AAA is Fired + Girl, You're Hired.

Need a new T I RE ? Forget AAA girl we got you and most importantly YOU got you.

It happens to every girl at least once in their life…let us paint the scene..

You just left Starbucks with your venti fave, the person behind you decided to do that thing we all love...they pay it forward. So now you got a free Starbucks drink and your onto the next hot spot for the day. It's a perfect 75 degrees so you're driving down the road, windows down, blasting some T Swift, or maybe it’s Drake and quite possibly even Mayday Parade and all of sudden... POP!

Yeah you heard it right, your tire just blew out girl. The mood just went from a 10/10 to O M G. Help!

Don't freak out though, this girl gang has your back and we are about to give you a step by step on what to do next when your tire does that annoying thing and go F L A T.

We decided to write about this because quite frankly knowing how to change a tire is a necessary skill for all drivers. Flat tires can happen anywhere, and although we always have our cell phone on us to call mom, dad, boyfriend or triple A, we wholeheartedly believe no cell phone is a substitute for knowing how to change a flat tire. It’s 2020 girl, you are an independent woman who can do this!

Changing a tire isn’t all that hard! Here is how you can be prepared and how to change a tire in case you have a flat.

ITEMS YOU'LL NEED TO FIX A FLAT TIRE

These items should have come with your vehicle:

• Jack

• Lug wrench

• Fully inflated spare tire

• Vehicle owner’s manual

Photo Creds: Bridestonetire.com

Oh, and side note: below we listed some extra goods that you should stow in your trunk or glove box in case you have to change a flat tire as well:

• Flashlight with working batteries

• Rain poncho

• Small cut of 2"x6” wood to secure the jack

• Gloves

• Wheel wedges

Q/A: HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO FIX A FLAT TIRE?

Aside from taking your tire to a professional, the above procedure shouldn’t take more than 15 to 30 minutes to change a tire. Just be sure you don’t leave out any steps.

It’s encourage a few practice seshes of changing a tire in your garage or driveway to give you the confidence you need when you’re ready to handle this situation if it ever happens to you.

HOW TO CHANGE TIRES:

1. FIND A SAFE LOCATION

Level ground should be your priority when deciding to find a safe location. For example, an empty parking lot is our go to because it will prevent your vehicle from rolling. But first things first...

check out your owner’s manual and review their specific steps on how to change a flat tire for your car.

2. TURN ON YOUR HAZARD LIGHTS

Your hazard lights or “flashers” will help other drivers see you on the side of the road. Turn them on, because the hazard lights not only help you avoid an accident but they bring alert to the situation.

3. APPLY THE PARKING BRAKE

Once stopped, A L W AY S use the parking brake when preparing to replace a flat tire. This is key to minimizing your car from rolling down a hill.

4. APPLY WHEEL WEDGES

Wheel wedges are what go in front or behind the tires to ensure the vehicle doesn’t roll while you fix the flat tire. If you’re changing a rear tire, place the wheel wedges in front of the front tires. If your flat tire is at the front, put the wheel wedges behind the rear tires. If you don't have a "real" wheel wedge a couple bricks or large rocks will work just as well as “real” wheel wedges. Just make sure they’re large enough to stop the car from rolling.

5. REMOVE THE HUBCAP OR WHEEL COVER

If your vehicle has a hubcap covering the lug nuts, we recommend removing the hubcap before lifting the vehicle with the jack. If your lug nuts are exposed, you can skip ahead to Step 6.

Use the flat end of your lug wrench to remove the hubcap. When in doubt, consult your owner’s manual for proper hubcap or wheel cover removal procedures.

6. LOOSEN THE LUG NUTS

Using the lug wrench, turn the lug nuts counterclockwise until you break their resistance. Unless youre super into CrossFit or weight lifting you may have to use your foot or all of your body weight to do this part. But ultimately L O O S E N the lug nuts about ¼ to ½ of a turn, but don’t remove them completely yet.

7. FIND THE JACK.

The Jack is usually near your or beside where you find the spare tire. If you cant find it, check your maual.

8. RAISE THE VEHICLE WITH THE JACK

To prevent the jack from coming off balance, place a small cut of wood beneath it before attempting to raise your vehicle. With the jack properly positioned, raise the vehicle until the flat tire is about six inches above the ground. N E V E R put any part of your body under the vehicle during or after raising the vehicle with the jack.

9. UNSCREW THE LUG NUTS

Remove the lug nuts all the way. Since you've already loosened them, you should be able to unscrew them mostly by hand.

10. REMOVE THE FLAT TIRE

Grip and pull the tire by the threads toward you until it’s completely free from the hub behind it. Set it to the side.

11. MOUNT THE SPARE TIRE ON THE LUG BOLTS

Now place the spare on the hub by lining up the rim with the lug bolts. Push gently until the lug bolts show through the rim.

12. TIGHTEN THE LUG NUTS BY HAND

We are almost done girl! Now you just have to tighten the lug nuts back on the lug bolts and tighten them all the way. Once they are all on, check each one again, tightening as much as possible.

13. LOWER THE VEHICLE AND TIGHTEN THE LUG NUTS AGAIN

Use the jack to lower the vehicle so that the spare tire is resting on the ground but the full weight of the vehicle isn’t fully on the tire. You should now tighten the lug nuts with the wrench, turning clockwise, as much as you can for extra support.

14. LOWER THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY

Bring the vehicle all the way to the ground and remove the jack. Give the lug nuts another pull with the wrench to ensure they’re as tight as possible.

15. REPLACE THE HUBCAP

If the hubcap you took from the flat tire will fit your spare, put it in place the same way you removed it initially. If it doesn’t fit, stow it away with the tire when you stow your equipment.

16. CHECK THE PRESSURE IN THE SPARE TIRE

You should check the tire pressure of the spare tire to make sure that it is safe to drive on. If the tire needs pressure, drive (slowly) to a service station immediately.

FINALLY: TAKE YOUR FLAT TIRE TO A TECHNICIAN

I M P O R T A N T : Temporary spare tires aren’t made to drive long distances or at high speeds, so drive cautiously until you’re able to visit a tire technician. A professional should be able to determine whether your tire needs a repair or if it’s time to replace it.

P.S

Knowing how to fix a flat tire is a total boss babe move, but regular tire maintenance is even more important. Take your car to the shop regularly - thank us later. We wish you S A F E driving!

Muah!

-xoxo, hellogirlgang