Changing a car tyre

[cornish]

So our lovely neighbours continue to be fabulous.

My nice neighbour just rang me to say my tyre is down. I went out to look and it has a big screw screwed part-way into the side of the rear tyre. It's completely flat.

I've gone through all the helpful but ultimately pointless police palaver.

I have to pick himself up from school at 3.15. I can walk in to get him but he can't walk back from town and then up the mountain so i need to take the car. I need to change the tyre having never done so before so have questions. . .

Where do i put the jack to lift the car without damaging it? Do i just undo all the bolts, take the wheel off then do up all the bolts again?
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[Mr.Everready]

There should be a mark where the jack goes, it'll also tell you in your handbook.
Undo the bolts slightly while the tyre is on the ground, jack it up, undo the nuts, remove wheel and do same in return.
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[.....]

Loosen the bolts before you jack the car up.

Have you had a look on the jack? Sometimes it shows the jacking points on a sticker on the jack.

[Easter Bunny]

Its normally not very far from each wheel, normally a gap in the sill.


make sure you loosen the wheel nuts a tad before you jack the car!
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[Easter Bunny]

and tighten fully once on the ground again


what car is it?
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[cornish]

fantastic, thank you chaps. No manual sorry. Hence i'm on here asking probably obvious questions

I've found a notch bit in the to put the jack in, cheers. The hub-cap is a twangy and flimsy looking plastic thing do i just lever it off or is there a special non-snapping way to remove it?

EDIT: ignore that. Just twanged it off with a flat-head screwdriver
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[Aff]

Will just be 4-5 clips that hold it on the seam around the edge of the rim, should just be able to pry it out, make sure its not cable tied on though.
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[neatbik]

Just go round the edge of it pulling slightly and it should come off.

Do you know that your spare wheel is good? Make sure first.
As the others said, slightly loosen the wheel bolts/nuts first before you jack the car up, unless its one of the rears - the handbrake will hold it.

Swap the wheels over, make sure you tighten the nuts/bolts up properly. I'm guessing you dont have a torque wrench.. So in that case pretty bloody tight will suffice.

Then take it to have the tyre plugged, providing its repairable. Dont pay too much though, especially if the tread is low. New tyres in your size (Ford Ka?) can be picked up pretty cheap.

[Rogerborg]

Sidewall = no repair.

Like fcuk would I rely on a handbrake to hold a wheel in place. I've rocked a car while heaving hard on my nuts while it had all 4 wheels on the ground and the handbrake on.

Don't surprised if the supplied wrench is completely inadequate for loosening off the nuts. You might need a lot more leverage than it provides - a length of pipe is ideal. If you can't budge any of them, call that plumber who fixed your shower and tell him you need him back pronto to <mumble>pipe... nuts... rim....</mumble>
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[cornish]

That's cracking, thank you chaps! All done - woo hoo!

No torque wrench beatnck2 but did them up as tight as they were before (grunty-noise-tight ).

Hadn't considered a repair so will go have a nose after the school run, be nice boy-thing for himself to do. Spare was all ok. . . .although i have never checked it before so that was just luck

I really appreciate your help everyone. I was in the mood to sit and snivel when i found out what had been done to it, i feel lots better now it's sorted. Will try and find somewhere else to park it as clearly i can't leave it outside the house any more
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[cornish]

[Walloper]

[daemonoid]

[cornish]

ah, probably a missing tool then. Ours has the jack and the tyre nut thing but nothing else. But i'm glad i found that out here

i will be careful too, thank you. Both roads off the mountain are really steep and have lots of manhole covers. The death drop one (The Bowjey) is dead short zig-zag lane and is insanely steep, but has three manhole covers in a row across it's width on the apex of both bends Tiny Cornish calls it The Scare-jey and thinks it's 'fun' going down it
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[Easter Bunny]

Good Job
Its always good to see folk attempt to change their tyres instead of waiting for recovery to do it for them


Do you think was done deliberately?
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[cornish]

I think so. We've had a lot of problems with one neighbour down the road. The screw was sticking out horizontally from the side of the tyre and was only a inch or so away from the hub-cap so it can't be something i drove over

The police can't get finger prints from tyres apparently as they are too dirty and the screw is also extremely unlikely. They're sending someone out 'soon' tho. Ultimately they won't be able to do anything but we are attempting to get moved so i have to log everything with them.

I have to find somewhere to park the car that's close enough so we can use it but not where they'll be able to easily find it. I'd park it miles away and walk but Himself could do without a hike to and from school every day.

Boo
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[Walloper]

[cornish]

That's worth knowing, thank you. We've not had any trouble from her for a bit and i was hoping she'd given up/died of explosive dysentery/been sent back to Mordor to make the orks feel prettier.

Hope it's just a random screw (snigger)
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[T0MMY]

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

This thread has reminded me to check the tyre pressure of the spare....

[Martay]

[binge]

Spare wheel carrier on a KA is bloody dog shite.

The nut in the boot floor is indeed the same as the wheel nuts. (19mm).

But undoing it with the little wheel brace they give you is tedious. Especially if the thread on the cage bracket is slightly rusty, as it means you cant just crack it off, and spin it down by hand. You need to undo it 1/3 turn at a time, as there is no room to get in there.


3/8" battery nut gun, extension, and a 19mm UJ socket for the win. Can get it on there, and have the spare out in seconds.



Regarding the puncture. Got a picture of it. I repair my tyres if they are punctured outside of the "allowed" zone, which is generally the central thee quarters of the treaded area.

Full on sidewall repairs are a little bit naughty. But if it's still on the treaded part of the tyre, I'd fix it.

[Walloper]

This thread has remined me I need to inject Punturesafe into my new bike tyres. (and he new tyres on the cage too.)

walloper doesn't do punctures.
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[cornish]

[Minty]

That didnt get in there by chance. No way.
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