You never know when you will hear
that flapping sound of a flat tyre!
It can happen on any road, on any
surface, in any weather conditions and at any time of the day or night. So best
is, be prepared.
4 key essentials
1.
Have the required tools
2.
Nice to have tools
3.
Vehicle maintenance
4.
Safe location
Tools needed:
1.
The car manufacturer supplies your car with all
the tools needed to change the tyre.
2. You can also check the owner’s manual of your
vehicle to check whether you have all the required tools.
3.
Regularly check and inspect the tools for
completeness, items that need to be changed, rusted items or out of date items.
4.
If your car didn’t come with these tools, you
can buy it from an automobile or car parts shop.
5.
Check the spare tyre’s pressure and tread on a
regular basis.
6.
You will need the following:
a.
Spare tyre
b.
A jack
c.
Nut wrench
d.
Sharp knife to remove cable ties if used
e.
Tyre blocks to prevent the car from moving
f.
Emergency warning triangle
Nice to have tools
1. Surgical or plastic gloves to keep your hands protected and clean.
2.
Wipes or water to clean your hands afterwards.
3.
A mat to kneel on and protect your clothing and
knees.
4.
Disposable or plastic raincoat in the event of
bad weather.
5.
Flashlight or headlight and extra batteries for
when it is dark.
6.
Cash in the event of paying for something.
Vehicle maintenance
1.
Before going on a trip, get your car checked or
where necessary, have it serviced.
2.
Check your tyres and the spare tyre for correct
pressure, good thread and no signs of deterioration.
Safe location
1.
Be aware of your surroundings. Make sure it is
safe.
2.
Get as far away as possible from oncoming
traffic.
3.
Place the warning triangles at a safe distance
behind your vehicle.
4.
Check the surface. You can’t change a tyre on
soft, loose, uneven ground or on a hill.
5.
Remove all passengers from the vehicle and move
them to a save place. If it is only you and your small children, leave them
buckled up in the car.
Step-by-step guide on changing a tyre
1.
Get all your gear from the back of the car.
2.
Loosen the lug nuts.
3.
Lifting the car with a jack.
4.
Removing the tyre.
5.
Fitting the spare tyre.
6.
Lowering the vehicle.
7.
Clearing the scene.
Loosen the lug nuts
- Get the tyre block in place or place a heavy object against the front or back tyres to block possible vehicle movement forward or backwards.
- There is usually a mark behind the front wheels or in front of the rear wheels where the jack must be placed. Check that the jack is in contact with the metal portion of your car's frame.
- Raise the jack until it is supporting (but not lifting) the car. The jack should be firmly in place against the underside of the vehicle.
- Loosen the lug nuts (counter-clockwise), but don’t remove them just yet.
Lifting the car with a jack
- Lift the car with the jack. Use fluid, even strokes when lifting the car.
- You need to lift it high enough to remove the flat tyre and replace it with a spare.
- As you lift, make sure that the car is stable. If
you notice any instability, lower the jack and fix the problem before
fully lifting the car.
- Never put your body underneath a car lifted by a
car jack in case the vehicle slips off.
- Take off the loosened lug nuts and put them to the
side. Secure them safely so they will not scatter and roll away, especially
in the dark.
- Remove the flat tyre. Do so slowly using both
hands, lifting the wheel (on or off) with your hands in a 'ten minutes to
four' position (or 'ten minutes past eight' if left-handed).
- Never place your hands directly under the wheel, or
put your leg or any part of your body under the car while it's jacked up.
- Place the flat tyre under the vehicle so in the
event of a jack failure the vehicle will fall on the old wheel, hopefully
preventing injury.
- This will also ensure that the tyre doesn't roll
away from you.
- Glide the spare tyre onto the tyre bolts, pushing
it back as far as it can go.
- Take care to align the rim of the spare tyre with
the wheel bolts, and then put on the lug nuts.
- Tighten the nuts by hand as much as you can until
they are all snug.
- Put the lug nuts back on the tyre bolts in an
alternating star pattern.
- Using the wrench, tighten the nuts as much as
possible using a star pattern. To ensure the tyre is balanced, don't
completely tighten the nuts one at a time. Going in a star pattern around
the tire, one nut across from another, give each nut a full turn until
they are equally tight.
- Remove the flat tyre from underneath the car.
- Slowly lower the vehicle and remove the jack.
- With the car back on the ground, you can now
tighten the lug nuts.
- Rather than tightening them one by one in order,
start with one lug nut, tighten it about 50%, move to the opposite nut
(across the circle) and tighten that one about the same amount.
- Keep tightening opposite lug nuts gradually in turn
until each lug nut is as tight as it can be.
- Press on the end of the wrench for the best
leverage. You can even use your foot, but make sure to keep your balance
and steady yourself against the car.
- Once the lug nuts are tightened, put your flat tyre
and tools back in your trunk.
- Make sure you don't leave anything on the side of
the road.
- Collect your emergency triangle or traffic cones.
Happy organizing!
