| Have you ever driven the highway at night and heard | | | | lock nut, didn't you?) you can put the jack under the |
| a "hissing" noise and then felt the steering wheel | | | | car to jack it up so the tire will roll free.Now you can |
| *shake*?Then the whole car started to | | | | remove all the nuts and then the tire so you can put |
| tremble?Guess what?You probable just had a | | | | the spare on.Where are you going to put the |
| blow-out, or at least you were having a flat tire--that's | | | | jack?That depends on the vehicle.Newer vehicles |
| what happens when all the air goes out of a tire.Do | | | | have a *rib* in the body, just under the body. That is |
| you know how to change a tire?It's different on most | | | | the best place to put the jack.Now, if you have a |
| cars.And then there's that little *toy* tire somewhere in | | | | pickup, or an older vehicle that doesn't have that rib, |
| the back that you have to put on to get to where you | | | | you need to put the jack under the rear axle (if it's a |
| are going (if it's not too far).It all depends on the type | | | | rear flat), or under the lower control arm (where the |
| of vehicle you are driving.If it's a pickup truck, you're in | | | | shock is bolted to) if you have a flat on the front.Jack |
| luck. At least your spare will be either in the back of | | | | the vehicle up just enough to replace the tire. The |
| the truck, or, underneath the bed near the rear | | | | higher you go the more risk you take of the vehicle |
| bumper.That could be good, or it could not be good. It | | | | sliding off the jack.I could have left that part out, uh?But |
| all depends on where you are and which tire went flat, | | | | seriously, you do want to be very careful...several |
| the front, or the rear.Anyway, let's assume you can | | | | accidents have happened from a vehicle jacked up |
| get to it on a pickup.Usually, the manufacturer has it | | | | too high.Of course the newer type jacks are more |
| fastened up to the bottom of the bed with a cable | | | | stable...you do have the scissor type jack, yes?Get all |
| that has a crank or twist mechanism.If you are in a | | | | the nuts off, remove the flat tire, put the spare onto |
| passenger car, or van, or station wagon you will find | | | | the lugs, start all the nuts, and then run them up snug |
| the spare tire in the back, or in the trunk (where you | | | | (with the wrench).Now you can let the jack down, and |
| store your luggage when you go visit your in-laws).On | | | | put it back in the vehicle.Go back to your tire.Start with |
| my wife's Ford Taurus station wagon the spare is | | | | one of the nuts and put some, not a lot, pressure on it |
| located in the back, on the left, behind a panel...the *toy* | | | | (turning it to the right).Next, go across from it and |
| tire.But, in the very back there is a flap you can pull up | | | | tighten the next one (you want to tighten them in a |
| and get to the *real* tire if you have one.Usually the | | | | criss-cross fashion, top, bottom, left, right, etc.).After |
| jack is stored with the spare but sometimes, like hers, | | | | you have all of them tightened slightly, go back over |
| the jack is under the flap in the floor bed and the | | | | them in the same (or close) manner and tighten them |
| spare is stored in the side panel.This brings up another | | | | pretty good.You don't have to *stand* on the jack, |
| situation.Does your vehicle have *locking* wheel lug | | | | most vehicles only torque around 80-100 pounds per |
| nuts?Hers has them, and if you don't have the key (a | | | | square inch. That is not a lot.But, you don't want to |
| special lug nut looking thing with a funny-looking end on | | | | over-tighten them as most places do with the 1/2 inch |
| it, you can't get that locking nut off.Okay, we have the | | | | impact wrench.Put everything back in the car and you |
| spare, the lug wrench, the jack, the locking lug nut | | | | can go on your way feeling self-sufficient.You did do a |
| tool.All we have to do now is break the lug nuts loose, | | | | good job though! :-)Tommy Sessions has been in auto |
| while the vehicle is still flat on the ground (no pun | | | | repair since 1970. He publishes Auto Repair Answers |
| intended).Take the lug wrench and place it onto one of | | | | Newsletter so you can learn how to keep your vehicle |
| the lug nuts and turn it to the *left* (I don't think there | | | | looking new, running safely and efficiently, while you |
| are anymore left-handed nuts around, unless you own | | | | save money and time...also, learn how to avoid shop rip |
| a Chrysler product from the '60's). :-)After you break all | | | | offs. Don't be at the mercy of the dealerships and |
| the nuts loose (you did use the little tool to loosen the | | | | auto repair shops...they will have more respect for you. |