by admin | Oct 30, 2026 | Spares, Punctures and Roadside
The short answer: An external string plug is an emergency, temporary fix. An internal patch seals the liner but leaves the puncture channel open. The correct permanent repair is a combination patch-plug: the tyre is demounted, inspected inside, and a one-piece unit...
by admin | Oct 30, 2026 | Spares, Punctures and Roadside
The short answer: For remote outback travel, carry a string-plug repair kit (plugs, reamer, insertion tool, pliers and a blade), a quality 12V compressor, spare valve cores and a valve tool. For serious trips like the Simpson or Cape York, add tyre levers or a bead...
by admin | Oct 30, 2026 | Spares, Punctures and Roadside
The short answer: Without the key, the usual fix is a dedicated twist-socket extractor hammered onto the locking nut and turned off with a breaker bar. A dealer or locksmith can also supply a replacement key from the code, and drilling out is the last resort. Every...
by admin | Oct 30, 2026 | Spares, Punctures and Roadside
The short answer: A seized wheel is stuck to the hub by corrosion, not by the nuts. Wind the wheel nuts out a few turns but leave them threaded on, lower the car so its weight sits on the tyres, then rock the car and kick the tyre’s inner sidewall to crack the...
by admin | Oct 30, 2026 | Spares, Punctures and Roadside
Quick answer: A wheel brace loosens and roughly tightens wheel nuts and is fine to get you home in an emergency. A torque wrench tightens each nut to the exact specification your car needs. Correct torque, applied in a star pattern, stops wheels working loose, warped...
by admin | Oct 30, 2026 | Spares, Punctures and Roadside
Quick answer: For roadside tyre changes, a compact bottle jack suits most heavy cars, utes and 4WDs, while a small trolley jack is faster and more stable if you have boot space. Whatever you choose, its rating must comfortably exceed the weight it will lift, it needs...
by admin | Oct 30, 2026 | Spares, Punctures and Roadside
Quick answer: Your car’s jacking points are reinforced sections of the chassis just behind the front wheels and just ahead of the rear wheels, marked by a notch, arrow or moulded tab on the pinch weld under the sill. Your owner’s manual shows the exact...
by admin | Oct 30, 2026 | Spares, Punctures and Roadside
Quick answer: To change a tyre safely on an Australian highway, pull completely off the road onto firm, level ground, switch on your hazard lights, and get all passengers behind the safety barrier. Apply the park brake, chock a wheel, loosen the nuts before jacking,...
by admin | Oct 30, 2026 | Spares, Punctures and Roadside
Quick answer: Most modern tyre inflator sealants won’t ruin a good tyre. Today’s water-based formulas are washable and generally TPMS-safe, and a tyre with a small tread puncture can usually still be professionally repaired afterwards. The keys are to...
by admin | Oct 30, 2026 | Spares, Punctures and Roadside
Quick answer: Carmakers increasingly ship a tyre repair kit (a sealant bottle and mini-compressor) instead of a spare wheel to save weight, cost and boot space and to make room for EV batteries. A kit handles small tread punctures only — it can’t fix a sidewall,...