Poll: Can you change a flat tyre on your car?
- Thread starter kindai
- Start date
A spacer saver and run flats will only get you so far. Space savers are only rated for 50mph and as for run flats you can only travel for a maximum of 50 miles at a max 50mph in their deflated state. If, like I was, you are 150 miles from home with nothing but motorways between you and there and it's 10pm, run flats are useless. Just not worth the handling compromise and the additional cost of them.
I'd highly recommend those that don't carry a spare to get yourself a tyre puncture repair kit (rubber strings & tool) or tyre repair nails (rubber screw plugs) along with a compressor and torch. You'll be able to fix most punctures and be on your way before the recovery service bloke has switched his engine on.
I'd highly recommend those that don't carry a spare to get yourself a tyre puncture repair kit (rubber strings & tool) or tyre repair nails (rubber screw plugs) along with a compressor and torch. You'll be able to fix most punctures and be on your way before the recovery service bloke has switched his engine on.
Man of Honour
As an ex Michelin Apprentice we used to have competitions who could change a spare tyre onto a wheel the quickest so I can still remember how to do it.
Plenty of soap and a crowbar.
Plenty of soap and a crowbar.
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Nowadays my cars have runflats so no spare.
Years ago was always happy to change wheel myself unless it was on the drivers side on a dual carriageway or motorway. Way to scary to be close to high speed passing traffic.
Failed one time though, couldnt get the wheel nuts off since the tyre place had gone a bit too slapp happy with the chugga chugga gun. Ended up calling break down out. he used a HGV wheel bar which was over a meter long and he still couldnt get them to budge. Ended up putting a scaffolding pole on and making a 10 foot lever which he still had to jump up onto and put all his weight on and bounce to get them free! I never had a chance.
So since then i always undid the wheels nuts and torqued them properly after the car has been in the garage for anything wheel related.
Years ago was always happy to change wheel myself unless it was on the drivers side on a dual carriageway or motorway. Way to scary to be close to high speed passing traffic.
Failed one time though, couldnt get the wheel nuts off since the tyre place had gone a bit too slapp happy with the chugga chugga gun. Ended up calling break down out. he used a HGV wheel bar which was over a meter long and he still couldnt get them to budge. Ended up putting a scaffolding pole on and making a 10 foot lever which he still had to jump up onto and put all his weight on and bounce to get them free! I never had a chance.
So since then i always undid the wheels nuts and torqued them properly after the car has been in the garage for anything wheel related.
Soldato
- Joined
- 18 Mar 2010
- Posts
- 4,119
I have runflats, so no spare tire.
Soldato
I could only change the tyre on my motorbikes - I do not have the tools to change a flat tyre.
If by change I do have a puncture I am capable to jack up the car and change the wheel with the flat tyre on it then take it to tyre place and have them remove tyre from rim and fix the tyre.
If by change I do have a puncture I am capable to jack up the car and change the wheel with the flat tyre on it then take it to tyre place and have them remove tyre from rim and fix the tyre.
The kits that come with a car are rubbish in my experience.
I carry my own kit including a massive 3 foot long wrench to get the bolts off easily, a proper full size car jack and torque wrench to put the bolts back correctly to the right tightness. Its much easier with good tools as with all jobs of course.
I also have a spare alternator and starter motor i got from a breakers yard and tyre inflator, jump leads etc...
On a busy road though you can get killed in no time so I don't recommend it.
I carry my own kit including a massive 3 foot long wrench to get the bolts off easily, a proper full size car jack and torque wrench to put the bolts back correctly to the right tightness. Its much easier with good tools as with all jobs of course.
I also have a spare alternator and starter motor i got from a breakers yard and tyre inflator, jump leads etc...
On a busy road though you can get killed in no time so I don't recommend it.
I can change a tyre and of course have done in the past.
However, after reading through a few posts in this thread, I have realised that none of my cars have a spare. So that'll be a recovery job!
