We can change a tyre!

With less than a month to go until registration day we’ve been quite good at ticking the fun things off our Put Foot To-do list – like looking at route and ogling at pictures of Mozambican beaches – but there are still quite a lot of not-so-fun things that we have been avoiding. For me the most dreaded of these was to come to grips with changing a tyre. So you can imagine my delight when I discovered a flat on a bitterly cold Joburg morning! It wasn’t fun, and it did take me ages making me late for work, but I am proud to say that I can now change a tyre on my own and am feeling a lot more rally ready.

FML.

What you will need:

Tools.

Step 0: Get the spare out and check it’s not flat. You may need a screwdriver to remove the hubcap from the wheel.

Step 1: Begin loosening the wheel nuts – you might be thinking “WHOA! Slow down, bitch forgot the jack”  – but it’s a good idea to loosen the nuts just a little first as sometimes if they are very tight you’ll need to give the thingie a solid thump which could knock the car off the jack. Remember 'Righty tighty, lefty loosey' – I'm embarrassed to say this may be the only thing I've taken from 8 years of engineering but it’s pretty frustrating to put in all your might only to discover you are actually tightening the nut.

Step 2: Raise the car on the jack.

I'm sorry I'm not more attractive.

Step 3: Remove the wheel nuts properly. All together now: 'Righty tighty, lefty loosey’

Step 4: Remove wheel and replace with spare. If you forgot Step 0 and your spare is flat you will be hating life right about now.

Step 5: Replace nuts and tighten.

Righty Tighty.

Step 6: Remove from jack and give wheel nuts a final tighten. DONE!

Step 7: Take photo to document your achievement.