wreckers Gold Coast that can tow away any car (even if you require the same-day) regardless of make, model and condition.
So, save yourself some hassle and contact Adrians Metal Recyclers to sell your car today!
