A Flat Tire Change Doesn’t Need To Ruin Your Day

Driving on the streets of San Francisco can do a number on your car’s tires and suspension. Every bump, pothole, curb check and spin take their collective toll on the tread and side-wall of your tires. This means that, without sufficient warning, you could experience a flat tire while driving. Of course, your tire may simply go flat overnight while sitting in your garage. There are a number of scenarios by which your tires may fail. The good news is, for the most part, it doesn’t necessarily need to ruin your day.

Flat Tire Change Guide Anyone Can Follow

At B & A Towing, we’ve been helping motorists in need of roadside assistance service for more than five decades so we know a thing or two about cars and trucks. We understand that when you demand roadside assistance, it’s not something you take lightly. That’s why we’ve put together these helpful suggestions that you can follow to provide your own tire change service if you choose.

Slowly steer the car to a safe location.

When traveling the streets of San Francisco and you have a flat tire while driving, you’ll want to be careful how you react. A blowout can be quite nerve-racking. And when you need flat tire repair while driving, you could cause an accident if you overreact. When you feel the car pull to one side you might feel the urge to pull hard the other way. Doing so could cause you to collide with other vehicles. So, hold tight to the wheel and slowly steer the car to a safe location out of the way of approaching traffic.

Turn on your flashers

Once you have stopped your car, turn on your flashers. Many vehicles are equipped with orange safety triangles. If your car has safety triangles be sure to put them out, but be careful when walking around your car if you are on the shoulder of the road. Most motorists will move over when they see you. But, don’t take any unnecessary chances with your life in the instance that someone may be texting and drift onto the shoulder.

Apply the parking brake

Once you have done what you can to alert passing motorists of your existence roadside apply your parking brake. This is done so that your car doesn’t roll when you have it on the jack. If you have chock blocks place them behind and in front of one of your good tires to also help avoid rolling.

Locate your spare, jack, and tire changing tools

The easiest way to locate your spare, jack and tire changing tools is to consult your vehicle’s owner manual. Depending upon the make of your car, the spare tire may be located in the trunk under the cargo area, or it may be attached to the undercarriage of your vehicle. If it is under the vehicle you will also need to locate the tools that allow you to release it. Again, consult the owner’s manual to determine the location of these tools and how to safely free the spare tire. At this time, you should ensure that your tire has the proper amount of air pressure. You will need a tire pressure gauge to do this. In most instances, the tire pressure rating for your spare is imprinted on the sidewall.

Loosen the lug nuts.

Before you jack up the car, go ahead and loosen the lug nuts. If your vehicle is equipped with locking lug nuts, as this is done to deter theft, you’ll need to locate the key that allows you to remove the locking lug nut located on every wheel. Loosening the lug nuts prior to jacking the car up is done so as to avoid having the vehicle fall off the jack. Sometimes your lug nuts can be difficult to remove and all the movement required may cause your jack to sway from side to side.

Jack up your car

Once you have the tire changing tools and you have loosened the lug nuts, you can go ahead and jack the car up. Follow the instructions in your owner’s manual to determine where exactly the jack should come into contact with your vehicle. Improper placement of the jack may cause damage to your car in many different ways. Plus, improper jack placement can cause injury or even death if the car comes off of the jack while you are changing the tire. You’ll want to ensure that you raise the car sufficiently so that there’s enough clearance for the spare to go back on.

Remove the flat tire

Once you have jacked up the car high enough for the spare to go back on go ahead and remove the lug nuts and the flat tire. Be careful that you do not cut yourself on the steel belting on the tire. It is best to wear gloves during the entire procedure.

Put on the spare

Once you have removed the flat tire you can put the spare back on and replace the lug nuts. Tighten the lug nuts in a criss-cross manner so that they are all sufficiently tightened. Slowly let the jack down and ensure that the spare tire remains inflated.

B & A Towing’s Flat Tire Change Service

If for some reason you cannot perform any of these steps and you need your vehicle towed to a repair shop, you can always call us for help. If you don’t have the proper tire-changing tools or your spare tire is deflated we have another solution. Our tow truck operators have changed thousands of tires and have seen all manner of scenarios. We’re only a phone call away. Also, if you need any other type of services like a jump-start or help getting your keys out of your car, we do that as well.

B & A Towing is proud to be available to provide towing and roadside assistance to the motorists traveling in the San Francisco area. We are available 24/7 with wreckers standing by, ready at a moment’s notice. We are the wrecker service your mother would choose, so why not you?