For a lot of women, their idea of changing a tyre, is standing on the side of the highway, next to their “going nowhere slowly car” with their hand on their hip, lips pouted and chest out – After all, some dumbstruck male is going to jump at the opportunity to be around your fabulousness. But , although smart – that route is not always safest. You never know who or what is coming to your rescue.
My idea of changing a tyre is calling my husband on the phone and asking him to assist me or to send someone to personally change my tyre – what can I say – It comes with being the (regional) bosses wife. I deserve a few perks (wink, wink, nudge, nudge). But in all seriousness, too many girls out there (I’ll even confess to this one) have no idea how to change a tyre. And with all those pot holes on our very “well maintained” roads – we need to learn – Fast.
After all we spend a lot of time in our cars – driving to and from work or zipping to the shops and back. We’ve even mastered a few tricks to apply our makeup, effortlessly while chatting to our girlfriends and thinking about tonights’ supper – all at once. We’re absolute pros when it comes to squeezing into the last open parking space on Christmas Eve, to do some last minute shopping, and we somehow manage to get away with a lot of driving oopsies just by flashing our fabulous smiles. But ask a girl to change a tyre and more than a handful are completely clueless.
So, I decided to get hubby to help me put this quick “how to change your tyre guide” together. So ladies, from a man who knows his stuff (and Im not just talking about tyres) *evil grin*, here goes:
A simple Step by step guide on changing your spare tyre
The first thing you need to do is get to the side of the road safely. Stay calm, do not panic! Put your Hazard Lights on, and slowly lifting your foot off the accelerator move over to the side of the road, without making any sudden braking or steering moves.
Preparation
1) Once you have pulled over to the side of the road make sure you are on flat ground, and that you have pulled over far enough to be safely away from the traffic. Put your handbrake on, and ensuring the engine is turned off, put the car in 1st gear if it’s a manual, or park if it’s an automatic.
2) Now that your car is safely stopped and parked, get out and put your safety triangle up about at least 20m before your car. It’s safer to get out of the passengers side if you can, otherwise, make sure you get out and stay as close to the car as possible, while moving to the back of it. You will also need to get your tools – You’ll need the jack, wheel spanner and of course the spare. (I would recommend everyone buys a 4-way wheel spanner to keep in your boot, as they are much easier to use than the L shaped one supplied with most vehicles.)
3) Read the instructions on using your jack. The instructions will usually be somewhere near where the jack is stored. These instructions will tell you if there are any special steps you need to take for your specific vehicle.
Changing The Spare
1) If your wheels have hubcaps remove the hubcap. The wheel spannner supplied with your vehicle will usually have a flat end, which you can use for this. Otherwise a screwdriver will work. Some vehicles will have nutcovers on the wheelnuts and there should be a tool supplied in your vehicle to remove these.
2) Before you jack up the vehicle, you need to loosen the wheelnuts a bit. Just slightly to break them loose. As soon as the nut starts to turn, take it as your cue to stop loosening. Remember always turn against the clock to loosen, and with the clock to tighten.
3) Jack up the vehicle, following the instructions for your manufacturer. Most vehicles will have a lip, or jacking point where the jack can be placed. If you can’t find this, look for a solid part on your vehicle to jack on. Make sure the jack is on solid, level ground. Start jacking slowly, until the wheel is completely off the ground.
4) Use the wheel spanner to remove the wheel nuts, then take the wheel off and put it aside.
5) Get the spare and put it on the vehicle. Tighten the nuts as much as you can without the wheel turning. They don’t have to be completely tight, as you’ll tighten them properly once the vehicle is back on the ground.
6) Jack the car back down slowly. Once the vehicle is on the ground tighten the nuts properly. Tighten one nut, skip one, then tighten the next. Do this until they are all tight.
7) Drive to your nearest Tiger Wheel & Tyre and get your tyre repaired or replaced as soon as possible.
So that’s it from the pro. Ladies, remember Tiger Wheel & Tyre also have a fabulous range of the hottest mags on the market. So pimp your wheels and have a squiz at their sexy, shiny mags while you’re waiting for your car to be looked after. Mags are like designer shoes for cars, and now is a good time to start hinting which mags you want for Christmas 🙂