How to Change Your Vehicle's Flat Tire

By Eric Driver

There are many potential causes of a flat tire. The most common is a nail or other sharp object lying in the road which punctures the tread as you drive over it. However, damage to the valve stem, vandalism, and even a traffic collision can also cause your wheel to lose most of its air. If your treads are severely worn, even relatively blunt objects can puncture them.

If you're fortunate enough to have run-flat tires installed on your vehicle, you'll be able to drive to an auto repair shop to have the damaged tire replaced. Otherwise, you may be forced to do the work yourself. Below, I'll take you through the process of changing a flat tire.

First Step: The Jack

Your car should have a spare and a jack in the trunk. Many pick-up trucks and SUVs have them installed underneath the frame. Once you have retrieved them, make sure your vehicle is in "Park" and the emergency brake has been set. Before raising your car, loosen each of the lugs on the offending wheel (turn them counterclockwise). Don't remove them; simply loosen them.

Next, place the jack under a sturdy portion of the frame and raise your car. If you're not sure whether a particular area has enough strength, check your owner's manual. One important note of caution: do not do this if you're parked on an incline. Your automobile can easily move as you're raising it.

Second Step: The Lugs

Once your car has been raised with sufficient room to take off the flat tire, you'll need to remove the loosened lugs. Make sure that you place them in a secure area to avoid losing them. Even though each wheel has several lugs, it is unsafe to drive if even one of them is missing.

Third Step: The Replacement

Removing the offending wheel is easy with the lugs not holding it in place. Simply slide it off the supporting studs. The difficult part is aligning the replacement (the spare) on the studs. Wheels are heavy. You may find yourself struggling to lift the spare while trying to fit the studs through the right holes.

Once you have fit the studs through the holes in the spare, you'll need to replace the lugs in order to secure the wheel. Turn each lug carefully to avoid threading issues. Also, consider replacing them in a star pattern. That is, replace the top lug first and then replace one of the bottom lugs.

After you have tightened the lugs by hand, lower your car and remove the jack. Then, tighten the lugs securely with your tire iron while your vehicle is resting on the ground. Again, follow a star pattern beginning with the topmost lug.

Keep in mind, most spares can only be driven for a limited number of miles at a reduced speed. But, even though they're not true replacements, they'll help you get your car back on the road to the nearest auto garage. - 21392

About the Author:

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Try To Help Your Kids When Thier Learning To Drive

By John Robertson

As rites of passage go, they don't come very much bigger than learning to drive. It marks a definite pivotal moment in an adolescent's life when they take their first tentative steps towards striking out by themselves. The ever-considerate parent is forced to go through this with them, and it's generally with no small amount of stress. You sit next to them in the car and try to ignore the distressing sounds coming from your cars gearbox and the distinctive smell of burnt clutch. Frankly, it's quite an effort. You are also expected to do this while remaining positive and supportive, and alert enough to avert potential hazards.

However, your position in the passenger seat is a vital one. Driving on modern roads is a heady mixture of good luck, honed technique, and a considerable amount of experience. It is our job to provide this experience at this stage. You should be well place to anticipate pitfalls before tragic consequences ensue.

So, you're in for a stressful ride then? Well, maybe but you can lots to minimise he degree of anxiety for both the driver and yourself with some careful preparation and planning. Try to plan your sessions with consideration of what they have just covered in their regular lessons. This will give a great opportunity for the learner to reinforce previous learning.

As we have said, the best teacher is experience so try hard to give the novice driver the widest taste possible of riving on every type of road in all types of conditions. Rush hour, city centre driving is the obvious example, but also take in fast multi-lane carriageways. Night driving and driving in wet weather is also essential.

My tip is to give particular attention to the sort of roads you have around your home, where the novice driver will spend most of their time after passing their test. For example, I grew up in a quite rural area but did my lessons after finishing work for day in a nearby city. Most of my driving was actually done on narrow country. The very particular skill set required for this wasn't even touched upon by my instructor.

The first place you should take the new driver ought to be a deserted car park. This allows a wide-open space where the basic manoeuvres and skills can be perfected. These might be braking and turning. If possible, lay out a makeshift course with any traffic cones that can be found lying about. With just a bit of imagination you can create an opportunity to practice gear changes, around corner reversing, and the feared parallel park, in safety.

As a car owner one area you can impart some invaluable knowledge is that of basic maintenance and the basic safety checks that are just as muck a part of driving. These things are never touched upon by driving instructors. Things like changing a wheel, where the tools are, and how to top up the oil should be covered.

In summary, keep things well structured and simple and this can be a great opportunity to bond. It all comes down to having the right attitude - 21392

About the Author:

john robertson owns topgear driving tuition and offers information aboutdriving instructors yoker

A Comprehensive Guide To Playing Golf

By Amarea Fulkakis

When the word golf is mentioned, people automatically think of the word green. It is, after all, quite appropriate since this sport is played outdoors amidst the lush greenery of the outdoor lawn or golf course. A golf course is not a standardized playing area. This means to say that unlike most ball games, the playing field differs from one area to another. They are uniquely designed and consist of either 9 or 18 holes.

Competing players are more popularly known as golfers and they use various kinds of clubs in hitting a ball into a hole. The objective is simple. Try to hit the ball into the hole using the lowest possible number of strokes. It can be played either as an individual or team sport, depending on the rules of the competition.

A typical round of golf is played with the number of holes in a particular order. Most of the time, a round involves 18 holes. Now, if you are caught in a nine-hole course, you will be required to play two successive nine-hole rounds.

