Men who cannot change a tire
 

My brother in law sat on the side of the road for over 2 hours waiting for AAA to come change his flat tire .
I could not even comment. Do you know any ?

I have a brother who has a really expensive beemer.

He knows how to get it detailed. ;)

tire quality has improved over the decades and there are a lot fewer flat tires experienced. This and the complexity of cars has reduced the number of people who can actually do much at all if even basic maintenance.

I know 2 guys who have the dealer change their oil on their 911s. I cannot imagine an easier maintenance item except perhaps changing out air and cabin filters.......

I don't expect my pixie wife (who wouldn't know what end of a screwdriver is the business end) to change a tire. So I buy her cars with run flat tires. previously the instructions were, "drive carefully on the flat tire to a gas station, do not worry about the noise."

People, guys even, are not any where near self sufficient as we had to be 30 years ago.

I can't even imagine being that helpless. Going through life having to depend and wait for somebody to do the simplest things for you- gotta suck.

I'm sure someone has figured it out, but I wonder how much being handy around your car and house would equate to in salary equivalent.

I see both sides. Easy to change my Miata rim/tires from summer to winter so a flat presents no problem as I carry a spare tire/rim. Having said that heavy suv wheels/tires are more challenging.

Also if you don't call AMA/CAA or whatever there is the risk of being hit by a moving vehicle as you change the tire on the side of the road. Obviously common sense would state to move off the road to the right as much as possible .

I can certainly change a tire, but to be fair, I "think" my newer Camry has a spare and a jack, can't say I've every looked. I don't think I've had a flat in 30 years.

No need to know how to change a tire in his case. It probably has no spare.

"Knowing how to do stuff"

is generally out of favor, although the tire example is a little extreme.

I was surprised and saddened as a 40-something bachelor when I discovered that many/most women find the "check writer" man more attractive than the "DIY" man.

"Knowing how to do stuff" also requires an understanding of what opportunity cost is. I'm guilty of learning that one the wrong way.

Well there was that time I was sun burnt all to hell (big blisters, etc) after a day on the river and my jack was frozen shut with rust... but AAA didn't have anyone in the area. Some kid stopped and helped me out, I gave him $20.

Only other time was when I got 2 flats. Sure, I could've put the spare on one, but why bother. Call AAA, get towed, get new shoes all the way around. At least the tow was free and the guy dropped me off at home (it was only "a few" miles out of the way on the back roads)

Even worse is watching a grown man try and hammer something by "pushing" the hammer into object instead of swinging it...

Cindy's 2016 Camry has a spare, jack, and lug wrench. I looked before we bought.
That said, not sure I'd want to change a flat along the suicide lanes of I-5. Recent news item, two road crew workers killed on I-5 despite everything being clearly marked with flashing yellow lights, directional arrows, etc. On a rural road with clear vision, sure...

Men who cannot change a tire...are not real men!

I don't understand those that turn the key and push the pedal, but have no idea what makes the vehicle move besides pushing on the accelerator pedal.

There's a Geico commercial on now where the wife uses the phone app to call roadside assistance to put on their spare tire while the husband sits in the drivers seat. I laugh when I see it...a great testament to the emasculation of American men.

Here are some interesting references (ignore the source please, not a PARF thing): 32 Facts That Show How Men Are Being Systematically Emasculated In America Today

Not to my knowledge.

My wife was not allowed to drive a car until she demonstrated to her father that she could change a tire, change the oil and jump start a car.

I passed on a number of new cars that had no spare tire, or even a place to put one. I can recall only a few times that I have had to change a tire on my car at the side of the road, none since I could afford to buy decent cars and decent tires. Done so for a fair number of other people though

I had to call road side assistance once after I found that I could not break the lug nuts loose. The idiot who had recently mounted new tires must have had the impact wrench set way too high. I managed to get two of them off but the others would not budge. After I got home later I had to use a cheater bar on a wrench to loosen the lug nuts on the other three wheels.

How about making change?

Purchasing some items at the store the other day and the cash register computer failed to "tell" the cashier how much change to give me.

It was $14.65 cents and I had given her a 20 dollar bill. She looked frantically hopeless because she was going to have to somehow figure out this on her own.

I told her to give me a 5 dollar bill, a quarter, and a dime.

She just stared at me with a blank look.

Men who cannot change a tire ....are tireless.:)

Last year I almost gave up, trying to change the rear right tire on my car. The rim was froze to the hub. I tapped and banged on the wheel with everything I had and just about gave up. Then walked around the parking lot and borrowed a 4 x 4 from a pick up truck.

I'm sure I know some who can't - and they are all smart enough not to announce that in my presence.

I offered to change my neighbors winter to summer tires last month. I showed him how to do everything. He later told me he never changed a tire before.

My brother bought a used Nissan Leaf, and tells of all the times he had to adjust his daily travels because of a compromised battery life......shook my head that he paid more for that, than I did for my 2 reliable daily driver cars.

Tip: A 1/2" drive breaker bar, a proper length extension, and the correct sized deep 6 point socket makes for a much better lug wrench than any factory one.

The tire on my 17 YO stepson's Mazda disintegrated on the highway not long ago. He calls me and asks what to do (I'd been meaning to show him how to change a flat...). I told him you can change it on the side of the road or wait for who knows how long for roadside service.

He said: "I'm not waiting around just tell me the basics and I'll change it right now". Other than telling him to loosen the bolts before he raised it and make sure the jack was on a level surface he figured it out. He did a good job on the spot.

