GMC Service 101: Changing a Tire

There are few things as frustrating as finding yourself with a flat tire on the side of the road. It can feel like a monumental task to fix, but any driver should be able to change a flat tire as long as they follow a few simple steps. The GMC service department here at Neil Huffman Chevrolet GMC of Frankfort is happy to walk you through the best and easiest way to change a tire on a GMC vehicle.

Nine Steps for Changing a Tire

1. Get to a safe location. As soon as your GMC vehicle starts to wobble, drive as straight as you can and as slowly as you can to safe place. This usually means a shoulder or less busy road.
2. Turn on your hazard lights. This alerts other drivers that you’re not moving and helps to keep you safe.
3. Put on the parking brake. Before you change anything, you’ll want to make sure the vehicle won’t unexpectedly roll anywhere.
4. Use wheel wedges. If you’ve got them, put wheel wedges behind whichever tires won’t be lifted by the jack to make sure the car stays put.
5. Loosen lug nuts. You may have to remove a hubcap or wheel cover first, but once you do, use your lug wrench to loosen the lug nuts counterclockwise until they’re no longer tight. You can really push down on the wrench if you need to, as they may be tight.
6. Use the jack. Place the jack under the wheel frame near the tire and then safely lift the vehicle by cranking the jack.
7. Unscrew the lug nuts. Once the vehicle is lifted, unscrew the lug nuts. Then you can remove the bad tire and place your spare on instead.
8. Screw the lug nuts back on by hand. You will tighten them to completion with the lug wrench once the vehicle is safely back on the ground.
9. Lower the vehicle and tighten. Bring the vehicle to the ground and get the lug nuts as tight as you can. Replace the hubcap if necessary.

Replacing Your Tire

GMC dealers in KY can help you find a replacement tire through their service department. You can’t drive on a spare for long, so make a tire replacement appointment as soon as possible to get yourself driving safely again!

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