A car jack is a powerful mechanical device useful for lifting heavy vehicles and applying high forces. Jacks have become so reliable so much so that users may find themselves disregarding safety precautions. However, do not need to worry if you don’t have a jack, we have got you covered with our range of solutions that you will find suitable. There are several ways in which you can achieve this.
Three Methods to Change Tires are
- Ramp Method
- Digging the Ground Method
- Lever Method
Ramp Method with a Bonus Demonstration
Using car ramps is faster and simpler than jacking up the entire vehicle and developing four jack stands. If you wish to buy a car ramp, there are several options, such as Scepter Ramp set, Black Widow Service Ramps, or Mangum Ramp Systems, among others. While most of the ramp systems are made of plastic, some of them are made of steel. It is important to note that weight limits for these ramps vary from one ramp to the next and can range from six thousand to sixteen thousand pounds. The good thing about ramps is that you can make and use them by yourself using wood. Wood is more substantial than plastic ramps, and they cost less. The materials you will need are:
- 2-in x 10-in x 12-ft piece of lumber (one 12-ft piece per ramp)
- Staple gun and staples
- 2.5-in Interior/Exterior Wood Screws
- Duck 20-in x 12-ft Shelf Liner
Step 1 Begin by cutting the 12-ft piece of lumber into distinct pieces measuring 42″, 36″, 30″, 25″, and 11″ (144″ = 12′). Feel free to cut it into different dimensions if you prefer, as long as you are sure about what you are doing. These dimensions are especially suitable for 35” tires. You should, therefore, change the profile if you are dealing with a lower profile car.
Step 2 involves beveling the edges at about 45 degrees to make a smoother transition between steps though you will still feel the tires moving up the steps. This allows you to count the number of steps you have taken up while driving up.
Step 3 Start by drilling pilot holes for the screws to ensure the boards don’t split. Attach the first level to the second level by using wood screws. When attaching the third and fourth levels of the board, offset the screw locations to develop stronger bonds.
Step 4 Create a stopper by vertically attaching a piece of wood at the end of the ramp. You can customize the design, as long as it can accommodate your tires and is firm enough.
Step 5 Trim the shelf liner and attach it to the ramp base using heavy-duty staples. If you are using a 20” ramp, you can just cut it down the middle to fit it perfectly to the ramp bottom. The soft rubber component prevents the ramp from sliding when driving onto them. This makes ramps safer and easier to use. You should place the ramps with a similar distance from the tires. As a bonus point, ensure the wheel clocks are placed against the tires the moment you are on the ramps as a safety precaution.
Digging the Ground Method
Another method of changing a flat car tire without using a car jack is by using an open soil area. The materials you need include Items you will need include an open dirt area, a blocking material, tire iron, the spare tire, a digging device, and two large rocks. To do this, you should follow the steps below to ensure you do it correctly:
Step 1: slowly drive the vehicle until the tire to be changed is over open soil. Engage the emergency park brake after parking the vehicle. Locate a stump or a piece of concrete and slide it beneath the axle closest to the tire to be changed. You can then stack the blocking material until it contacts the axle.
Step 2: dig away the soil below the flat tire. You can either use your hands, the tire iron, or a stick. Continue until the axle rests solidly on the materials used to block. Dig the hole down outwards a few inches on all the sides of the tire. Ensure the hole is wide and deep enough to remove the flat tire, and that can sustain changing of the tire.
Step 3: Bust the tire nuts with a tire iron until all are removed. Proceed to pull the rim off the studs and remove the tire from the hole. Install the spare tire onto the studs until they poke through the rim holes. Do this for all the nuts and tighten them down using the tire iron.
Lever Method
This method is not recommended if you are alone because it require strength. Things you can use solid metal or stiff wooden rod to act as the weight distribution channel and a lug wrench for removing the tire from the socket. You can then use a big and robust stone to serve as the pivot or fulcrum for lifting the weight. You will then use a crowbar for the actual removal of the tire.
