It is very important to determine in time that a tire has been punctured. While driving, pay attention to the behavior of the car: if it has become difficult to accelerate, the effort on the steering wheel has increased when maneuvering, or the directional stability has worsened, be sure to check the tire pressure.
The easiest way to repair a wheel is to go to the nearest tire shop, where the repair will be done quickly, professionally and, as a rule, at a very affordable price. Do not try to get to the tire shop on a completely flat tire: just drive a few dozen meters like that and the tire will have to be thrown away.
It is necessary to replace the damaged wheel with a spare one. This is a fairly simple operation, however, it requires some skills.
If you have a flat tire, turn on the hazard warning lights, brake smoothly to 2-3 km/h, try to carefully move to the edge of the roadway in first gear and stop as far to the right as possible at the side of the road, and if possible, outside the roadway. If road conditions permit and it does not contradict the requirements of the Traffic Regulations, if you have a flat tire on the right side of the car, pull over to the right side of the road, if you have a flat tire on the left, pull over to the left. Try not to stop the car in places where the road is poorly visible: on sharp turns, on descents and ascents, bridges, in tunnels. If the car remains on the roadway, first of all ensure your own safety and the safety of other road users! Turn on the hazard warning lights and install an emergency stop sign.
Warning: Remember that changing a tire in the middle of a multi-lane highway puts your life and the lives of other road users at risk. Therefore, in some cases, it is wiser to move the car to the side of the road or a parking lot to change the tire, even if this completely ruins the damaged tire. Life and health are more important than the material costs of buying a new tire.
Wheel replacement
Warning: Be careful when changing a flat tire. It may be punctured by thieves in order to steal valuables from the car while you are busy changing the tire and concentrating on your work.
1. Open the trunk.
2. Grasp the spare wheel well cover handle...
3. ...and lift the lid.
4. Unscrew and remove the retainer.
5. Remove the spare tire from the trunk and place it under the body sill next to the tire being replaced.
6. Engage first gear and apply the parking brake.
7. Loosen the wheel nuts.
Helpful Hints: To make it easier to loosen the wheel nuts, you can use your foot instead of your hands, stepping on the handle of the wheel wrench from above.
To make it easier to unscrew the nuts, we recommend purchasing a special wheel wrench with a telescopic handle. It is also convenient to work with a cross-shaped wheel wrench.
8. Place a jack under the vehicle next to the wheel to be replaced (see "Using a jack")
Helpful Hint: To avoid getting dirty when changing a wheel, wear gloves and protective clothing if your vehicle has them.
9. On the opposite side, the car must be secured by placing wheel chocks under the front and rear wheels so that the raised car cannot move forward or backward.
10. Jack up the car until the wheel is off the road, then completely loosen the nuts.
11. Remove the wheel.
Warnings: Try to keep the vehicle suspended with the wheel removed for as little time as possible.
Raise the vehicle with a jack only to the height necessary to remove and install the wheel.
If you are working on soft ground, place a thick board under the base of the jack. Do not use bricks for this purpose - they easily split and the car may fall off the jack, seriously injuring you.
12. Install the spare wheel in place of the removed one, screw the mounting nuts on until they stop, but do not tighten them.
Warnings: Before installing the spare wheel, thoroughly clean the adjacent surfaces of the wheel disc and hub with a rag or brush to remove dirt. Be careful: these parts may have become very hot while driving. When screwing on the nuts, make sure that their conical parts are aligned with the conical surfaces of the holes in the wheel disc, otherwise the nuts will loosen while driving, which may cause the wheel to come off.
13. Lower the vehicle and tighten the wheel nuts completely.
Note: Tighten the wheel nuts in a crisscross pattern. To avoid damaging the wheel rim, do not try to "tighten" the wheel nuts by pressing the wrench handle with your foot.
Helpful tips: In order to feel the required tightening force for the wheel nuts, use a torque wrench at first (tightening torque 90-120 Nm).
Do not lubricate the mounting nuts - this may cause the nuts to loosen while the vehicle is moving.
14. Before continuing driving, be sure to check the air pressure in the tire of the installed wheel.
Helpful Hints: The car has tubeless tires. If you don't have enough tire mounting skills, we advise you not to try to do this job yourself. One sidewall damage and you'll have to buy a new tire or install a tube.
In a desperate situation, you can use a special first aid kit for repairing tubeless tires without dismounting or tire sealant. They must be used in accordance with the attached instructions. Why is a tubeless tire better than a tubed tire? A tubeless tire "deflates" very slowly when punctured: you can pump it up and drive for weeks with a nail in the wheel until you have an opportunity to repair it.
The article is based on data from the website: «ChevyMan»