Changing a tyre

ElisaAtWar

In this day and age is it possible to actually change a tyre while by the roadside. Now I do have insurance that covers this but I just wonder is it even possible to do it yourself. The bolts holding the tyre are put in place by pressure guns so the hope of getting them off using physical pressure seems unlikely. In which case is there a reason for car manufacturers to provide the typical lifting mechanism and the unbolting mechanism with their cars?

893bet

Of course it is.

A lot of manufacturers have cut out the jack and spare tire to save cost.

Jim_Hodge

Not sure what you're getting at, tbh. Of course it's possible to change a wheel yourself, if the car comes with spare, jack etc.

The wheelnuts can be tight but even an old feeble person like me can do it. My wife can't loosen them but I'm sure most people can.

Many cars don't come with a spare, so I always replace the inflation fit supplied with my own spare and jack.

DoctorEdgeWild

I do it several times a year! (I work on a lot of sites which are absolute messes so that's my bad luck) Absolutely essential for every driver to know how to do this (physical impairment aside obviously).

No decent garage will ever over tighten wheel nuts, just makes their own life more difficult in the future.

John_Rambo

sorry.

Field east

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058426692/changing-a-tyre

some tips

. (1) Whenever the wheel nuts are off smear the threads with copper greese. Makes them easier to take off wheel next time.
.(2) If it is possible add an extension - eg hydrodare water pipe- to the wheel brace. This will increase the leverage and therefor will make the nuts easier to take off

(3) if you get a flat make sure that you keep well in off the road - even on to the grass verge . It is amazing how many drivers still park on the ‘hard surface’ when there is still ample room to keep further in. Is it not better to get possibly stuck on the grass margin and avoid being knocked down as against parking on the road and get whopped?

(4) MAKE SURE that the jack is PROPERLY positioned when jacking up car. Because if not and the jack slips , the wheel , when all the nuts are off but tyre still to be removed , could come down on top of you.

(5) If you have a spare and other solid but bulky objects with you, put them under the car while taking off the tyre . So if the jack slips the car Is still substantially up

(6) make sure the hand brake is on and the car in first gear

‘Enjoy ‘ the experience

greasepalm

I used to be able but not anymore to do it , i even carry a hydraulic jack and extendable wheel brace and a 12 compressor in my boot if and when needed.

I would say at home on level ground and handbrake on loosen nuts on the ground , put jack under the spot for lifting car and have your spare out on the ground so not shaking the car.

Swap over wheels and make sure you put nuts on the correct side and tighten on the ground after nipping them up in the air.

mulbot

Just buy run flats if it's an issue

kirving

My small SUV hasn't got a spare wheel, jack, or any tools, or even space for a wheel. So much for off-road utility, eh?
It does have run flats though, and I keep a compressor and a tyre plug kit in the car, but that won't get me out of every situation.

Lastly, if you have any doubts about your ability to change it, get someone with experience to do it. Never change a tyre on the side of a motorway (or any fast road) without a lookout, and experience of doing it before. The car can slip on a jack, a wheel can roll into traffic, you can trip over something, or you can be simply too engaged in learning a new task that you can forget your surroundings and make a wrong move - and that's before we get to distracted drivers.

I got a blowout one night on a wet motorway in my old car. The tyre was destroyed anyway, but I kept driving on it for about 10-15km until I got off the busy road. If it cost me a new rim too, so be it, no way was I stopping and getting hit.

If you do have to stop, whatever the weather, get out of the car behind the barrier.

Hoboo

…….

greasepalm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123905102#Comment_123905102

We had a customer in a merc who got 2 punctures and kept on driving and would not drive any further as no tyre left and needing 2 new rims. It could many reviews parked out on the road while awaiting for rims and tyres and many posed for a photo beside it. Cant remember any damage from shredding tyre and sparks from his alloys.

Expensive mistake or error.

Dial Hard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123905961#Comment_123905961

Whut???

Foggy Jew

Errmmm. Roadside Assist or Home Start add-ons to your insurance policy. Does exactly what it says on the tin. That’s why I pay a few sheckels extra on my insurance premium. Flat tyre, flat battery, dodgy starting motor, key stuck in ignition, any one of a dozen minor, very fixable complaints & a nice man in a van trundles out to you, usually within the hour, waves his magic wand/spanner/whatever, changes tyre, recharges battery, tows you to a garage - whatever is required, and if you’re lucky, you’re back in business in under 2 hours. I think it might be an extra €40 or €50 onto the premium, but worth every cent.

greasepalm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123906316#Comment_123906316

Funny thing he did our garage insurance

lucalux

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123906369#Comment_123906369

Yeah I have breakdown cover, a full jack, wheel brace and spare tyre, and am able to change a tyre myself. All bases covered

Markus Antonius

Put the wrench on so the handle is pointing in the 9 o clock direction then give it a quick and solid stamp with your foot. It's the only way.