The first step is to place the prop as close as necessary to the tire that needs to be changed. Just make sure you have applied hand brakes. Proceed by placing the rod on the prop, one end under the car, and the other in your hand over the accessory. Try to make the pivot closer to the vehicle (load) than to the effort point (handle). Apply some force on the outer end of the rod (lever) to lift the side of the car with the tire to be changed until it is off the ground. When the tire is in the air place a stone or woodblock under the car to keep the tire off the ground. Remove the tire from the socket using the lug wrench. Use the lug wrench to install the new tire onto the socket. Slowly remove the lever system, starting with the effort you had placed. Keep the removed tire, and you should be good to go.
How to change a tire without a jack stand?
To do this, it is quite simple. All you need to do is construct a ramp or use an existing ramp. Park the car such that the flat tire or tire to be changed is on the ramp. Proceed to situate the stone or block depending on how much space you need to change the tire. Proceed by removing the ramp and changing your tire.
Why you need to change a tire?
Professionally speaking, you need to change your tires or rotate your tires regularly. Tire wear can be so stubborn. The problem is that it happens so slowly that you may not even realize it. There are various benefits accrued to changing your tires. Good tires are supposed to enable you to tread over wet surfaces by diverting water from beneath the tire. This improves traction on wet roads and reduces the risk of hydroplaning. The more you use your tire, the more the tread wears down, making the tire increasingly smooth, thereby losing their wet-weather driving ability. Secondly, when you drive on wet roads with worn tires, the thin tread is susceptible to total failure when exposed to stress. Driving over curbs or potholes may result in tire damage even if the tread is in good shape, so you should observe for any abnormal bulges on the sidewall. If you do not have a jack to carry out the tire replacement, use any of the procedures mentioned above to change the car tire.
What to do if you have got a flat tire and no jack?
If you ever found yourself in a situation that requires you to change a car tire and you do not have a jack, do not panic. You can employ the ramp method all you have to do is just find a natural ramp or a curb and drive your car up in such a way that the flat tire is in the air to ensure that you change the tire effectively.
How to jack up a car without using a jack?
To do this, you can use the lever method. Collect all the things like a rod, pivot, a lug wrench, etc. and lift the car and use bricks, stones, wooden blocks, or anything suitable in the place of a jack stand. After jacking up the car, you can then proceed to change the tire as swiftly as you can.
How to change an RzR tire without a jack?
To do this, you can use the ramp method. Start by losing the lugs then proceed to ramp up the car in such a manner that the tire to be changed is in the air and easily accessible. Once this is achieved, change the tire, removing the malfunctioning or worn out one, and replacing it with a better one.
Where to put a car jack to change a tire?
You can put jack below pinch points of the vehicle. The pinch points are usually located on the sides of the vehicle, in front of the back tires, or behind front tires. Slide the stand-in from the side of your vehicle. You can put your car jack on notches just inside the rear and front tires to change the tire.
How to change a trailer tire without a jack?
To do this, start by pulling over away from traffic in a safe place. Gather the necessary tools for tire changing. Using the lug wrench, break loose the lug nuts on the wheel that needs changing. Drive your car onto the ramp, ensuring the wheel that requires changing can spin freely. You can adjust the height of the ramp by adding blocks underneath the ramp or dig out beneath the malfunctioning tire. Proceed to chock your tires on the sides you are not planning to work on then set the parking brake on the tow vehicle. Making use of the lug wrench, remove the lug nuts from the flat tire. Continue to remove the flat tire from its hub then install the spare tire onto it. Make sure you lubricate the studs before returning the lug nuts. Lubrication allows you to torque the lug nuts all through. Make the lug nuts in a star-shaped pattern then reinstall the flat tire where the spare tire initially was. You can now drive off the ramp, after checking the air pressure in all the tires that is.
The Final Words
Car jacks can be used to change car tires quickly. However, car tires can still be changed even without using car jacks by implementing methods such as lever method, using car ramps, and over open dirt areas, as discussed in this article. We recommend using the ramp method as it is easy, simple and fast.
