Have Wagga drivers lost the skill of changing a tyre?

It used to be that changing a tyre was a life skill everyone should learn, but it is becoming more of a rarity these days.

Jeff Lange has been working at Wagga Motors for 47 years as a road service patrolman for the NRMA and said he gets called out to change tyres more often these days compared to when he started roadside service in 1968.

“We get uni students – a bunch of them get together and try to change a tyre and the car ends up on the ground,” he said.

“It’s a wonder they don’t get crushed.

“It’s because of some of the dodgy jacks that you get now.

“If you’re not trained to do it, you are risking hurting yourself or damaging the vehicle.

“I can change it in a matter of minutes.”

“Years ago there was an expectation (to be able to change a tyre), but not so much anymore.”

It is more important having this skill in rural areas, as mobile reception can let you down at times, leaving you on your own to fix what is a relatively simple problem.

If you are stranded on the side of the road with no mobile service, Mr Lange said if you did not know how to change a tyre, the best thing to do is to get a passerby to travel on and ring for you when they come into service.

Mr Lange said the NRMA in Wagga was called out to at least two or three tyre changes each day, sometimes more.

“There’s such a major building program around Wagga,” he said 

“Nails and screws are dropping off builders’ trucks everywhere and ending up in car tyres. It’s so common.”

Another thing people do is use the lug wrench the incorrect way.

Instead of loosening the nut by pushing down, a lot of people try to do the job by pulling upwards, which can lead to injured backs.

“I can’t get the message across to people – use gravity and your back’s safe.”

Spacesaver tyres are another issue altogether, Mr Lange said.

“They’re terrible – I call them wheelbarrow wheels,” he said.

But they are better than some cars, which don’t have a spare tyre in the vehicle at all.

“Some manufacturers only provide a compressor,” Mr Lange said.

“Picture yourself on a Saturday – you’re out at Hay on your way to a wedding and you get a big bolt through your tyre.

“That’s the end of the vehicle until the next week. The car has to go on to a tow truck – what do you do with the passengers, you’re stranded.”

“All because the manufacturer hasn’t put a spare in.”

“It shouldn’t be allowed to happen.”

Safety first

Flat tyres always seem to happen in inconvenient places, so make sure you pull over in a safe area, clear of passing traffic, and on a surface that is hard and flat to change it. You should also turn on your car's hazard lights. Ensure the car is in 'park' and apply the handbrake. As an extra safety measure, place a chock (a piece of wood or a brick) under one of the wheels on the opposite side of the car to the flat tyre. 

Use the right equipment

You will need a jack and a wheel brace to replace your flat tyre, both of which should be in the car's boot. Once you have located them, get down on your knees and look for small notches or grooves on the underside of your car (right) - this is where you need to place the jack. Remember, the jack needs a hard surface under it. If you have pulled over onto soft ground, place a solid object underneath the jack. 

Once the jack is in place, slowly turn the handle until you remove some of the car's weight from the flat tyre. 

Loosen the wheel nuts

This is the point at which technique becomes more important than brute strength. Place the wheel brace on one of the wheel nuts (right) and, with a straight arm and a straight back, 'crack' each of the wheel nuts in turn in an anti-clockwise direction (looking at the wheel). You can use your foot on the wheel brace if the brace is a good fit on the nuts and doesn't slip off. 

Keep the wheel brace horizontal to the ground and you'll find that your body weight alone is adequate to loosen the wheel nuts. Now, use the jack to lift the car up so that it is someway off the ground to accommodate the fully inflated tyre.

Remove the wheel

You should now be able to remove the wheel nuts one by one and gently lift the wheel from the car (right). If the wheel will not come free, it could be that corrosion has caused the wheel to stick. If this happens, put one nut back on the wheel and give the wheel a kick in order to free it.

Replace the wheel

Remove your spare wheel from the boot and place it against the car's wheel assembly. By lining up the wheels' holes first, it will make it easier to lift the wheel straight onto the car. Then tighten all the wheel nuts by hand. If you tighten the bottom nut first, it will hold the wheel in place. Using the wheel brace, give all the wheel nuts a small 'nip' to tighten them. The idea is not to tighten the nuts completely at this point because the car is not completely stable while it is still on the jack.

Remove the jack

Unwind the jack slowly until the new wheel takes the weight of the car and then remove it (right). Remember to keep a straight arm and back, and with the wheel brace horizontal to the ground, use the weight of your body to tighten all of the wheel nuts.

Points to remember

You don't need to be a front-row forward to change a tyre successfully. Use your body weight rather than the strength of your arms to loosen and tighten the wheel nuts.

When you place your flat tyre in the boot, remember to secure it to the car. Leaving an unrestrained tyre to slide around can be dangerous. Source: NRMA