What the tire change visit includes

1. You call and say where you are and whether you have a spare. If your car came with a sealant kit instead of a spare, say so. That changes the plan.
2. The driver sets up safely: the car positioned out of traffic as much as possible, hazard lights on, work kept on the side away from moving vehicles.
3. The flat comes off and your spare goes on, lug nuts tightened in the right pattern and checked before the car comes back down.
4. The flat tire goes in your trunk so you can take it to a tire shop for repair or replacement.
5. You drive gently on the spare. Most spares are temporary donuts rated for short distances at lower speeds. Head to a tire shop, not out on the highway for a long run.

When a tire change is not enough

• No spare, or the spare is flat. Spares lose air sitting in the trunk for years. If yours is flat, a tow to a tire shop is the fix.
• The wheel is bent or cracked from a pothole or curb strike. A spare may not seat right, or there may be suspension damage underneath.
• Two tires down. One spare cannot fix two flats.
• Lug nuts seized or a locking lug with no key. Sometimes a wheel simply will not come off at the roadside. Towing to a shop with the right tools is the honest answer.
• The spot is too dangerous. On a narrow shoulder with fast traffic, loading the car on a flatbed and changing the tire somewhere safe is the smarter call.

Why tires fail around Pueblo

Construction debris and screws on streets near job sites cause the slow punctures that show up as a flat morning tire. Potholes after freeze and thaw cycles bend rims on the older streets in Bessemer and the East Side. Summer is the big one, though: underinflated tires overheat on hot pavement at highway speed, and a worn tire that survived winter lets go on a July drive to Colorado Springs. Checking your spare's air once in a while, before you need it, is the cheapest insurance there is.

Stay safe with a flat on the highway

What it costs

A tire change is a service call, priced on the phone before dispatch, and cheaper than a tow in the usual case. If the job turns into a tow, you will get that price on the phone too. The cost guide explains both.