adminAbel Zhakata
This week we are going to teach each other the basics when changing damaged tyres on the road.
Before we do anything, I came across results of a research conducted by tyre manufacturer Continental, which revealed that men find a woman who change a tyre very sexy.
The research was done among male drivers. Fifty-nine percent of those interviewed said if they saw a lady changing a tyre they would insist on offering assistance – while another 15 percent said they would stop and offer their contact numbers rather than help.
What was scary, however, was that a quarter of respondents wouldn’t stop to help, fearing it might be a trap or a potential highjack opportunity.
Well let’s get back to the business of the day and enlighten each other on how best to change damaged tyres on the road.
Firstly, is it safe to stop? If the area’s dark, desolate or dodgy, keep moving, sister. Drive slowly to the nearest garage or to a safer, well-lit area.
Find a flat, stable and safe place to park, pull up the handbrake and switch on your hazard lights. Make sure you’re a safe distance from passing traffic and pop up your safety triangle.
Take out your jack, wheel spanner and spare tyre.
Place the jack firmly against the underside of the car and raise it until it is supporting but not lifting the car. Remove the hubcap (if you have one) and loosen the nuts only slightly by using the wrench to turn them anti-clockwise, but
DO NOT REMOVE them.
Crank the jack to lift the tyre off the ground – high enough to remove the flat tyre and replace it with a spare. Remove the nuts the rest of the way.
Remove the tyre. It might be stuck due to rust – try using the spare tyre to hit the outside half. Once the flat tyre is off, place the spare tyre on the hub and put on the nuts.
Tighten the nuts by hand until they are all snug. Avoid using too much force – besides breaking a nail, you could unbalance the jack.
Lower the car without applying full weight on the tyre. Tighten the nuts as much as possible by going in a star pattern around the tyre, one nut across from another, give each nut a full turn until they are equally tight.
Pack away the flat tyre and the tools. Use the wet wipes to clean any nasty grease or dirt off your hands.
Online Reporter