All right, you’ve managed to get stranded in the middle of nowhere. No mechanics in sight, are there? Well worry not, here’s your guide to fix it yourself... After throwing a quick and self-directed temper tantrum at the unfairness of it all, park safely (needless to say, we hope, at the side of the road) and put a couple of bricks or stones against the wheels to make sure the car doesn’t roll down the road. Make sure your handbrake is pulled up. Check the trunk for a spare tyre.
Quick tip: If you discover at this stage that you don’t have a spare, skip the rest of this DIY and go straight to the last step. And stop driving... for good!

Take the jack out of the trunk. If you are wondering how you are going to conjure up some guy called Jack from your car — who in the name of God gave you a licence? Bring your jack, spare wheel, spanner and lug wrench to the work area (don’t get frightened with all the jargon).

Take the spanner and wrench off the wheel cap. Place the jack under the shaft, which connects with the wheel, and raise the car just a little bit. Don’t let the tyre rise off the road but just enough for you to loosen the nuts of the wheel with the wrench. If you raise it higher, the wheel will spin when you try to loosen the nuts. Turn counter- clockwise to loosen the nut.

Now jack the car up till the tyre rises above the ground. Take the nuts off (they will come off easily now). And yes, it isn’t as easy as it looks on paper. It’s quite a strenuous activity.
Change the tyre. Now lower the car with the jack, but not completely, just enough to get a little friction from the road. Fix the nuts back on and tighten them.
Quick tip: Tighten the nuts in a diagonal fashion. This equalises the tension and balances the pressure.

Lower the tyre completely. Replace the wheel cap. Just fix it in place and bang it back on with your hand.

All right, you should be good to go now (if you’ve done it right, that is). And, if all else fails, we hope you are wearing something pretty and smelling great ‘cause you’ll have to flag down the next guy you see, and just hand over the job to him.

Or, whip out your cell phone and call a mechanic. It’s easier, yes, but that’s not what this this is about!

Always Remember:
Though all this sounds all well and good in theory, we strongly suggest that you know your vehicle. Not just what model it is, and how much average it gives...but more where to place the jack (a few cars have designated positions to place it in), the number of your car’s service station, etc.

Also, once you change your tyre, it is best to get the alignment checked. Your spare tyre should be of the same type as the other tyres. Never mix, say, radials with nylons... there is a height difference, which can prove to be extremely dangerous when you are speeding.