In following up to the poll question about tires, I wanted to make sure that the nearly 40% of you that didn't change your own tire at least have a good understanding of how to do it. After all, you may be in a rare situation someday out of the reach of today's best technology that would help you get back on the road.

I'm sure its happened to someone you know (or you)- getting a flat at the worst time- out of town, on vacation, on the way to work, etc. Sometimes time is of the essence, so we'll help those who don't know how to change a tire learn how.

The first few signs of a flat tire- excessive noise, steering trouble, braking trouble, or other people honking. The best thing to do at this point is to pull well off the road (to ensure your safety and those traveling with you), to examine the tire. If you notice the tire is flat, there are few options- they depend on the situation. If the tire has blown out, it is extremely unsafe to continue moving. The rubber may start flapping, breaking off and becoming flying projectiles. Do not drive the vehicle. If you don't notice any large holes, it may be safe to use a temporary patch- many of you have seen things like "Fix a Flat" that will inject a substance into your tire and inflate it. While this may ruin your tire, it may be enough to temporarily get your car to a repair facility. Those are the easy options when no one is around, but require you to carry a can of Fix a Flat.

Otherwise, the best likely solution is using your spare tire. In many vehicles, your spare tire is mounted in the trunk, underneath fiberboard, and bolted to the car. If you have a SUV, it could be mounted on the back of the trunk. Either way, remove the spare tire from the trunk, along with a scissor jack(a very compact jack to lift your vehicle), and a tire iron (a large wrench to remove the nuts from the wheels). Many cars include all the equipment necessary. After you've removed this equipment from the trunk, look at your tire's lug nuts- the nuts holding the tire on. Many newer, more expensive cars have a nut called a "lock nut" to protect your wheels from thieves. If equipped, you'll need to find the tire "key" (a special socket that can remove this nut). Many times this key is in the glove box or in with your tire iron. While the vehicle is still on the ground, loosen all the nuts a small amount(break them loose). You do this now because once in the air, your wheels may move if you attempt to take off the nuts.

Once you have all the nuts broken loose (make sure they are still on), use the scissor jack and find a place under your car that is a suitable "jack point". A jack point is a safe place to raise the jack and will not damage your vehicle. Refer to the owners manual for jacking points. Once the jack is under a manufacturer approved jack point, slowly crank the scissor jack until the jack raises the blown tire off the ground. Once the tire is off the ground, loosen the nuts the rest of the way.

Depending on how long the wheel has been mounted, it may be difficult to break free of the "hub". The hub contains the studs that the wheel is tightened down to. Overtime, rust may accumulate and make removing the wheel difficult. Some times it will take a great amount of force to pull the wheel off (you may think it's impossible, but it will eventually break free). Once the wheel with the blown tire is off, replace it with the spare tire. Once you have the nuts on the wheel studs, use you hand to tighten them down. Make sure you use your hand to avoid stripping or re-threading the nuts on the studs. Once the wheel nuts are hand tightened as far as they can go, slowly crank the jack so the wheel makes contact with the ground. Once the vehicle is back on the ground, re-tighten the wheel nuts with your tire iron as hard as you can. This is your safety at stake, so make sure that all the nuts are tightened as much as possible.

After the spare is mounted, be sure to remember to have the blown tire and wheel examined and fixed as soon as possible. Make sure to check that the spare is properly inflated, and to check the vehicle manual for specifications on how fast you can travel. Many manufacturers tell you to AVOID any speed over 50mph.

Remember to put all the equipment back after you're finished- and if you have a wheel lock key- place it somewhere special. Without the wheel key, you're stuck. I had this happen to me on my vehicle while in Ohio- I had no wheel key. I drove the blown tire just a mile knowing it was unsafe. I ended up bending my rim, requiring a new rim, and needed to have a new wheel key overnighted to me- not cheap.

Remember to be safe and to consult the vehicle manual whenever possible to ensure your safety! Happy motoring!