It's pothole season. Here's how to change a flat tire
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It was a big pothole. Photo: Travis Meier/Axios
Over the weekend, I went through an official Midwest rite of passage. I hit a hole in the road and got a flat.
- It's the most wonderful time of the year: pothole season.
Why it matters: If you end up like me, it's important to know how to change your tire. Let's take it back to driving 101.
Zoom in: Check in advance that your car has the right stuff. You should have a spare wheel and tire, a lug nut wrench, and a jack with a detachable handle.
- If you get a flat on the road, try to pull off somewhere safe. If you need to park on the shoulder, turn on your hazard lights.
First: Place the jack near your wheel under the steel frame of your car. Attach the handle and start spinning until the jack meets the metal and starts raising the car.
Second: Before the tire comes off the ground, use the wrench to loosen the lug nuts.
- You'll want the friction of rubber on concrete to keep the wheel from spinning, and you'll have to use some elbow grease.
Third: Raise the wheel completely off the ground, take off the lug nuts, and pull the wheel off.
- If the wheel won't let go, my trick is to sit down and kick the sides until it jars loose. Just be careful not to hurt yourself.
Finally: Put the spare on, screw the lugs on most of the way, lower the car till the tire touches, tighten the lugs all the way, and collapse the jack.
Fun fact: I learned how to change a tire in driver's ed, a mandatory step for getting a license in Illinois — but driving class isn't mandatory in Missouri or Kansas.
- I've met lots of people who don't know how to change a tire for this very reason. Hope this helps!