Thankfully, that's covered under the car's warranty and/or insurance policy.
However, after reading through a few posts in this thread, I have realised that none of my cars have a spare. So that'll be a recovery job!
Thankfully, that's covered under the car's warranty and/or insurance policy.
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a trolley jack ?
stable ground always looks like an issue versus changing them in the driveway, so if the cars jack, like bm ones, inserts into the sills, you, just, have the base of the jack to stabilize,
(I use a piece of wood at home on paved drive) - obviously need to crack the nuts before raising the car anyway.
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
Man of Honour
It's amazing how many people have replied without reading this part
and most people have replied about changing a tyre when they actually mean changing the wheel.
I voted recovery.
I can change a wheel and have done in the past. I didn’t need anyone to teach me how to do it, it’s pretty obvious what to do with the tools provided.
However, I have broken down on the side of an extremely busy dual carriageway at peak times. I stopped on the slip road and the police held the traffic so I could limp down to a lay-by about 300m up the road to get me out of harms way. The police did ask me if recovery was on the way (it was!) after asking why I had stopped. I have no doubt that if I had said no at that point I would have been in the same situation as that other post.
While the recovery guy was getting me loaded up he had a brown trouser moment after a lorry started straying towards the lay-by. He told me after how many people doing his job are killed and I had no reason not to believe him.
So yeh after seeing that, I’d never do it myself on a live road and always call recovery.
My car doesn’t have a spare or run flats anyway so it’s by the by these days. The tyres are also foam filled so I doubt the gunk would work although I do carry it. Recovery is coming either way.
I can change a wheel and have done in the past. I didn’t need anyone to teach me how to do it, it’s pretty obvious what to do with the tools provided.
However, I have broken down on the side of an extremely busy dual carriageway at peak times. I stopped on the slip road and the police held the traffic so I could limp down to a lay-by about 300m up the road to get me out of harms way. The police did ask me if recovery was on the way (it was!) after asking why I had stopped. I have no doubt that if I had said no at that point I would have been in the same situation as that other post.
While the recovery guy was getting me loaded up he had a brown trouser moment after a lorry started straying towards the lay-by. He told me after how many people doing his job are killed and I had no reason not to believe him.
So yeh after seeing that, I’d never do it myself on a live road and always call recovery.
My car doesn’t have a spare or run flats anyway so it’s by the by these days. The tyres are also foam filled so I doubt the gunk would work although I do carry it. Recovery is coming either way.
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Man of Honour
Just remembered an incident I had back in 1975 with a Mini Clubman.
I picked my mate up to go to a concert and on the way my car started rattling at the front. I got out, lifted up the bonnet but couldn't see anything but on the way was a cousin who worked for the AA.
The rattling got worse and just on approaching his house I saw my front passenger wheel rolling down the road, my car then slumped to the left and onto the wing causing a bit of damage.
My Cousin's conclusion was that somebody had deliberately loosened all 8 nuts on front and rear wheels passenger side because the rear was also on the way to come off
I picked my mate up to go to a concert and on the way my car started rattling at the front. I got out, lifted up the bonnet but couldn't see anything but on the way was a cousin who worked for the AA.
The rattling got worse and just on approaching his house I saw my front passenger wheel rolling down the road, my car then slumped to the left and onto the wing causing a bit of damage.
My Cousin's conclusion was that somebody had deliberately loosened all 8 nuts on front and rear wheels passenger side because the rear was also on the way to come off
yes a trolley jack and it can be tricky.
I managed ok the three times I have had to do it for real but no chance i would do it on a busy road with cars whizzing past
Man of Honour
Soldato
Get down to your local sheet metal dealers and buy a 6” x 6“ piece of 1/4” steel “barley corn” plate. They probably have off cuts that size for not a lot of money.
Stops the OEM sinking into soft ground or slipping on stony ground and the raised “barley corn” checkering will stop the bottom of the jack slipping off the plate.