Contents: Wheel replacement ↓ Recommendations ↓
A flat tire is a nuisance that every driver faces sooner or later. Air from a flat tire can escape quickly or slowly, depending on the size of the object that punctured the tire and what tires are installed on the car: tube or tubeless. With a small nail in a tubeless tire, you can drive for many days before you notice that the tire is "flat."
It is very important to determine in time that a tire has been punctured. While driving, pay attention to the behavior of the car: if it has become difficult to accelerate, the effort on the steering wheel has increased when maneuvering, or the directional stability has worsened, be sure to check the tire pressure.
The easiest way to repair a wheel is to go to the nearest tire shop, where the repair will be done quickly, professionally and, as a rule, at a very affordable price.
Warning! Do not try to get to the "tire shop" on a completely flat tire: just drive a few dozen meters like that and you will have to throw the tire away.
The damaged wheel needs to be replaced with the spare one. This is a fairly simple operation, but it does require some skill.
If you have a flat tire, turn on the hazard warning lights, brake smoothly to 2-3 km/h and try to carefully move to the edge of the roadway in first gear and stop as far to the right as possible at the shoulder, and if possible, outside the roadway. If road conditions allow and it does not contradict the requirements of the Road Traffic Regulations, if you have a flat tire on the right side of the car, pull over to the right shoulder, if you have a flat tire on the left, pull over to the left shoulder. Avoid stopping the car in places where the road is poorly visible - on sharp turns, on descents and ascents, bridges, tunnels. If the car remains on the roadway, first of all ensure your own safety and the safety of other road users! Turn on the hazard warning lights and install an emergency stop sign.
Wheel replacement
1. Engage first gear and apply the parking brake.
Place the jack under the vehicle next to the wheel to be replaced. If the vehicle is on soft ground, place a wide, firm support under the lower support of the jack (a board of at least 300x300x20 mm in size, a flat stone, etc.).
2. To avoid getting dirty when changing a wheel, wear gloves and protective clothing if your vehicle has them.
Information copied from the portal (VazBook.ru)
3. On the opposite side, the car must be secured by placing wheel chocks under the front and rear wheels so that the raised car cannot move forward or backward.
4. Using a jack, lift the car slightly, but so that the wheel that needs replacing does not come off the road. Remove the decorative hubcap (if there is one) and loosen the four wheel mounting bolts with a wheel wrench. We recommend that charming ladies purchase a special wheel wrench with a telescopic handle to make this operation easier.
Tip: To make it easier to loosen the wheel bolts, you can use your foot instead of your hands, stepping on the handle of the lug wrench from above.
5. Jack up the car until the wheel is clear of the road, then completely loosen the bolts and remove the wheel.
6. Install the spare wheel in place of the removed one, tighten the mounting bolts, lower the car and tighten the bolts completely. Tighten the wheel bolts crosswise. To avoid damaging the wheel disk, do not try to "tighten" the wheel mounting bolts by pressing the wrench handle with your foot.
7. Before continuing driving, be sure to check the air pressure in the tire of the installed wheel.
Recommendations
As a rule, front-wheel drive cars of the Volga Automobile Plant are equipped with tubeless tires. If you are not a professional, we advise you not to try to mount the tires yourself. One damage to the sidewall - and you will have to buy a new tire or insert a tube.
In a desperate situation, you can use a special first aid kit for repairing tubeless tires without dismounting or tire sealant. They must be used in accordance with the attached instructions.
Why is a tubeless tire better than a tube tire?
Firstly, a tubeless tire deflates very slowly when punctured; you can drive for weeks with a nail in the wheel until you get tired of pumping it up.
Secondly, when the wires of the metal cord start to come out of the tubeless tire after a very significant mileage, it can still be used as a "spare tire". It is useless to insert a tube into such a tire - it will be punctured already at the first inflation.