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Posted: 12/14/2005 10:09:52 AM EDT
Not that that's any big deal.  But I was changing it for a girl here (again, no big deal) who didn't know how to do it.  Yes, I would have done it even if she had known how, but the fact that she didn't concerns me a bit.  She didn't even know she had a spare or jack.  And she didn't have a wrench (my roommate supplied that).  What's a little more frightening is that she was about to leave for what would be at least a 2 hour drive home.  What if the tire had gone flat between here and there?

Gentlemen, I write this to encourage you to teach your daughters/wives/sisters whatever how to change tires.  This thread isn't to hail myself as a hero, just to ask you to make sure the women in your life aren't caught in the situation this girl almost was.
Link Posted: 12/14/2005 10:18:14 AM EDT
[#1]
My wife knows how to change a tire.

Sha calls me on my cell phone and I change it for her
Link Posted: 12/14/2005 10:28:46 AM EDT
[#2]

Quoted:
My wife knows how to change a tire.

Sha calls me on my cell phone and I change it for her



+1 ... Just happened last month. In her defense though she was driving my truck, and figured she was already in the shit for that and didn't want to make it worse by changing the tire wrong.
Link Posted: 12/14/2005 10:35:10 AM EDT
[#3]

Quoted:

What if the tire had gone flat between here and there?.




She would have called DADDY
Link Posted: 12/14/2005 10:36:37 AM EDT
[#4]
My ex knows how to:  1-800-AAA-HELP
Link Posted: 12/14/2005 10:37:22 AM EDT
[#5]
I did the same thing last week for one of my neighbors. Only she drove the tire plumb off the rim. And then come asking if I could change her tire. "It needs air."

But you're right. I really need to interogate my daughter to be sure she does know how.
Link Posted: 12/14/2005 10:05:37 PM EDT
[#6]

Quoted:

Quoted:

What if the tire had gone flat between here and there?.




She would have called DADDY



Who was 2 hours, and as it turned out, an ice storm away.
Link Posted: 12/14/2005 10:07:20 PM EDT
[#7]
I know how to change a tire, but I always have to call someone.  Truth?  I can't get the lugnuts off.  Ever.
Link Posted: 12/14/2005 10:23:01 PM EDT
[#8]
Put the tire iron on the lug nut and kick/stomp.
Link Posted: 12/14/2005 10:29:20 PM EDT
[#9]

Quoted:
I know how to change a tire, but I always have to call someone.  Truth?  I can't get the lugnuts off.  Ever.



Buy a breaker bar, throw it in the trunk. Leverage is what you need, not strength. The wrenches that come with most cars are woefully short.

I insist the women in my life not only know how to do it, but practice it once.

Having a flat tire and looking helpless is an invitation for someone unscrupulous to come and help....help you into their white van and throw you in the well where lotion and baskets await.
Link Posted: 12/14/2005 10:29:25 PM EDT
[#10]
Nowa days, it is not necessary for a woman to change a tire, because the AAA is a cell phone call away, the problem is if this happens in a rain storm etc when all of the tow trucks are busy, the AAA could take 2-3 hours to get to her, if they do at all.
Link Posted: 12/14/2005 10:34:22 PM EDT
[#11]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I know how to change a tire, but I always have to call someone.  Truth?  I can't get the lugnuts off.  Ever.



Buy a breaker bar, throw it in the trunk. Leverage is what you need, not strength. The wrenches that come with most cars are woefully short.

I insist the women in my life not only know how to do it, but practice it once.

Having a flat tire and looking helpless is an invitation for someone unscrupulous to come and help....help you into their white van and throw you in the well where lotion and baskets await.


Hey, he had a couch too!
Link Posted: 12/14/2005 10:46:00 PM EDT
[#12]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Quoted:
I know how to change a tire, but I always have to call someone.  Truth?  I can't get the lugnuts off.  Ever.



Buy a breaker bar, throw it in the trunk. Leverage is what you need, not strength. The wrenches that come with most cars are woefully short.

I insist the women in my life not only know how to do it, but practice it once.

Having a flat tire and looking helpless is an invitation for someone unscrupulous to come and help....help you into their white van and throw you in the well where lotion and baskets await.


Hey, he had a couch too!



Its puts the lotions on its skin!
Link Posted: 12/14/2005 10:47:14 PM EDT
[#13]
Heck, most people who are taught to drive at "drivers ed" don't even know where to check the oil!  I've heard of stories of people trying to fill the engine oil through the dip stick.  Tranny yes, engine no.....