How does the game begin? Well, the golfer has to hit the ball from the teeing box, which is what the starting point is called. Then, he uses a drive, or a long distance shot across the fairway so that the ball can travel for a very long distance. When the ball comes to a stop, the golfer can choose from among a number of strokes for his follow up. It could be a lay-up, an approach or a green. When the golf ball approaches the nearest area near the hole, a putt is performed.

This game may sound like a child's play. However, avowed supporters will not agree with you. They know that a lot of things can still go wrong along the way. Your initial strikes and follow through could be hampered by a rough, or areas of long grass, a bunker and the notorious water hazard. Then there is also the probability of a wrathful nature, bringing with it the heavy wind and the rain. Even professional golfers are not spared because they have to deal with the cheering and jeering of the entire crowd.

Since the course is very wide, golfers can either walk or drive in motorized carts. They have the option of playing alone or with their circle of friends. Most of the time, a caddy accompanies the player. They have the significant task of carrying the clubs as well as other equipments of the golfer.

Golfers usually don a preppy cotton shirt paired with a pair of lightweight shorts. They include the ubiquitous sun visor as a protection. When the cold season arrives, they usually opt for a pair of slacks and thick jacket to keep them from feeling chilly. For those who foresee a light drizzle, a cap is brought along in preparation. The more health conscious ones bring a sturdy umbrella for better protection.

There are many advantages of playing golf. The health reasons include its flexibility factor. Since swinging allows one to stretch, his overall flexibility improves. The same is true for his cardiovascular workout because the heart pumps blood to all parts of the body in an efficient manner if one walks fast from one place to another. Moreover, the refreshing air in the course can bring a calming effect especially to those who are stressed out from all the tension experienced in the office. - 21392

About the Author:

The author is an expert in golf carts as knows about all brands. Low price vehicles, luxury carts and anything in between. Read his latest review article titled: Used EZ Go Golf Carts. Head over to the website for extra high quality free guides.

Green Is The New Black!!!

By Mark Smith

With more and more emphasis being placed on how we drive not what we drive, we all need to make a conscious effort to get the most out of our vehicles in terms of fuel economy.

You can almost hear so many tips on how you can conserve the fuel during your routine day to day travels. Down below are some of our hand-picked tips for fuel conservation and optimization.

1) Tyre Pressures - The most common tip on the net is Tyre pressures. Put simply - under inflated tyres are bad!! They cause more friction and increase fuel consumption. Over inflated tyres are also bad but not so much for fuel consumption, they simply wear out faster and need replacing more often; you will keep you tyre supplier happy but not your wallet! Look at your manual, it will have the recommended pressure for your tyres, check tyre pressure regularly and you can save up to 10% on fuel and the tyres can last you up to 13% longer!

2) Heavy foot pressure - most surveys show that your fuel bill can be decreased by about 30% if the drivers go soft on the foot pedals for acceleration and braking. Sadly, drivers tends to develop a habit to press too hard and this wastes the fuel during acceleration and braking operations.

3) Windows & Aircon - I'm sure we've all heard this one before, if you have your windows or sunroof open it increases drag and therefore increases fuel consumption. Having your Aircon on also increases the amount of fuel you use so turn it off and open your vents.

4) Speed - If you have a tendency to zip past others then the fuel efficiency of your vehicle is bound to be low. It is well known that if you drive at 70 mph rather than 80 mph, the fuel efficiency increases by about 10%.

5) Get in Gear - you can also save a lot on fuel by changing gear at the right time, staying in a lower gear too long will use up fuel, change up as soon as possible (as long as it's safe to do so) doing this can give you an extra 15% fuel economy.

If you try these tips you are bound to improve fuel economy of your fleet, thereby adding to the benefits of the company and the environment. - 21392

About the Author:

Want to find out more on fuel economy and fuel cards, then pick the right fuelcards.

Purchasing Tires Online

By Kenneth P. Hawkins

Purchasing new tires online for your car or truck could be fast, economical and convenient when getting the tires that you need. Many sites will give you a lot of information on how to pick the brand and style of tires that will suit your automobile minus the fuss of sales people pitching the priciest tire in their shop. A few basic tips and a credit card will help you find the tires that are just right for your car.

Find the size number on the sidewall of your current tires. You need to get the tires that have the same size so these would fit your car's make and model when you install them. There is a load range for each type of tire and you will need to find new tires that match that of your existing ones. The load range tells you how much load the tires could be in without getting seriously damaged from stress. The speed rating of the tires you will choose should also match that of your existing ones as well. This rating indicates how much speed of your car the tires can handle before wearing them out.

Go browsing through online stores that sell tires and make comparisons of the prices and quality. Goodyear, Michelin and Firestone are the best brands out there. You can also check out other brands for comparison. Shop for the tires that have the same size numbers, load range and speed rating as your current ones. Select the best tires from different brands for the best deal you can get. Price is not always king. When it comes to road safety, there's a much better value in paying a premium.

Tire makers differ in grading systems when it comes to treadwear so it's of no use to compare the grades between brands. You can compare the grades between tires of the same brand. Try to buy a set of similar tires. You would have a better idea of the quality of the tires and be more informed in your next purchase.

When comparing prices, compare the price of getting the tire offline and having it installed. It's true that initially the tires may be cheaper online but if you're not installing these yourself, you'd have to go to a service station. Factor in the costs of shipping and installing the tires that you would purchase online so you'd know whether or not you are getting a better deal. - 21392

About the Author:

About the author: Kenneth P. Hawkins is a tire wholesaler who looks for the top tires in the business. He gives resources about buying tires. For research & links to purchase tires online look in this resource for more detail at yokohama advan tire.