The Great Tyre Adventure, Part 1
It is only now I realise that I haven't told you all about Leela's car.
Monday morning started normally enough - got up, had breakfast, Leela left, I started work. Ok, I started reading the morning webcomics, but I was going to start work right after, honest. Only Leela came back in while I was in the middle of User Friendly.
She knew when she set off that something wasn't right with her car, and gave up at the end of the road. We could see the problem - there was a very big screw in the top of a tyre, which had made it very very flat.
We decided that the best course of action was for me to pop her to work in my car, and I'd then replace her flat with the spare tyre, and for she could take it to a garage at the weekend to have the flat replaced and put back on properly.
Now there was one little details I forgot to mention when we agreed this plan - I've never actually changed a tyre. There was that one time when I came close, but this was to be my first solo operation. And so, being the good little geek I am, my first stop was Google. 'Sounds easy enough, dunno what all the fuss is about' I thought to myself, so went outside with my screwdriver.
For once, I was right - it was easy, and everything went smoothly. Oh, apart from how the moment I popped off the hubcap it started to rain, just like it does in the movies, only without the thunder. So for those of you who get a flat tyre on the road, don't panic, it's easy - just get out your car manual and follow the instructions.
And now, for our home and studio audience, but not for our panel, here's the before and after shots:
 Flat as a pancake |
 Shiny new spare! |
In that last picture, note how the rain is running down the back of the car. Just wouldn't have been the same if it had been dry.
There were going to be some action shots, but I forgot. However, this isn't the end of The Great Tyre Adventure of 2006 - oh no! Next we have to see what happens when it needs to turn... *snigger*
Comments
Yay, thank you very much for mending my car!
But I hope the wheel does not fall off on the way to the scary mechanics!
That would scar me for life!
Ttfn
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Hmm, I had a quick look. Seems most of the sites are shite, and don't mention that you should retighten the nuts after 10-15miles. There will almost certainly be some give in one of the bolts due to the driving! (I've been told this by a mechanic, whose torque wrench we were using to attach my friends wheels.)
Also soooo many sites say stupid things like "Tighten your wheel nuts up as much as you can. I usually stand on the lever on the wheel brace just the make sure." Well, up to you if you want to do that, but I've always been told as tight as possible with your wrench, then loosen off a tiny bit. If you ever have the chance to use a torque wrench and set the wheel nuts to the manufacturer suggested amount you'll find they aren't as tight as you'd do them by hand (well, as tight as I've done them!).
But number one thing: if you have a locking nut set for your alloys buy a decent one! Reason my friend had to go to the garage and use the pneumatic wrench/torque wrench was because of soft locking wheel nuts had started to shear. (With two people holding the normal wrench/key onto the nut and 1 turning we still slipped off!) These are NOT nuts that you want to do up too tightly!
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