We've all heard horror stories when you look for your spare tyre only to find it's been nicked.
Waking up to a flat tyre on the morning of your weekend getaway is something many of us fear. The thought of changing a tyre, especially when you are not used to it, can be daunting.
However, having gone through this whole experience, it really isn’t something that we should dread as it’s not as complicated and time-consuming as initially thought. And once done, it gives you peace of mind that should you find yourself in a similar position again, you won’t be out of your comfort zone.
It happened to me recently, when an unwanted nasty nail found its way into one of the tyres of our long-termer – the Ford Ranger Sport 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel – a few hours ahead of departure on a trip to Wakkerstroom.
I had never changed the tyre of a vehicle as big as this, so with the help of a colleague, checking out the manual and watching a quick tutorial on YouTube, we managed to do so.
What I did find really interesting is that even the spare wheel has its own unique lock nut to prevent theft. Pretty clever when you live in a country with a high crime rate. We’ve all heard horror stories when you look for your spare tyre only to find it’s been nicked. No chance of this happening here.
To change a tyre on a Ford Ranger bakkie, lift the rear seat to access the tool kit and jack. Assemble the extension rods, insert them through the guide hole near the rear bumper to lower the spare wheel, loosen the wheel nuts slightly while the vehicle is on the ground, jack up the safe frame lift-point, and swap the wheel. Easy peasy.
The untimely puncture could not derail our family road trip. Picture: Trevor Stevens
Tyre problems aside, the Ranger Sport is a beast of a vehicle – it simply eats the road. There is so much space in the back, and inside we fit five people in comfortably.
The majority of the road to Wakkerstroom is single lane, so knowing you have so much power to overtake the many trucks comes as a huge relief. It’s just over three hours to our venue, but driving the Sport makes it feel a lot shorter.
The introduction of the Ford Ranger Sport, priced just under R1-million, slots in strategically between the popular XLT and the rugged-premium Wildtrak. It delivers 184kW of power and 600Nm of torque, and uses a 10-speed automatic transmission with 4WD.
Thanks to some local knowledge from a friend that runs a BnB in the area, we got to explore Wakkerstroom, the second oldest town in Mpumalanga, in style. The Ford Ranger Sport is at home on and off the road, more than powerful enough to take you up the steep Ossewakop to take in the breathtaking views of the town below and through the Wakkerstroomnek pass on our way to Zaaihoek Dam.
It’s always a blessing to be able to get out of the fast-paced Joburg city life. To do so in the modern Ford Ranger Sport makes it just so much better.
