changing a spare wheel

[Haplo2481]

I've just spent the last two hours rescueing my sister in law because she doesn't know how to change a wheel. She hit a kerb on the way to work and neither her or the three other women in the car knew what to do. she's 45 and it never occured to me that she wouldn't know how to do something that I've known how to do for twenty odd years.

It might be an idea for people to check that their family members can help themselves in everyday scenarios like this. Trust me, I will be checking with all my family and suggesting training and some helpful items to be stored in their cars. My sister in law enjoyed my self heating can of hot chocolate from my car kit while I changed her tyre

[ynotshi]

lucky she had a spare wheel most modern cars have only tyre weld now and this can cause confusion when they open there boot and find a can but no wheel . its also a good idea to buy an extension bar for your tyre wrench because its easier for a woman to get the nuts of as i found out when my partner asked if she could try but on my car the wheel nuts are set at 115 nm which she could stand on the wrench and still not loosen the wheel nuts.
hope you charged family rates

[preppingsu]

I know that I do not have the physical strength to change a tyre, so part of my prepping I pay for breakdown insurance!

[12mp82]

part of my prepping I pay for breakdown insurance!

A lot of people do and is one of the important preps for anyone who drives a car, today a burst tyre, but tomorrow it might be a lot more serious like a blown gasket

[Haplo2481]

i'll pass your ideas on to my brother cheers. I'm in the AA but she isn't. When my car never used to cost more than £300 I needed backup

[Paul_H]

had this a few times now and a couple of cars just stopped in not the most sensible of places all for a flat.

As for the physical strength a good long nut wrench and knowing how to use it can make up the difference failing that a good sized club hammer can also help crack them off once there cracked there nice and easy to get off its just the lifting of the wheel off and on that can be a bit demanding but there are techniuqes to that. I find kneeling down and resting the rim on my thights can help but then im used to a 16" 4x4 rim and not your average 13" one. I did my partners mums car just after xmas and was shocked at how light a 13" rim was compared to mine with a 4x4 tyre on it.

I would say once its a bit dryer go make a brew and have a go at taking the rim off and back on again if you know someone who can talk you through it and give you advice as you go great. In a SHTF and a bug out knowing how to do it yourself will be invaluable I would imagine.

Never say never you might surprise yourself

[jansman]

I know that I do not have the physical strength to change a tyre, so part of my prepping I pay for breakdown insurance!

Our car is really my Wife's.So RAC 4 star cover is in place. Now,give me a chain breaker and set of Allen keys, and I can strip a bicycle in 30 minutes!

[poppypiesdad]

I know that I do not have the physical strength to change a tyre, so part of my prepping I pay for breakdown insurance!

Our car is really my Wife's.So RAC 4 star cover is in place. Now,give me a chain breaker and set of Allen keys, and I can strip a bicycle in 30 minutes!

Don't forget a set of cone spanners , Bb tool, gear tool , chain whip , headset spanners and whatever fancy shimmy tool you need to undo there latest release ,

J

[piglet]

This might save someone a lot of hassle someday.......

I drive a lot, know how to change a tyre, and have done several times.
But one time I couldnt. The wheel simply refused to come off.
Several gentlemen stopped and attempted to asist, but none were able to remove the wheel.

Eventually I had to resort to the recovery service who, on inspection, advised me that a small amount a grease should have been applied to the back of the wheel on initial fitting (it was a new car), to prevent the wheel from basically 'glueing/welding' it's self to the hub.

His method of removal was to get behind the 'offending' wheel and repeatedly hit it with a club hammer until the wheel released. But, he also made it quite clear that under no condition should that be attempted whilst using the jack supplied with the car, but must only be done whilst the car is supported by a professional heavy duty trolley jack, that most of us are not likely to be carrying in our car.
He advised that all the other wheels should be checked asap and a little grease applied to the rear of each.

On that occasion it was a nice bright day on a wide level tarmac road... The conditions could have been a lot worse.

piglet

[junmist]

I know that I do not have the physical strength to change a tyre, so part of my prepping I pay for breakdown insurance!

Same here Su I found this out when I was still a teenager, My father had spent some time showing me how to change a tyer even to standing on the crowbar thing to use my body wieght nothing worked to get the nuts unscrewed so phoned the RAC felt so embarrised, but the breakdown man said that there was no way I could have undone them as they had beed put on with a machine he got his out and undid them in seconds told me to tell the garages to hand tighten them which I did for years and still couldn't get the things off. so now I just get the Rac out every time.