How To Efficiently Change a Tire during a Racing Pit StopBY MITCH BOMBARD

Step 1 – Required Tools

Before you begin, you will want to be sure to have everything ready to perform the task considering both efficiency and safety. Things you will need:

Jack, Jack Stand, Impact Wrench, Spare Tire, Spare Lug Nuts (4), Permanent Marker, and Light Colored Duct Tape (optional).

Step 2 – Preparation (Wheel)

Before the car needs it’s tire changed, you will want to prepare for the worst.

Be sure to attach the proper socket required for your vehicle to your impact wrench. On a common race car, a 1 Inch socket is needed.

Take your lug nuts reserved as spares and string them together using something easily breakable, for example hanging wire, wire tie, or string. This ensures that nothing will go missing in the heat of the moment.

Step 3 – Preparation (Jacking)

A standard race car already has a jacking point marked out on the side of the car. If your vehicle is not equipped with this, move on to step 4.

Take your jack and move it under the car, aligning it with the frame of the vehicle. Stand at the approximate angle in which you would be pumping the jack and visually pick a point where you can no longer see the jack under the car. If you have duct tape, place it with the edge on this point. Take the marker and identify where this point is.

This way you know approximately how far you need to push the jack under the car and don’t have to waste time making sure it will make contact with the frame.

Step 4 – It’s time

This is the moment you have been waiting for. The car is coming in to get a tire changed. The first thing you need to do is spot which tire has to come off the car. With your jack in one hand, impact wrench in the other, a jack stand at your feet, and the spare lug nuts in your pocket, you’re ready.

Step 5 - Jacking Push the jack under the car at the spot indicated to ensure contact with the

frame of the car and quickly pump the jack to raise the tire up in the air. Always consider its better to go too far than not far enough. Once you have the car at the appropriate height, place a jack stand under the frame to ensure your own safety when working on the tire should the jack happen to fail.

Step 6 – Tire Removal

Gloves are highly recommended for this step. Apply your impact wrench to each of the lug nuts and allow them to drop on the floor, be aware that they are HOT. Pull the tire off, also considering that every moving part in that area is HOT.

Step 7 – Tire Replacement

Take your predetermined replacement tire, and visually align one of the holes with the top stud. From here it is easy to align the other 3 (or 4 depending on your car). Take out the cold lug nuts from your pocket and break apart the string or wire you had holding them together. Apply each one to the stud on the car with just enough turns so that they wont fall off.

Step 8 – Applying Lug Nuts

Take the impact wrench and pick a random lug nut to apply it to. Pull the trigger and make sure the lug nut seats with the wheel. Repeat for each of the remaining lug nuts. The order of which you tighten them is important for safety purposes. For each of the following lug nuts, you want to go opposite from the previous. View the picture on how to do a four studded wheel.

Once all 4 have been tightened, for safety reasons go over them again with the impact wrench. Pull the trigger enough to be sure they have all been adequately tightened. This is based on your own feel, and serious consequences are unlikely.

Step 10 – Move Along While you are still on the

ground, remove the jack stand from under the car. Be sure to have removed any part of your body from under the car. In one swift motion, stand up, turn the jack handle counter-clockwise, and while the car is being dropped back onto the ground, pull on the handle to ensure the jack is no longer under the car.

The driver of the car should be aware that once the car hits the ground, he or she is free to go. But for added efficiency, be sure to shout a signal word such as “go”.

Step 11 - Satisfaction You have successfully completed

a tire changing pit stop for a race car. Feel free to make your way back into view of the track with a smile on your face knowing you helped out your friend. Now sure, this task can be easier done if there were more people involved in this operation. But you can be just as quick, if not quicker, if all the right steps have been taken to ensure maximum efficiency.