![]() ![]() Lug wrench photo courtesy of Flickr user Todd Kopriva. If you know in advance whether you will try to change tires yourself or use roadside assistance, you will simply feel more secure traveling.įlat tire photo courtesy of Flickr user Marufish. Luxury Models.) Calkins says about 12% of AAA roadside calls are for help with flat tires. Many new cars now come with that service for some period of time, often paired with free maintenance. ![]() You may also have other sources of roadside assistance. If you are a AAA member, roadside assistance to help with a flat tire is free for up to four calls per year. Like many drivers, you may not have either the ability or the desire to change a tire yourself. The roadside crew can put on the spare, avoiding your odds of being towed - which usually carries an extra charge. Even if you plan on calling roadside assistance (see below), you are more secure with a spare. Some new cars offer a spare as an option for around $100. If your car doesn't have a spare, consider buying one. "With the car in your driveway, read the manual, see if you can use the jack and see if you can loosen the lug nuts." If the single-handled wrench that typically comes as standard equipment won't do the job, buy a four-way tire wrench at any auto parts store. "The best time to learn to change a tire is before you ever have a flat," says Calkins of AAA. (If not, your dealer probably failed to mention the absence.) Check out the jack that came with the car - and if you have a tire repair kit or run-flat tires, read the owners manual to see how they work. See if you have either a full-sized or donut spare. To make sure a flat does not leave you stranded forlornly by the roadside, take these steps before you ever leave home: Within about half an hour, I was rolling again on the donut spare I was able to get the tire fixed the next day. Fortunately, I also had a four-way tire wrench (pictured at left) that gave me enough leverage to loosen the tire bolts. So with a quick check of the owner's manual, I recalled how to position the jack. ![]() In my own case, I had changed tires before on my 2003 Ford Escape. ![]()
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