Don’t let punctures deflate you!
By H. Kishie Singh

THE tyre is flat. What to do?

There is a very definite procedure to be followed while changing a tyre. In most cars the jack and rod are placed in such a place that it is necessary to remove the spare wheel before gaining access to the jack and rod. The wheel brace, used to undo the wheel nuts, is usually in the tool kit.

There is a good reason for this. The manufacturer knows the dangers involved in changing wheels and has arranged to make you follow a procedure.

First bring the car to a halt where it won’t interfere with the flow of traffic. This is essential for your own safety. If the on-side tyre is punctured then put some sort of a warning sign behind the vehicle to keep traffic away from the punctured car. If you were driving abroad, you would be obliged to a place safety triangle 50 metres away from the car. This is the most appropriate time to use hazard flashers.

After stopping the car, put the car in gear and apply the hand brake. It may be necessary to chock the wheels i.e. put a stone or brick in the front and back of the tyre diagonally opposite to the punctured tyre. And remember to move these stones when you move off.

Now remove the spare wheel and place it next to the tyre to be changed. Stand it up against the car body. Loosen the wheel nuts. Only then should you hack up the car. Follow manufacturers recommendations on where to place the jack. There are usually points for the jack to fit. When the flat tyre no longer rests on the road give the jacking rod another few twists to really clear the tyre off the road. The spare wheel, fully inflated, will need more space to fit in. Make that space now.

Remove the jacking rod and place it on the ground. Do not leave it connected to the jack. Someone may touch the rod, move the jack and the car will fall off the jack. A dangerous thing to happen.

Once the car is up, visually check if the jack is straight. Only when satisfied that all is in order, remove the nuts, already loosened, and gently remove the punctured wheel. Do not jerk or shake the vehicle. Put the wheel aside and swiftly and smoothly refit the spare wheel. Align the holes of the rim to the studs and gently slide the wheel back on. Hold the tyre from the sides, and not from the top or bottom, for in case something goes wrong your fingers might not get caught between the tyre and the tarmac.

Put the wheel nuts back on and tighten as much as you can with your fingers. After satisfying yourself that the wheel is on properly, lower the jack. Now tighten the wheel nuts fully with the wheel brace.

Put jack, rod, wheel brace and wheel where they belong. Remove the brick or stone and go straight home to wash your hands!

You have just performed the dirtiest job a driver has to do. The wheel drives through mud, slush, cow dung and other ‘ugh’ things. Handling it is really a filthy task.

Changing wheels is about the only thing you need to know. The hi-tech cars these days come without a tool kit and have made the screw-driver redundant.

I imagined that everyone would know how to change a wheel, but the other day I saw a horrifying sight on road. A Gypsy was jacked up on skinny scissors jack (most inadequate in my opinion), the puncture tyre was off and the driver was attempting to remove the spare wheel from the rear gate. Very dangerous. The driver had read the procedure guide backwards, he was doing the first task last!

Another helpful hint. If ever you are working on the car at home and need to jack it up, make sure there is a second person to help you. Never crawl under a car that is on a jack, use additional rigid supports.

Your personnel safety should be your permanent concern.

Happy motoring!

This feature was published on September 4, 1999