Flat Tire Service

Do you have a Flat Tire?
Getting a flat tire is probably the most common reason for needing roadside assistance.  We all dread getting a flat tire and we hope it never happens to us.  We all hope we can avoid getting a flat tire, but eventually the odds catch up with us and usually at the most inconvenient time when we need to be somewhere on time.  It is estimated that there are 220 million flat tires every year.

Fortunately, you have Shawnee towing and roadside assistance standing by to come to your rescue. Changing a flat tire on the side of a busy road is not only inconvenient and a pain in the you know where, but it can also be dangerous.  Especially if the surface under your vehicle-jack, or the jack itself are unstable. 

You are also vulnerable to getting hit by another vehicle if you do not have all the proper safety signaling devices to make you and your vehicle visible to other drivers especially at night or in rainy weather.

If for some reason you want to change the flat tire yourself rather than call for help, the following steps and precautions can help you stay safer while changing a flat tire and help you reduce the danger when you get a flat tire.  There are ways you can even reduce the risk of getting a flat tire in the first place.
How to lower the risk of getting a Flat Tire
Inspect your tires yourself regularly.  If your tires are looking worn don’t push your luck.  Get new tires. By inspecting your tires on a regular basis, you may even catch a screw or nail in your tire which would be an accident waiting to happen.   One trick to check your tire tread depth and find out if your tire tread is too worn and you are at risk of a flat tire is to use a penny.  Place a penny with Lincoln’s head pointing down into the tread groove.  If you can see the top of Lincolns head, then your tread depth is too low.  This means that not only are you at risk of getting a flat tire, but you are also at greater risk of getting into an accident due to poor tire grip on the road.  This is especially true when it is raining or snowing. 
What you should do before you get a flat tire
Think about what you will need when you get a flat tire.  Make a list and make sure you have everything you need in your trunk to handle a flat tire.  This will include a roadside emergency kit with a reflective vest and orange triangle road hazard signs.  Make sure you have a spare tire and that your spare tire is inflated and in good shape.  Believe it or not, spare tires have a shelf life.  On average a spare tire is only good for 7 to 10 years.  So, if you have had your vehicle for 7 or more years, you probably should get a new spare tire.  Make sure you have all the necessary tools to change your tire. You will need a lug wrench, jack, wheel block wedges to prevent your vehicle from rolling.  This is especially important if you are forced to change a tire on a hill or road with even a slight incline. Finally, you will need gloves and a flashlight.

It’s a good idea to practice changing your tire at home before you ever must do it on the road. Changing a flat tire on the road should not be your first time ever changing a tire.  In many European countries changing a tire is part of the test for receiving a driver's license.

Basic prevention tips can help you avoid getting a flat tire. Check the tire pressure frequently and make sure it matches your tires' recommended pressure requirements. Also, inspect your tires regularly for cuts, bubbles, cracks, punctures, and other damage. These problems should be fixed immediately by an auto mechanic.
Additional preventative measures
The front tires wear down faster than the back tires.  This is because the front tires carry more weight and because the engine is over them and they are subjected to more stress from steering and braking. This is especially true for front-wheel drive vehicles.  Therefore, it is important to have your tires rotated every 6-months or 6,000 to 8,000 miles whichever comes first.  Having your tires rotated will both improve the life of your tires and your safety on the road.   Check your owner’s manual for the recommended tire rotation intervals for your vehicle.
What do you do when you get a flat tire?
The easiest thing to do is call for roadside assistance.  But when the inevitable happens and you get a blow-out or flat tire here are some safety steps that you should follow.

If you hear noises and feel vibrations through your steering wheel and your steering doesn’t feel right, you probably have a flat tire or a tire that is about to fail.  Driving on a flat tire is not only unsafe for you and the other drivers around you, but it can also damage your car.

​When your vehicle feels like you have a flat tire, turn on your emergency hazard flashers and slow down gradually, don’t slam on the brakes.  Pull over off the road as soon as you can find a safe place to stop.
Next, follow these steps to change your tire:

1. Turn the wheels pointing straight ahead and Engage the emergency parking brake
2. Place wedge blocks under and behind the tires to prevent the vehicle from rolling off the jack. Put the wedges under and behind the rear tires if you are changing a front tire, and under and behind the front tires if you are changing a rear tire.
3. Remove the hubcap or wheel cover from your flat tire if there is one.
4. Before you jack up the vehicle use the lug nut wrench to pre-loosen the lug nuts on your flat tire by turning them counterclockwise. If you try to loosen tight lug nuts when the tire is off the ground the tire will spin and you could cause the vehicle to fall off the jack.
5. Use the jack to only lift the flat tire high enough to remove it from the car.  If you jack the car up higher than necessary, you will only make the vehicle less stable on the jack.
6. Remove the lug nuts and place them in the hubcap or in a place where you will not lose them and where they will not get muddy if it is raining.
7. Hold onto the tire with both hands and pull it toward you to remove it.
8. Hold the spare tire with both hands and line up the wheel bolts with the holes in the tire wheel.
9. Put the lug nuts back on the wheel bolts and tighten them with the lug nut wrench by turning them clockwise.  It is best to tighten the lug nuts in an alternating crosswise pattern.  In other words, tighten a tire wheel lug nut and then tighten the one opposite from it on the other side of the wheel.  This will allow for even pressure or torque around the tire wheel.  At some point your tires may spin making it impossible to get the lug nut completely tight.
10. Slowly and gradually lower your car until the tire is touching the ground but is not yet supporting the full weight of your vehicle.  We just want enough resistance against the wheel from the ground so that it doesn’t spin, and we can tighten the lug nuts fully.
11. Finish tightening the lug nuts with the lug nut wrench.
12. Now you can lower your vehicle all the way and remove the jack.
13. Check to make sure that your spare tire has enough tire pressure for you to safely drive on it before you drive off.  It’s a good idea to have a tire air pump in your vehicle as well.

Your spare tire is not a full functioning or permanent tire.  In most cases the maximum safe speed that you can drive on a spare tire is 50 MPH.   And most spare tires can only be driven on for about 70 miles. Therefore, take your car to a tire shop right away for a new tire.

Call us for help at  913-724-5851