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Changing a tyre the safe way

Published:Thursday | February 19, 2015 | 12:00 AM
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Step 1: Find a location that is flat and will ensure that the vehicle remains level. Make sure that the vehicle is in the park position while the hand/emergency brake is up.
Step 2: Use a heavy object such as a stone to obstruct (or 'cotch') the other tyres as you prepare to remove the punctured tyre.
Step 3: Use the lug tool to crack each lug nut on the wheel. This process will need some amount of force to loosen each nut and body weight should be used if necessary.
Step 4: Once the nuts on the tyre are loosened, place the jack under the frame of the car in the jacking point under the car. The Jacking point has two slots and the jack must fit between both slots and ensure that the jack is in contact with the metal portion of the vehicle’s frame.
The Jacking point has two slots and the jack must fit between both slots and ensure that the jack is in contact with the metal portion of the vehicle’s frame.
Step 5: Once the jack is secure under the car, using the jack, turn to lift the vehicle until the tyre is raised off the ground. After the vehicle is raised, it is time to remove the tyre by unscrewing all the lug nuts and taking the tyre off.
Step 6: Place the punctured tyre under the frame of the vehicle in order to ensure that if the brake fails, it can act as a support to the frame of the vehicle. Line up the spare tyre and secure it by replacing each nut after loosely.
Step 7: Once the tyre has been secured on the wheel hub, unwind the jack to lower the vehicle to the ground and remove the jack. With the vehicle now fully seated, tighten each bolt.
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The Jamaica Automobile Association (JAA) has been assisting Automotives and Auto readers with helpful tips on everyday tasks related to their vehicles. Today, the tyre-changing process is broken down into stages to ensure that it is done safely.

Changing a tyre on your motor vehicle may seem like one of the easiest tasks to complete as part of vehicle maintenance; however, knowing how to do it correctly (especially in challenging surroundings) is invaluable.

A tyre can fail at the most inconvenient time. However, having the right tools - such as an inflated spare tyre, a working jack and a wrench tool to loosen the lugs on the tyres - is critical.

Tremaine Grant, response technician with the Jamaica Automobile Association, demonstrates the proper technique in order to correctly change your tyre.