Do you know how to change a flat tire?

[Jarlaxle]

Well I don't know what you expect....My KIA Soul just came with a tire pump and a can of fix-a-flat. I said fuck that noise and got a "donut" of the proper size and plug repair kit.

Many cars have no spare tire. My mother's Elantra has no spare.

My Challenger had no spare, and COULD NOT use the donut spare. (It won't fit.)

 

[Tom Paine 1949]

In my condo clubhouse parking lot a young woman had a flat tire and looked so helpless I offered to help. We don’t get many pretty young ladies in my retirement community …

The damn bolts were put on so tight I couldn’t take even one off. The tire changing tool kit was crap, and so is my back, so finally I bowed out, feeling disgraced.. When my wife heard about it she laughed and said I was a fool to even try. My weight is down to about 135 pounds. I couldn’t complain to her when my back starting hurting that evening either.

 

[Hellokitty]

OMG, getting a flat or hitting a deer are phobias of mine. Thankfully the only time I got a flat my husband was with me, and I've never hit a deer.
I have apparently ran over stuff causing my tires to leak, which husband is also able to fix.
I have a thing on car that tells me what number my tires are that I'm supposed to pay attention to but I my husband has a tendency to over complicate things in explaining so I don't know what pressure they're supposed to be.

 

[1srelluc]

Many cars have no spare tire. My mother's Elantra has no spare.

My Challenger had no spare, and COULD NOT use the donut spare. (It won't fit.)

That's just it, in my Soul and the one previous to that there was plenty of room for a donut under the deck with room to spare. I keep a bug-out (or get home as the case may be) duffle in there with the donut.

 

[marvin martian]

That's just it, in my Soul and the one previous to that there was plenty of room for a donut under the deck with room to spare. I keep a bug-out (or get home as the case may be) duffle in there with the donut.

My Cadillac has a place for a spare but didn't come with one. I bought a wheel and tire to fit and keep it there. Not sure why they don't include one.

 

[1srelluc]

My Cadillac has a place for a spare but didn't come with one. I bought a wheel and tire to fit and keep it there. Not sure why they don't include one.

Reduction of weight and a slight increase in fuel mileage is what i heard.

Some Newer Cars Are Missing a Spare Tire - Consumer Reports

Some cares a missing a spare tire because carmakers are trying to squeeze more miles out of every gallon of fuel. Here's what you need to know about spare tires.

www.consumerreports.org

 

[Jarlaxle]

My Cadillac has a place for a spare but didn't come with one. I bought a wheel and tire to fit and keep it there. Not sure why they don't include one.

My Challenger had a space, but the donut won't fit and the well won't take a full size wheel and tire.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

I cant really say when or where I learned to change a tire it's like I've always known.
If I had to guess I probably watched someone do it and told myself that looks easy enough.

 

[Concerned American]

I cant really say when or where I learned to change a tire it's like I've always known.
If I had to guess I probably watched someone do it and told myself that looks easy enough.

I remember my first. I was assisting someone on the roadside. I think it was a 58 Merc. The studs had left handed threads and I broke one off before I figured it out. Duh.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

In my condo clubhouse parking lot a young woman had a flat tire and looked so helpless I offered to help. We don’t get many pretty young ladies in my retirement community …

The damn bolts were put on so tight I couldn’t take even one off. The tire changing tool kit was crap, and so is my back, so finally I bowed out, feeling disgraced.. When my wife heard about it she laughed and said I was a fool to even try. My weight is down to about 135 pounds. I couldn’t complain to her when my back starting hurting that evening either.

I dont know what it is about a Mercedes but those lug nut seem to tighten themselves after you've driven around a bit.
I broke two 1/2 in by 3 inch extensions. Finally I bit the bullet and spent the money on a top quality extension with a lifetime warranty.
In the end it took a six foot cheater bar to get em loose.....even my impact gun wouldnt do it.
I put never seize on em from there on out.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

I remember my first. I was assisting someone on the roadside. I think it was a 58 Merc. The studs had left handed threads and I broke one off before I figured it out. Duh.

If you can see any of the thread a left hand bolt is easy to spot.
If the thread leans right it's a left hand,and if it leans left it's a right hand thread.
Of course most lug nuts cover the entire thread.

 

[boevans]

Sure.

 

[Concerned American]

If you can see any of the thread a left hand bolt is easy to spot.
If the thread leans right it's a left hand,and if it leans left it's a right hand thread.
Of course most lug nuts cover the entire thread.

I think you would be hard pressed to find a left handed lug on today's cars and with the blind nuts, you wouldn't see it anyway. I was a mechanic for the world's largest winery for forty years. I know how to spot a left handed thread NOW. LOL

 

[Missourian]

Ha. I remember those...

View attachment 897881

I embedded one of those in the hood of a '76 Eldorado. Broke a wheel off taking a turn too fast then forgot to put it in park. I mean, the front end was sitting on the ground...it wasn't going anywhere... until I jacked it up.

 

[Missourian]

Not man enough to grapple them t-post out of the ground?

Nope.

I'm pretty stout, but I still use a T-post puller...

 

[Missourian]

It was sad commentary on the state of American masculinity.
Here's a plan, mom. Teach the damn kid how to change a tire. Der.

Good luck.

 

[Missourian]

Yep... That's exactly how I looked after the center broke out of the rim and the whole car landed on what was left of the tire...and again after the jack was jammed in the hood.

That was a bad day...

 

[Natural Citizen]

View attachment 898664
Yep... That's exactly how I looked after the center broke out of the rim and the whole car landed on what was left of the tire...and again after the jack was jammed in the hood.

That was a bad day...

I can't even really picture that in my head. lol.

Breaking a wheel off, I can picture. But I can't picture how the jack went through the hood. I believe it. I just can't picture it.

I remember being around six or seven or so and watching that thing wobble around when my dad would jack up the old station wagon wit hit. That thing was a boat.

 

[Missourian]

I can't even really picture that in my head. lol.

Breaking a wheel off, I can picture. But I can't picture how the jack went through the hood. I believe it. I just can't picture it.

I remember being around six or seven or so and watching that thing wobble around when my dad would jack up the old station wagon wit hit. That thing was a boat.

This Cadillac was a boat as well, and all the weight was in the front end. It wasn't the first front wheel drive, but it was one of the first, so not only was there a 500 CID engine under the hood in the standard configuration, the transaxle was up there too.

When that wheel folded up and the front of the car landed on it, the car ground to a halt. I was shocked.

So shocked I forgot to put the car in park.

I got in the trunk and pulled out the jack and spare and started to jack it up.

That Cadillac had a hood that wrapped all the way around to the grill.

I was on a pretty flat spot and the car only started rolling back after I got it almost high enough to put the spare on.

Now visualize where a little taller bumper jack is going when the car rolls back...

Now imagine not having another jack to extricate it.

 

[Natural Citizen]

This Cadillac was a boat as well, and all the weight was in the front end. It wasn't the first front wheel drive, but it was one of the first, so not only was there a 500 CID engine under the hood in the standard configuration, the transaxle was up there too.

When that wheel folded up and the front of the car landed on it, the car ground to a halt. I was shocked.

So shocked I forgot to put the car in park.

I got in the trunk and pulled out the jack and spare and started to jack it up.

That Cadillac had a hood that wrapped all the way around to the grill.

I was on a pretty flat spot and the car only started rolling back after I got it almost high enough to put the spare on.

Now visualize where a little taller bumper jack is going when the car rolls back...

View attachment 898763

Now imagine not having another jack to extricate it.

Oh, I see now.

I was picturing it rolling forward instead of backward.

Yeah. Definitely a sticky wicket.