Of course, loosen the nuts before jacking…

EV01

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058426692/changing-a-tyre

Short answer - no. Most new/modern cars don’t have a spare +tools. And most EVs are probably too heavy to lift anyway, especially if parked on anything but a flat +firm surface. Then there’s the other reason: personal safety. Here in England population has exploded in the last 30+ years meaning roads are so much busier increasing the risk of serious injury especially when weather and light conditions are not so good (half the year basically). So we end up more emasculated - unable to do stuff that our forebears happily got stuck into.

EV01

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123905009#Comment_123905009

greasing the bolts/nuts even with copper grease is not, I think, a good idea because it reduces friction thereby changing the required torque and, in some cases, can increase the risk of bolts slackening and becoming loose over time…

kirving

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123906529#Comment_123906529

Yeah, that's true. The energy (torque) that it applied to a bolt is distributed in a few different ways.

Torque = Thread friction + under head friction + bolt stretch. If you reduce thread friction you're stretching the bolt more than otherwise, which isn't necessarily recommended.

John.G

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123906567#Comment_123906567

I've seen numbers of 10% thread friction , 50% under head & 40% bolt stretch.

I've always slackened & re tightened the bolts after a garage wheel change, some garages have torqued them properly, others havn't, requiring a big boot on the wheel brace to slacken. I've also come across a fair few people that have difficulty in lining up the wheel when replacing it to get the first bolt in place, I've always carried a bit of stud iron ( as a dowel) screwed into a bolt hole and then just push the wheel on over this, then remove it after inserting a few more bolts. My mothers 1960s Fiat 600 (& 600Ds) had a permanent dowel on each hub to do this. Incidentally, these cars, and possibly all Fiats of the time had a hand throttle, I often used it as cruise control as you could take your leg off the accelerator, NOT to be recommended.

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123906431#Comment_123906431

Whut???

Field east

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123905009#Comment_123905009

Tip no (7) loosen the nuts - a half turn is plenty- before you start jacking up otherwise the wheel will more than likely spin as you try to ‘crack’ each nut

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123906369#Comment_123906369

Or just buy yourself a cheap air compressor and a cheap battery booster and you won't have to rely on your insurance. Also I've never heard of roadside assistance arriving within the hour. Isn't it usually more like 3 hours+

Marcusm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123906760#Comment_123906760

Only had to use it twice, once arrived in 40 mins (Howth) and other 30 mins (M11 between Arklow and Gorey). I guess it depends on where you are.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123907008#Comment_123907008

Yeah fair enough. You always hear horror stories of people being stuck in their car waiting for hours

J Mysterio

Yes, of course it is possible, and have done it myself a good few times.

As Markus Antonius says, use a wrench to loosen the bolts with a little stamp before jacking.

Once the bolts are off, give the tyre a kick to loosen it and it should come free quite handy.

kirving

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123906640#Comment_123906640

It depends on a lot of things of course, but I've seen the inverse too - that it's ~90% friction and ~10% stretch. There is of course a major safety factor built in, but I can just imagine someone smearing the entire assembly in copper grease and it falling off.

https://www.boltscience.com/pages/Optimum-Fastener-Friction-Value.htm

wingnut

One extra tool I used to carry is a rubber mallet. Some of the older cars I have had the wheels stick to the hub. Its handy to go behind it and give it a few whacks. Another tip I saw for this if it sticks is to swing the spare at it to give it a good wallop on one side.

I have nearly always driven cars that used bolts on the hub and nuts on the wheel. My latest car has bolts for the wheel and threaded hubs and it is way easier to change as a result.

My dad is the kind of guy who always stopped to help change wheels and I have done so a few times, on occasion assistance has been called but no sign of it.

When you are used to doing it you can change a wheel in under 10 minutes handy enough.

hhmmm?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123904902#Comment_123904902

It's not about cost, it's about weight. Every kg they can remove adds up to significant fuel savings over the life of the car especially now that WLTP is a thing. Even more so with EVs, loosing that spare adds more range. Plain and simple. As for what to do with a flat, most new EVs come with seal or runflat tyres and most manufacturers now offer roadside assistance with recovery to the dealer for puncture repairs or free tyre replacement with tyre insurance.

9935452

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123905102#Comment_123905102

I have to admit I got a puncture on the motorway one morning in slightly foggy weather and changed it on the side of the motorway.

Twas the quickest I've ever changed a wheel. I had a milwaukee gun with me and was well pulled in.i had driven on a bit to get a good spot to pull in. Twas frightening tbh.

I'd also be slow on driving on 10 or 15kms. I've seen people drive on happily at 50 or 60mph on flat tyres. Firstly it affects handling and braking. Secondly if the tyre breaks up or comes off the rim and hits someone, it could kill them or cause an accident.

Even run flats are a joke. Herself has them and has driven 30miles home on the flat and they are in shreds after it

ElisaAtWar

Thanks for all the comments. After taking it all in I think it's just best to insure yourself then let the insurance company deal with it. I used to repair cars, washing machines, so much more with my Dad. But that was when you could fix these things.