4 hacks to make tyre change easier

Getting your hands dirty while you change your car tyre is inevitable. Especially if you own a car and drive it yourself. Even then, there are many car drivers who do not know the right procedure to change the tyre which makes it a pain more often than not. So, we at CarWale take you through four easy-to-understand steps for changing tyres so that you will not have to sweat it out too much in the sun.

1. Remove the spare tyre when you take out the jack and spanner

Usually, we start loosening the wheel bolts before we take the spare tyre out and jack the car. While it is not wrong, it is a bit difficult to pull the tyre out of the boot with sweaty or frozen palms. Also, while you are jacking up the car, it is always safer to place the spare tyre under the car’s running boards as a precaution, in case the jack slips.

2. Mount the jack at the marked point

New cars have dedicated marked points where you need to mount the jack to make sure there are no mishaps. In case you cannot identify the marker, the thumb rule is to mount it on the crimp near the sides of the underbody, closer to the wheel that you need to change. Also, while you mount the jack, make sure the surface is flat and hard or the jack may slip or sink under the car’s weight.

3. Loosen wheel bolts before you jack the car up

Wheel bolts have to be tightened hard and hence unscrewing them takes serious effort. When the car is on the ground, you can even stand on the spanner to loosen the bolts, however, it is not really safe to do so when the car is jacked up. After the initial loosening of the bolts, jack the car up and then remove the bolts.

4. Lift the car till the wheel is completely off the ground –

Generally, when you jack up the car, the deflated tyre goes off the ground and can be removed easily. But an inflated tyre wouldn’t slide into place so easily because of its larger diameter. Instead, if you jack up the car enough to slide two fingers underneath, the inflated tyre will slide in unhindered.

Make sure you tighten the bolts after you get the car off the jack, so you can tighten them hard enough and do it safely. Also, do not forget to mount the detached wheel as well as the jack and spanner kit back to their designated place and secure them. When changing your tyre at night, remember to unfold the reflector and place it on the road 20 feet before your car to warn the oncoming traffic. Make sure you park your car on the shoulder and put on hazard lights.

Know more about tyres here