A punctured wheel is not such a frequent occurrence, but it is always unpleasant. But do not rush to call the masters - you can replace the car wheel with your own hands.
In order to replace a punctured wheel with a spare one, you will need:
- spare wheel, - jack, - a wheel wrench for unscrewing the nuts, - a pair of gloves, - improvised material for fixing wheels (stones, large branches, bricks, etc.), - pump.
After making sure you have the necessary tools, you need to put the machine on the handbrake. Additionally, the transmission can be shifted to first speed. It is recommended to do this without fail when it comes to replacing a punctured wheel at the front, and the car is front-wheel drive.
Next, you need to support the whole wheels with the material at hand to prevent the machine from shifting when you lift it with a jack. After that, it is necessary to install a jack in a special place. Usually it is installed in the edge of the sill between two semicircular recesses (if any) or simply in the sill closer to the wheel arch. If the jack is flat, then it is necessary to look behind the threshold for a special ledge against which the jack rests.
After installing the jack, loosen the nuts on the punctured wheel a little, but do not unscrew them yet. Next, you need to raise the car with a jack, while making sure that the car does not collapse from it, and also that the jack does not push the bottom of the car. If such suspicions exist, the jack must be reinstalled.
The nuts on the punctured wheel can only be loosened after the wheel is free to hang in the air. In place of the punctured wheel, you must immediately install a spare. If necessary, raise the machine slightly with a jack.
Once the spare wheel is installed, it must be pressed against the hub with the nuts, but do not fully tighten it. It is necessary to finally tighten the nuts only after the machine has been lowered on all four wheels.
When tightening the nuts, you should not use additional forces in the form of levers, and you should also not jump on the balloon wrench, otherwise the studs on which the nuts are screwed will simply break off.
If necessary, after installation, the spare wheel is pumped up. If possible, it is recommended to take a punctured wheel to a tire service.
