WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, 2004
SELF IMPROVEMENT
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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27
HOW TO...CHANGE A TIRE
on your car should go 'round and 'round
Classes officially end this Friday, July 30 and many students will head out on the road for a quick vacation before classes resume in the fall.
Whether you're heading to Kansas City for the weekend or driving cross country for a wild road trip, automobile safety is a must. And some of the easiest things on your car to take care of are the tires.
Before heading out on a lengthy road trip always make sure that your tires are properly inflated with the correct amount of air. You can buy a hand-held tire pressure gage at any auto supply store. Some filling stations also provide gauges attached to their air pumps.
But even if you keep your tires at the correct pressure, you still may have to change a tire. Here are a few simple steps to remember when changing a tire.
1) Always pull your car out of the way of traffic and onto a level surface. It will be harder to change the tire if you're on an incline.
2) To prevent the car from rolling, place a block or other obstacle behind the tire diagonally opposite from the tire that you will be changing.
3) Remove the hubcap from the tire and loosen
the lug nuts. By doing this while the car is still flat on the ground, you will avoid competing with a rotating tire as you try to loosen the lug nuts. Do not remove the lug nuts, just loosen them.
4) Place your car's jack in the appropriate position, referring to your car's owner's manual. Jack up the car so that the tire is at least 6 inches from the ground.
5) Remove the lug nuts from the bolts. Pull the tire straight off.
6) Put on the spare tire, aligning the holes in the spare with the bolts on the wheel well. Replace the lug nuts and begin to tighten them, but do not tighten them all the way.
7) Lower the car so that the spare is touching the ground. Tighten the lug nuts. Start with one and then do one opposite it on the wheel. Continue in that pattern.
8) Remove the block from behind your tire.
Remember not to throw your old tire away. The old tire can usually be repaired.
Compiled by Donovan Atkinson, edited by John Scheirman, photo by Courtney Kuhlen