It’s a fact of life some of us will be better at certain things than others. You might lament your lack of mechanical know-how, especially if your old man was a dab hand at repairing autos.
That’s OK; not every motorist is going to be a whizz at fine-tuning what’s under the hood. However, if you drive it’s worth knowing how to do some basic car jobs such as changing a tire, for example.
If it hasn’t already, the day will probably come you’ll suffer a blowout at the most inconvenient moment. Would you prefer to sit on the roadside despairing at being stranded or get down to business on attaching the spare so you can get moving again?
Changing a tire isn’t complicated or time-consuming. However, there are ways in which you can make it very easy or difficult for yourself.
If at all possible, the first thing to do is get your car to a quiet, off-road location where you have ample room to carry out the change. You don’t want to be changing tires alongside a ditch as dozens of other cars whizz by just a few inches away from you.
You should also make sure you’re on steady, even ground so the tires will be balanced once the change is finished.
When you get a bit of time at home, practice changing your tire. Bring your kids with you so they can learn this skill as well.
You’ll have the luxury of not being under time pressure and having all the necessary tools to call upon, without the potential danger of traffic zooming by. That way, if you end up having a blowout mid-journey, you’ll remember what to do and the change will probably be seamless.
That’s assuming you haven’t committed a rookie mistake such as jacking the car up on the plastic frame rather than the metal one.
This infographic from First Aid Wheels (www.fawheels.co.uk) points out some of the fundamental do’s and don’ts of changing a tire. It’s an easy job to manage, provided you don’t fall for the common errors many motorists commit.
