AUTO REPAIR GUIDE

Spare tires are a lifesaver when one of your regular tires pop in the middle of a highway or you may just find the car with a deflated tire. But, how long can you drive on a spare tire? The most common advice would be to check the owner’s manual that usually suggests not more than 70 miles at a maximum 50m/h (for a donut tire) as the rule of thumb There is no definite answer to this question because it depends on several factors. It happens mainly because the modern vehicles come with a donut tire, which is smaller than a full-size tire. The logic behind it is that people need it on rare occasions and don’t even use it for a long time. Also, a smaller tire saves space in the trunk 1. A Full-Size Spare If the spare is a full-size tire, given that it is the same size and type as the ones in your vehicle, you can drive it like a regular tire and use it until it wears out. You may think that the spare tire will be like a new one if you don’t use it. This is not true. If it is ...

Tire vibrations are usually the result of an imbalanced tires and this vibrations tend to increase as vehicle speeds up. Balanced tires provides smoother ride by minimizing tire bounce and also improves traction, steering control and prolongs the life of tires If your vehicle has this problem, take it to a tire store or repair facility that has a tire balancing machine. Have them check all four wheels and tires, and have any wheels that are out of balance re-balanced as needed Also note that mud or dirt packed in the back of the rim or debris embedded in the tread can lead to an imbalanced tire NOTE: Hard breaking and over acceleration can cause tires to rotate on the rim, this could also lead to imbalance

Having a flat tire can be a really terrible news if you need to get somewhere urgently. Causes of flat tires includes i. Leaky valve stem ii. Wheel air leaks iii. Punctures caused by driving over sharp object iv. Someone intentionally lets air out of your tire for certain reasons v. Bead leaks between tire and wheel If you are already driving before you encounter this problem, pull over once it's safe to do so and get your vehicle off the main road as far as possible to avoid collision HOW TO CHANGE FLAT TIRE TOOLS REQUIRED: Jack, Lug wrench, fully inflated spare tire 1. Find a Safe Location As soon as you realize you have a flat tire, do not abruptly brake or turn.  Slowly reduce speed and scan your surroundings for a level, straight stretch of road with a wide shoulder. An empty parking lot would be an ideal place. Level ground is good because it will prevent your vehicle from rolling. Also, straight stretches of road are better than curves because oncoming...

If your car does not steer straight, then you may have a wheel alignment problem. You may have your alignment checked and discover that it is within the acceptable range of specs for the application but still it does not steer straight. This is because some vehicles are more sensitive to slight variations in alignment that others and the same goes for motorists Most experts agree that wheels should be aligned to the preferred alignment settings rather than accepting anything that is between the minimum and maximum values because preferred settings are closer to the mark than the minimum or maximum values For a four wheeled vehicle to travel in a straight line, these conditions must be met i. The four wheel must point in the same direction ii. The amount of rolling resistance offered by all four wheels must be the same and this must include caster effect between the two front wheels iii. There must be no play in the steering or suspension linkage that positions the wheels If ...