Howard Fleischmann

How to

Let Air Out of a Tire

If your tires are overfilled with air or you need to transport them, you may want to deflate them. Both vehicle tires and bike tires have valves located in them that control the flow of air in and out of the tire. Once y...

How Old Are Your Tires? Reading the DOT Code & Replacing Old Tires

It’s important to know how old your tires are so that your car is safe on the road, but where do you find that information? Telling the age of a tire is a breeze—just locate the Department of Transportation code on t...

How to

Put Tires on Rims

Mounting tires yourself can save you some money, especially if you have access to a tire mounting machine. However, you can also mount your own tires at home using little more than a pry bar and a great deal of effort. I...

How to

Check Tire Tread with a Penny

The penny test is an easy way to check the tread on your vehicle’s tires. Just place a penny with Lincoln’s head upside down between 2 ribs on your tire. If you see his entire head, it’s time for new tires. Proper ...

How to

Measure Wheel Offset

The wheel offset is simply the distance from a tire’s center line to the hub’s mounting surface. It’s very easy to calculate a vehicle’s wheel offset, but you will need to remove the tire to do it. Knowing the wh...

How Close to the Sidewall You Can Safely Patch or Plug Your Tires

When it’s OK to fix flat tires by yourself versus when to replace them Do you have a flat tire but the hole is closer to the sidewall than the treads? While it’s normally safe to patch your tire on the treads, where...

How to

Know when Car Tires Need Replacing

Ever wonder if it's time to replace your worn car tires? The performance of your tires is very important for maintaining the safety, performance, and efficiency of your vehicle. But at some point, your tires will start w...

How to

Install Wheel Covers

Installing new wheel covers, or hubcaps, on your vehicle can instantly change its appearance. Often, wheel covers can be installed without the use of any tools or even jacking up the vehicle. '''Simply insert the retenti...

How to

Patch a Tire

Have you ever had a nail, screw or other sharp object puncture your vehicle's tire? If so, you know it is a major inconvenience since having a tire shop repair or replace it is quite expensive. Luckily, if the tire is in...

How to

Inflate a Car Tire with a Bike Pump

Keeping your tires properly inflated can improve the fuel economy and performance of your vehicle while reducing uneven wear in your tires. But if you don't have an air compressor, you may be scratching your head as to h...

How to

Determine Tire Size

You may need to know the size of your tires for various reasons, such as for a spare tire or when purchasing wheels, rims, or snow tires. However, measuring the tire size manually with a tape measure will not give you ac...

How to

Remove Brake Drums

Drum brakes (as opposed to disc brakes) are a braking system that slows a vehicle by pressing brake shoes into the inside surface of a metal drum attached to the wheel to create friction. Like any braking system, drum br...

How to

Fix a Bent Rim

Wondering whether you can fix a bent rim on your car wheel without a trip to the mechanic? Good news: bent rims are definitely fixable, and with a little know-how, you can do it yourself at home. Once you have all the n...

How to

Remove Lug Nuts and Tires

Whether you need to take off your car tire to change a flat, rotate it, or do some repairs, you'll need to remove the lug nuts first. It's important you remove the lug nuts and your tire safely so you don't get hurt. By ...

How to

Replace Drum Brakes

Replacing drum brakes isn't difficult but it requires special tools and a little caution. In return, you save on hefty auto mechanics bills. This article will describe the general process, but you will still want to cons...

How to

Install Valve Stems on Tires

A faulty valve stem can cause your tires to release air and leave you with a flat tire.. 4 June 2021. Having it repaired by professionals can cost upwards of thirty dollars, but in some instances, you may be able to rep...

How to

Find a Leak in a Tire

Keeping your tires properly inflated is a must for safety. A flat tire will certainly leave you stranded, but even losing a little tire pressure can have big consequences. Low tire pressure causes your vehicle to be hard...

How to

Measure Tires

Getting a tire's measurements is an important part of selecting good tires for a vehicle. If the tire's measurement information is not printed along its sidewall, you may not know which measurements to take or why. If it...

How to

Repair a Nail in Your Tire

If you have a nail in your tire, you’ll need to take your vehicle to a tire service technician to get it professionally fixed. Driving on a tire that hasn't been properly repaired by a professional can damage your vehi...

How to

Paint Your Wheels

If you are looking to add style to your car, or if your old car needs to be revitalized, painting your wheels could be the magic touch you need. You can certainly have this done in a shop, but it is also possible to do i...