Link Posted: 12/14/2005 11:07:14 PM EDT
[#14]

Quoted:
I know how to change a tire, but I always have to call someone.  Truth?  I can't get the lugnuts off.  Ever.



But men and women are totally equal in every respect.
That's ok though, I like changing tires for the girls - gives me something to do.
Link Posted: 12/14/2005 11:08:03 PM EDT
[#15]

Quoted:
I know how to change a tire, but I always have to call someone.  Truth?  I can't get the lugnuts off.  Ever.



Gabby, go to a Home Depot and get a three foot section of steel pipe wide enough to go
over the crowbar. That will give you enough leverage to turn the lugnuts easily.
As well as bash it over someone's head too!
Link Posted: 12/14/2005 11:11:00 PM EDT
[#16]
Ever changed a tire twice in the dead middle of summer in 115 degree weather? It is not fun. I was on an incline and didn't think to put rocks behind the tire when jacking up the car. The car moved slightly and fell onto the goddamn jack after I got it all the way up. LUCKILY I had another shittier jack that I was able to use to get it off the good jack which was not bent to fuck. I used the bent one to jack the car up again and get the donut on. I wanted to throw up after I was done. Shows I need to get into better shape that's for sure.

Had to do it again a week later when my new tire mysteriously developed a pinhole in the sidewall. I think some fucker put holes in both of them...
Link Posted: 12/14/2005 11:42:02 PM EDT
[#17]
I taught 2 ex girlfriends how to change a tire....guess they didn't need me after they learned how to do it themselves
Link Posted: 12/14/2005 11:59:25 PM EDT
[#18]
i think it should be part of the driving test, you cant change a tire no drivey ( obvious exception to handicap )
Link Posted: 12/15/2005 12:00:16 AM EDT
[#19]
For the girls, get AAA.
Link Posted: 12/15/2005 12:02:59 AM EDT
[#20]
Remember, calling AAA is not an out.

Not only have they been slow to respond to calls (if at all) during incliment weather, but there are "interceptors", unscrupulous folks who pick up the calls for them and head off the stranded person to either extort fix money or worse.

Once again, self-reliance is always the best route. It's not rocket science, even if it is a PITA.
Link Posted: 12/15/2005 12:37:29 AM EDT
[#21]
Cell phones and AAA are a nice option, but a smart person has a backup plan.

That back-up plan is changing the doggone tire!!


Quoted:
Remember, calling AAA is not an out.

Not only have they been slow to respond to calls (if at all) during incliment weather, but there are "interceptors", unscrupulous folks who pick up the calls for them and head off the stranded person to either extort fix money or worse.

Once again, self-reliance is always the best route. It's not rocket science, even if it is a PITA.


I lived in NYC back in the 70’s when CB radios were big.  However, you never called for help over them since predators would show up first.
Link Posted: 12/15/2005 12:57:37 AM EDT
[#22]
Never had a problem with AAA and they have saved my ass a few times.

I get the AAA plus with 100 mile towing. If you are stranded 100 miles away from home, they will tow it to your driveway or to a repair shop at no extra charge.

This is great if you have an older vehicle that you maintain yourself.
Link Posted: 12/15/2005 4:34:48 AM EDT
[#23]
And lets not forget it's not JUST women. A few weeks ago we had DirectTV installed. As I was on the road coming in from work, my wife called and said that the guy had had a flat tire in our driveway...No biggie, right? When I got there, the tire was STILL flat and the installer was pissed.

Told me that when they'd installed the bedliner they'd covered up the spare tire access point...Now, this was on a Ford F150 and I thought that they had the standard 'through the bumper, winch crank point'...but, this was a guy and I gave him credit for knowing what he was talking about. Dumb move on my part.

Anyway, after I drive him almost 20 miles to a tire store so he can buy another tire (on the company credit card), his boss calls him and explains to him where to find the spare tire winch point...I could hear only one side of the conversation but it sounded GOOOOD  . We go back and the guy opens the hood searching for the winch crank...fusses some and says it's not there, someone must've stolen it...Now, I'm not at all familiar with Fords but even "I" can recognize the long crank handle running across the front of the hood. After I point that out to him he sort of grunts and eventually manages to get the tire changed...All told, I wasted about 2 hours because this doofus had NO clue where his spare was or how to access it...Claimed that he was a Dodge man and that you accessed the spare from a window in the bed of the truck...Anyone know if this is true??

