Changing my winter wheels and tires got me...

[recycled sixtie]

thinking. I am a luddite using a breaker bar and a torque wrench to put the summer wheels and tires on. No compressed air tools for this boy. Just done the job.

It got me thinking at what age do auto mechanics retire? Or do they slide into a management position or open their own shop? Come to think of it I cannot remember seeing an auto mechanic over 60. What say you guys/girls in the business?

Have a wrenching good day! Guy

[Tobra]

No, not a luddite.

I have never used air tools to put tires and wheels on, always by hand, always with a torque wrench, every single time. I generally take loose wheels in to get tires mounted.

The trades are not for old men.

[oldE]

There's a guy my age who works at an indi shop down the road. No one would accuse him of setting a breakneck pace, but then he tends not to break much of anything. He knows how much force to apply before changing approaches.
Then I had a friend who was a retired Air Force tech. He rebuilt a couple of old Jag twin cam sixes and an Austin Healey six. He too worked at his own pace and worked smart. Personally, I don't want to think about him with those huge sixes on the end of a chain.

It can be done, but you need the right approach and the right environment.
Best
Les

[scottmandue]

I just picked up a cheapo harbor freight torque wrench to do the wheels on my Miata... I installed coil overs and ended up taking the wheels off three or four times...

Now I'm like a kid in a candy store... changed the oil yesterday and torqued the oil plug... torqued the shock bolts.

Mind you I'm 57 and never owned a torque wrench

[calimedeiros]

Mechanics have hoists and power tools and helpers makes their job easier but come to think of it I don't remember ever seing an older mechanic like in their 60 etc

[Scott Douglas]

When I graduated from high school I was honored to share a very prestigious award along with my Plymouth Trouble Shooting Contest partner, Mike Devlin, as being the top mechanics in the senior class auto shop class. He got to go to a trade school for 6 weeks while I got a nearly new electric impact wrench from the local Ford dealer.
I've used it when rotating tires many a time. I would always loosen the nuts first by hand though, never with the impact. Putting them on would be the same, run 'em down with the wrench but tighten with a torque wrench.
It has only been in the last few years since I've aged considerably, that I've come to really appreciate the true value of that award.

[fastfredracing]

44 and going strong, but my body is starting to talk back. I am pretty sure I can endure into my 50's , but not ceritan how long after that. At some point in the future, I am going to have to either close the shop, or hire a couple guys and move into the office. I have sort of been mapping out a plan in my head for my older years , not sure where time will take me. Selling off my 930 and paying off the shop would sure make life easier down the road.
I worked with a few older guys into their 50's before. They were the ones always telling me to slow down, that my back, knees, and hands will be done by my 40's if I keep up this pace, you know what , they were right.
They still did alright, sort of moved at their own pace, but seemed to get the job done just almost as quick as the young whipper snappers. Made a lot less mistakes, and did not seem to get as upset about stuff.
A few guys I knew moved into management, or service advisor positions, and a few , just got the hell out of the whole business, and re-invented themselves, one became a trucker, another went to work for a municipality doing maintenance work and snow plowing and stuff.
I still like to work on cars, but the biz has soured me a little. It's get old, always being under the gun every day. People need their cars.
New cars are harder to work on, but they also pay better, if you are well equipped, and can diagnose and repair them.

[fastfredracing]

Yes, we have hoists , but man just racking up 4- 5 cars every day is hard on your body. Up and down on your knees at least 4 times for each car you lift, then you are constantly lifting heavy wheels and tires from the ground up 3 feet. Working over your head all day long, doing a transmission, or something of the like is not exactly a picnic either. It is all hard on your body.
Just standing on a concrete pad for 10 hours a day for 25 years, makes your feet and legs hurt.

[stealthn]

You Edmontonians...

I kid...

There is a new mobile service now that will come to your place and swap them all over cheap. I had my winters mounted on rims, then the summers taken off my truck and winters put on. In under an hour for about $100 in the middle of a snow storm.

My be worth a look.

[Scott R]

At Cadillac we had two retirement parties during my time there. Both of normal retirement age. Both of them tough as nails, our suspension guy and our heavy line chief.

And to think I griped and complained when it was cold in the shop or my back ached.

[recycled sixtie]

After changing the wheels over and raking some grass, a mid afternoon nap helped restore this 67 year old body to some semblance of well being. I got shamed into a torque wrench a couple years back by a fellow who sold me some winter tires on rims(in Didsbury). He installed them for me and did a great job.

It gives me satisfaction to do this kind of thing myself. However I have total respect for the guys that do this for a living.Keep up the good work Fred and others who do this day in and day out. A doctor fixes my body and a mechanic does most of my car fixing. You are up there in my thoughts. I still remember my first mechanic's name that worked on my pos 1958 Ford Meteor back in 1965.....Guy

[Hydrocket]

My current mechanic is 60+. Says he has no interest in retiring. Oh...and he's a one man show. Does everything by himself.

[Nostril Cheese]

My grandfather is 82. Italian mechanic from Brooklyn, NY. Still out there doing his thing. To this day I've never been able to beat him arm-wrestling

[Evans, Marv]

My mechanic is 81 and still doing OK. He works at an independent shop and hasn't said anything about giving it up & the owner doesn't seem to give him any breaks over younger guys. He's been working on my vehicles since the late '80s. He's also tough as nails - a retired Navy frogman/diver.

[wdfifteen]

One of my best tool purchases ever was a battery powered impact wrench. I saves so much time when rotating tires. I was afraid it would overtighten the lug nuts, but they always move 1/4 turn or so when I give them a final tightening with the torque wrench. At 63 I'd be paying someone else to rotate tires if it wasn't for this tool.

[DaveE]

Wayne Carini's guy, Roger. He's getting up there.

[scottmandue]

Um... wait... summer/winter tires? What the heck are you guys talking about?

[herr_oberst]

I rotate the tires on the DD with an impact and 4 jackstands. Done and done in less time than it would take to drive to the tire store, and I decide the torque settings on the lugnuts.

The 911 get the gentle touch. Softsocket and a breaker bar to break free, then a hand speedwrench to remove. Speedwrench with softsocket to snug, and then careful use of a 12 point socket and torque wrench for final torque (torque up to spec in 3 progressions. Anal I know, and probably unnecessary, but I like to do it. Makes me feel good and Porsche branded alloy lug nuts are very expensive.)

[GH85Carrera]

I put off buying an air compressor and impact wrench until about 10 years ago. I use it all the time on my El Camino wheels. The Porsche just gets a breaker bar to break the lug nuts loose. I then use my drill driver with a 3/8 socket adapter to spin the nuts off.

That impact wrench gets a lot of use.

[flipper35]

I break them loose by hand and use an air ratchet to run them off and on. Then I use a torque wrench to finish tighten. Then recheck all the alloy wheels 50-75 miles later.