Changing a flat tire in Portugal

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You’re on holiday in beautiful Portugal, driving along a coastal road, when your rental car’s tire goes flat.

A flat tire is something that no one ever wants to experience. However, at some time or another as a car owner and driver, you will need to change a flat tire. In fact, it isn’t as difficult as it may at first seem.

Researching automotive resources on platforms such as Opinioesja will inform you of the types of services, products and companies of this type operating in Portugal. One such company that deals with automotive products and resources that will help you with a flat tire is 4 Wheel Parts. Read reviews, tips, compliments, and complaints about this company from real-world customers that have actually bought those products so that you can make better-informed decisions for yourself.

Follow the steps to correctly change a tire

The first step is to locate your car’s spare wheel and tire. It is usually bolted securely to the inside of the car’s luggage area under the carpet lining. You can easily remove this by releasing the holding screws that keep it in place.

Have the right tools handy

Get the car’s jack, locking wheel nut, wrench, and warning triangle out too. Place the warning triangle about 20 meters from your car to alert other motorists of your situation and parked vehicle. You will need to jack up your vehicle. There are specific areas underneath your car that are designed for mounting points for jacks. By placing the jacks in the correct areas, you will be able to safely hoist the car’s tire from the ground so as to be able to remove the flat tire and install the spare tire.

Loosening the wheel nuts

Once you’ve successfully hoisted the car with the jack, you will need to use the locking wheel nut to unscrew the wheel’s security screw. Using the wrench, loosen the bolts holding the wheel in place. Most cars have 5 bolts, but some may have 4 or even 6. If they are extremely tight, you might find it easier to stand on the wrench with one of your feet to leverage your body’s weight to help you unscrew the bolts.

With the tire loose and unscrewed, slip the wheel off the axle. Replace it with the spare tire. Lift the spare tire onto the axle and carefully line up the wheel bolts with the wheel stud openings. Once you’ve managed that, place the wheel nuts onto the studs. Be careful to not tighten them fully, but rather hand-tighten them. You’ll find that by sitting on the ground and using your foot on the bottom of the tire to help keep the wheel in place on the axles that the bolts line up better and more securely. Now use the wrench to tighten the bolts. However, you shouldn’t tighten them in a clockwise or anticlockwise direction. Rather, tighten them in a 12-6, 9-3 pattern. Tighten one bolt and then its opposing member. This allows the wheel to fasten securely without any problems. Don’t over tighten the bolts at this stage with the wrench, either.

Drop the wheel to the ground

Drop the jack to lower the tire back to the road. Then, tighten the wheel bolts with the wrench as tightly as you can. Repack the flat car tire into the car’s luggage area and replace the tools securely too.

You’ve now successfully replaced your car’s flat tire. Head to your nearest tire shop to inspect and repair your flat tire for you.