He needs an old Beemer.
Those owners are some of the most active DIY'ers of any car brand out there.

Changing the oil is hardly one of the easiest maintenance items.
You need to jack the car up. You need jack stands.
You need to spend at least 30 mins searching the internet about how to jack up your car.
Right there, you've now entered "You could die doing this" territory.

You need a socket set.
You need torque wrenches.
You need an oil filter tool.
Undercarriage panels?
You need a large catch pan to dispose of the waste.

You need a few hours free to figure all this out.
It's much cheaper to go to Jiffy Lube, once you factor in opportunity cost.

I bet it would equate to a negative salary correlation.
People who are not handy might be busy working very demanding corporate careers that require 80 hour work weeks.

It's pretty rare to see guys who make $500k mow their lawn. Does that mean they are helpless?

Well said, and it makes perfect sense. Wealthy CEO's typically don't have time to waste fixing stuff.
"Knowing how to do stuff" also can mean "You're not working hard at a demanding high profile career"


Men who cannot change a tire ....might be too busy working very high paying careers.

What was thev 4x4 trick?

Can you lower the jack until the un-lugged wheel presses down onto the ground and break it free?

I stopped at the gas station to get gas a few years back. I heard a mid 20s year old man screaming into his cell phone for his dad to come change his tire for him. My dad would have laughed and hung up if called him to change my tire.

Even my girl can change her own tire. She was adamant in changing her own coil and helping me load her car onto my transport trailer. And she's probably 5'1" and looks like a bikini model, haha.

Just the other week I saw a car on the side of the road (small side street, nothing dangerous) with the flashers on, flat front tire and a very VERY pretty girl taking stuff out of the trunk. So, being the honorable gentleman I am (ehem) I swung a quick u-turn and pulled up behind the car to help her with the tire.

That's when I saw her boyfriend who was crouching next to the car on the curb side working the jack already SmileWavy

Gave him a thumbs up and moved on my way. Both were 25ish. There is still *some* chance that the kids today are not 100% docile.

She was pretty hot though...don't tell my wife.

I rammed the rim with the 4 x 4 to bust it loose

4x4s also work well for driving over the tire after it's on the ground to break the bead, for when you REALLY screw up the tire while off-road...

One of mine not only just received her BS in psychology but can change her own oil.
Her husband the science teacher..............couldn't change a fuse.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1496897004.jpg

If I got a flat on the 403 or QEW, no way am I on the side of that highway changing a tire.

I'm all for changing oil myself but the disposal hassle kills it for me. I'd rather pay someone to dispose of it properly.

Another approach to get yourself back on the road if the tire isn't completely destroyed is Fix-A-Flat.

I would use that in a heartbeat if the situation allowed it... especially on the side of an interstate.

And at night? Remember what happened to Ennis Cosby? I'm sure his dad would've gladly paid for a destroyed rim if Ennis had driven to a safe area and called AAA. And IIRC, he was on an exit ramp.

But in the end, it was just wrong place, wrong time... I think the guy who killed him just happened along.

All that said, if I got a flat on an interstate, I would probably limp along on the wheel with the flashers going until I could get out of harm's way. It's just stupid to change a tire out there in a shooting gallery... I hear about cars and trucks plowing through and killing the tire changer and the occupants of the vehicle frequently enough that I know I don't want any part of it.

I have three cars. None have a spare.

Just three days ago I pulled over in my neighborhood to help a young women with a flat tire on her mini van. She said "Thank you but I have emails to do and roadside assistance is on the way". The younger generation and their cell phones, combined with much better tires and better roadside assistance, have simply changed how we look at flat tires. Nobody has to either change the tire or face a 5 mile walk to a gas station or payphone anymore.

Changing a wheel/tire isn't a specific skill. If you have 2 hands and can read an owners manual, you can change it.

Here is what we are talking about:

removing manual from glovebox
read section pertaining to changing a wheel
use tools provided in car to jack up vehicle at the appropriate corner
remove 5 (on average) bolts with supplied tools
install wheel provided in car
affix the 5 bolts you removed with supplied tools
lower vehicle and put all the supplied tools back where you found them

Forget about whether or not you have indoor our outdoor plumbing between your legs. This is basic adult stuff. Everyone should be able to do it.

Now, that said, sure, if your new car comes with road side assistance, you have nowhere to be, its raining or snowing, call the number in the book for roadside assistance. But if you have your family in the car, are not stopped in a safe place (crash hazard or societal hazard) you had better know how to complete this simple task and get on your way....

Goin down the highway in 5 o'clock traffic. Was in an older Ranger Rover...tire started those air escaping noises, whoosh whoosh whoosh. Not only pulled over, pulled off into the bar ditch. While was changing the tire, wondered if people thought I ran of the road THEN got the flat. But no way I was going to be anywhere near that 5 o'clock traffic.

My 928 had a pair of plastic gloves and a large plastic bag to kneel on wheel changing, then place the flat tire in to keep the car clean.

I mistakenly didn't teach my son how to change a flat so of course I got a call at 10pm asking what to do. First I told him to drive off the highway, then call me from a safe location and don't worry about damaging the wheel since his safety is more important. I should have told him to drive slowly because looking at how much aluminum was missing off the wheel OD, he must have gone pretty fast. The tire was destroyed so much that only the two side walls remained which I was able to pull of the wheel by hand. With a little guidance he changed to the spare without issue.

I didn't mean my daughter. She's my main squeeze, if you know what I mean.