In my poor defense, I've never owned a ford truck, I'm a Tundra man here...I just made the mistake of assuming that because this guy was in the 'man-club' he had a clue and didn't followup on what 'sounded' to me like an incorrect assumption on this guys part...I won't repeat THAT mistake again...And I kinda suspect that neither will the installer
Link Posted: 12/15/2005 4:45:18 AM EDT
[#24]

Quoted:
My ex knows how to:  1-800-AAA-HELP



Being that I work for a locksmith with big AAA Emergency Road Service plastered all over the vehicles.... I know that number as well.  I get to change tires for people at least once a week.  We don't get alot of tire changes on the night shift, (thankfully) and we only do it for one area of our zone..... but I have no problem doing tire changes for older folks, women in general, but it pisses me off when you see these guys in their 20-30s, who can't (don't know how), won't, or don't have the tools.

I was changing a tire on a Jeep Grand Cherokee for a lady, and her male friend (family, friend, S/O, something) stood there talking to her the whole time I was changing the tire.  It was at HIS apartment building.

If I had a female,( friend, family, or whatever) at my house and she had a flat.... I'd change the damn tire.  You ain't out on the road in the middle of nowhere, the weather wasn;t bad, you ain't dressed up for a party... you are at home.  DAMN!

No Expert
Link Posted: 12/15/2005 4:45:59 AM EDT
[#25]
I re and re'd all four tires on my Trans Am with tire irons once.
Link Posted: 12/15/2005 4:52:25 AM EDT
[#26]

Quoted:
Remember, calling AAA is not an out.

Not only have they been slow to respond to calls (if at all) during incliment weather, but there are "interceptors", unscrupulous folks who pick up the calls for them and head off the stranded person to either extort fix money or worse.

Once again, self-reliance is always the best route. It's not rocket science, even if it is a PITA.



Interceptors don't happen much anymore since the advent of Nextels and cell phones in general.  Unless someone is driving by and "sees you and comes over, they don't get much of a chance to know where a broke down car is.

Our company has a local dispatcher during the day who gets calls out to our guys from being logged into the AAA network.  On my shift at night 11p-7a, I get dispatched from AAA Grand Rapids directly.

No Expert
Link Posted: 12/15/2005 4:55:10 AM EDT
[#27]
When you've got boobs, you don't need to know how to do much of anything.

I think Confucious said that.  Or maybe it was jesus.
Link Posted: 12/15/2005 4:58:23 AM EDT
[#28]
When I was first learning to drive, Dad took the time to not only teach me to drive a manual car (he said everyone needs to know how to drive a manual, and he taught me to do it on ice and snow), but he also made the point to teach me basic car maintenance. Not only can I change a tire, I can change the oil, filters etc. I rarely if ever do any of the maintenance on cars now (other then to check fluid levels), but I know in a pinch I can do it.
Link Posted: 12/15/2005 5:16:01 AM EDT
[#29]
I once helped a beautiful young girl get her tire changed.

Her response when I was finished was...

"Is there anyway I could repay you?"

....

.....

............
Merry Christmas!
Link Posted: 12/15/2005 6:13:20 AM EDT
[#30]
Speaking as a mechanic I think the best possible advice was already posted, and it applies to both men and women...

...Get  good strong 1/2' drive breaker bar with a deep socket that fits YOUR lug nuts, and a two -to- three foot piece of pipe that slips over the handle of the breaker bar and you will ALWAYS get the lug nuts off.

Keep this in your trunk at all times!

My kids could loosen the most stubborn lug nuts with this combination.

Leverage is the key here, not physical size or strength.

Case in point; I've come accross many lugs that were impossible to remove with the most powerful impact gun in my box, which puts out 1,000 Ft-Lbs of Torque. The only tool that gets them off all the time is my 1/2" drive breaker bar with a pipe over the end for more leverage. The longer the pipe, the easier it comes loose. There were a few odd cases where I split lug nuts in half or the whole stud broke. In cases where they broke, it wouldn't have mattered if a 'Pro' with 20 years experience tried to take it off, or a kid with her first car, they would have broken regardless. Remember, in an emergency you can safely drive a vehicle with one missing(or broken) stud/nut on a four bolt wheel, or two missing on a five or six bolt wheel; Provided you don't drive like a lunatic of course.

This will get you home, or preferably to a shop for repair.



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