It is very handy to know how to fix a flat tire in case of emergencies, or just to save yourself the trouble of taking your vehicle to a tire repair store. Learn all about it here.
Puja Lalwani
Every individual has to deal with either car problems or bike problems. Some take care of it themselves, while others run to mechanics at the drop of a hat. The general consensus is that if a problem is one that can be handled on your own, you should attempt it first.
If you still can't manage, then you can take the appropriate course of action. Fixing a flat tire is one such problem, and everyone should know how to fix one, especially, if any emergency arises.
Car Tire
If you find yourself on an abandoned road, with a flat car tire, there is nothing much you can do, except figure out how to change a flat tire yourself. This is possible, with the following instructions.
When you detect a flat tire, the first step is to pull over on to the side of the road, after turning on the hazard lights. Try to pull over to an even surface, without inclines. In order to communicate your problem to other drivers, slightly lift the hood up.
Ensure that you apply the hand brake and park the car to avoid movement while replacing the tire.
Get the spare tire and other required material from the trunk, including the jack, the leverage pipe (used to loosen the lug nuts), the lug nut wrench.
Some cars may have a hub cap that requires to be removed in order to loosen the lug nuts. You can do so with a screwdriver.
Loosen the lug nuts with a lug nut wrench, by turning them towards the left, but don't remove them yet. If it is too tight, use the leverage pipe over the lug nut wrench and pull it up.
In some cars, one lug is locked in order to prevent wheel theft. This lug nut cannot be loosened with a lug nut wrench and requires a special key, which you may find in your car's glove compartment.
After loosening the nuts, use the jack to raise the car, while ensuring that it is steady, so that the car doesn't topple over. Some cars have a specific spot where the jack can be fixed. Raise the car to a point where the flat tire can be easily removed, and the spare can fit in.
Now remove the lug nuts and keep them aside. Remove the flat tire.
Fix the spare with the air pressure valve facing outwards.
Fix back the lug nuts tightly, and in a diagonally opposite manner, to secure the wheel. Place back the hubcap, and put all the tools back where they belong
Bike Tire
Find out how to repair a flat tire on your bike by following these simple steps
Once you have detected a puncture in the tire, first remove any remaining air in it, by pressing the air valve.
Turn your bike upside down to remove the wheel. Use a wrench to remove the nuts, if necessary. Release the brakes to get the wheel past the brake pads.
Use a flat piece of metal to remove the rubber tire out of the wheel, in order to remove the inner tube.
Pump the tube with air and place it in a tub of water. This will help you determine the location of the puncture as you will be able to see air bubbles escape from the hole.
Clean and dry the area around the hole thoroughly. Apply some glue on the area around the hole and wait till the glue becomes sticky, before you stick a rubber patch to the glue on the tube.
Wait for the glue to dry and fix the tube back in the tire. Now pump up the tire and fix back the wheel, so you can have a joy ride!
Now that you know how to fix a flat tire, you can avoid the stress, especially in emergency situations, when you are the only one who can help yourself.