basic driving skills

[JRscooby]

Not strictly RV related, but wonder how many of us can relate.
Yesterday I took wife to Dr's office in a big medical complex yesterday. Dropped her at door, and parked in sun to wait. Noticed a couple of late 20s/early 30s messing around a late modal GM pickup. Kinda watched while I cleaned windows of mine. Finally figured out they where jacking up left front. Now do I video for Utube, or offer to help?
They pointed out a hook, complete with tarpstrap, stuck in tire. "Have you got the nuts loose?" "These steel things are chocks, put under other tire to keep it from rolling of jack." Watched them with factory lug wrench, (look at the length of that tool, center of stud to center of hand and torque on nuts. If it is 15 inches long, nuts 100ftlbs, that means 80 lbs with 1 hand. Not embarrassed to say I don't think I can do it) loaned them socket and long breaker bar. "Think you should get spare down while sure truck can't fall?" Soon one asked how to get fastener loose in center of spare. A quick look "That is the end of wench cable" Look at bumper opened a plastic door, found a key slot instead of hole I expected. "Bet your key will pull that out so can drive wench" (nice touch GM) Loaned them my flashlite to see what part of tire tool needed to lower tire (they still have that) A few minutes later wife called, I wished them luck.
Now they had been in the parking lot, on a nice day for over a hour, and still not done. While I was there, 1 asked other if he had ever changed a tire Been a long time, the other said never. Flats are not as common as years past, but still happen. I think it is a good idea for everybody, but especially those of us that my be in area we don't know anybody, to pick a nice day and while at home be sure you know how to change a tire on what you drive. In the cold, dark and rain, with traffic rolling by is not the best place to go too school

[ktmrfs]

"back in the day" the old "bumper jacks" were NOT the safest thing around either. More than once I'd seen or heard of cases where the car would roll forward/backward or side/side off the bumper jack. Lifting one end of the car off the ground with the bumper jack was not an invitation for any kind of stability.

[JRscooby]

ktmrfs wrote:
Talking about "spare tires" Many new cars do NOT have even a donut spare, only an inflator kit with slime.

If that was the case for these guys their only option would be call for a tow. That hook, if you had the equipment to cut it flush might hold enough air in to leave a slow leak. Pull it out? Hole to big for slime.

rlw999 wrote:
On the other hand, flats are much less common than they used to be. When I first started driving, I used to get a flat tire every few years. It's been over 20 years since I had a flat tire that left me stranded (and that time, it was both tires on one side, so the spare didn't help me). I've had slow leaks/punctures since then, but have always been able to pump up the tire and get to a tire store.

I've got the tools to replace a flat in my Class C, but unless I was stuck somewhere outside of cell range, I'd call roadside service if I got a flat.

Yes, back in the days of bias-ply tires. My first pickup had split rims, and maypops.

time2roll wrote:
My first tire change did not go perfect either. I give credit for the continued effort with eventual success. Plenty would walk away and call for assistance.

Not sure if they ever had success. And I'm sure I had trouble my first time. But back in that time, I, and everybody I knew did it before they had a drivers license. Now, not so much. Back in the day, we checked the oil every time we put gas in. Now we rarely think of it. (My 16 YO pickup or DWs 16 YO car have never had oil added between changes. Engines don't wear out in cars, but if nobody looks they can bleed to death.


When my nephew was about 13, I came up on him watching my Dad changing a tire. I took the tool from Dad's hand, asked the boy if he knew how to change a tire. While boy was stuttering Dad told me he could still change a tire. "Yes Dad, and if you where by yourself I would expect you to. But the boy can't learn any younger" The boy knew, but had never done it with hand tools.

[bgum]

Knowing and being able to change a tire are great.
Knowing but being physically unable to is a problem.

[Grit_dog]

time2roll wrote:
tire change ...... Plenty would walk away and call for assistance.

After hopefully revoking their own man card, permanently!

[time2roll]

My first tire change did not go perfect either. I give credit for the continued effort with eventual success. Plenty would walk away and call for assistance.

[PA12DRVR]

FWIW, I presume the discussion is about putting the spare rim w/tire on instead of the rim with flat tire, not actually changing tires? (I have a friend who runs a mobile tire service and often gets asked why he charges so much to change tires...at which point he has to confirm what's being requested since he does both rim swaps and tire changes).

Back to topic....I do as the OP suggested for all of my vehicles. Nice sunny day, beverage of choice nearby, walk through the process of getting the spare setup, switching rims, putting the bad rim/tire where the spare used to be, etc.

...and all my vehicles have a 4-way spinner. I can bust loose the lugs on all my vehicles (except the F550) with the factory lug wrench, but easier with the 4-way.

....and although I know how to do it, between circa October and May, if I'm in the general Los Anchorage area, it's worth the $50 to me (assuming a good response time) to have my buddy send out a guy to swap the spare.

[ferndaleflyer]

Those wheel lugs have got to be the dumbest thing Mercedes ever did. You get one of those suckers broke off either get out a wad of money or get ready for a time consuming job. + you need a replacement wheel. I may change cars before tires wear out but if not as much as I hate the thought I'll cut it off.

[rlw999]

On the other hand, flats are much less common than they used to be. When I first started driving, I used to get a flat tire every few years. It's been over 20 years since I had a flat tire that left me stranded (and that time, it was both tires on one side, so the spare didn't help me). I've had slow leaks/punctures since then, but have always been able to pump up the tire and get to a tire store.

I've got the tools to replace a flat in my Class C, but unless I was stuck somewhere outside of cell range, I'd call roadside service if I got a flat.

[ktmrfs]

Talking about "spare tires" Many new cars do NOT have even a donut spare, only an inflator kit with slime.

And I know several such vehicles that people I know have and almost all of them did not know the car had no spare tire.

Or the cars that have donut spares and the spot for it is to small to put the real tire in. So if you do have a flat, hope you've got lots of extra space in the back or the passenger is going to have a flat tire on their lap.

And first thing I did with my mercedes with the long lug bolts was to replace them with stand head bolts w/o the extension on them.

And the lug wrenches on lots of vehicles, especially trucks are pretty short for the amount of torque needed 150ish ft/lbs.

I suspect lots of people don't even know where tire changing tools for the car are located, let alone know where the jack points are.

My mercedes came with hinged wheel chocks, really a clever implementation. So I went on ebay and got a couple to put in our other vehicles. The fold down flat but flip open making a nice wheel chock.

[Grit_dog]

And last I checked, your story is about maintenance or repair skills.
That is unless they were driving the truck while trying to change a tire! Lol.

[Grit_dog]

@jrscooby, and with your in depth knowledge of changing tires, you carry every size socket you hope will fit your ragged out lug nuts?
That right there is funny from a guy handing out advice about changing tires!

[Jim-Linda]

Not quite same subject, but when we got new Santa Fe at first tire replacement, we had Discount Tire junk the fake spare and replace with full size wheel and tire. Been 5 years and no flats, but still check tire pressure on spare with others.

Jim

[Lwiddis]

Hard to get new RVers to practice changing a tire too. Guess they’d rather learn on the side of the road.

[JRscooby]

ferndaleflyer wrote:
Thats so true. My girls both know how to change a tire and change their own oil. I once watched the younger show her boyfriend how to change his oil. But my Mercedes has those extended lug bolts and I have already had to cut one wheel off because 2 of them broke and as it sits right now another is going to have to be cut off. Even road service would be lost with this situation. Those of us with some mechanical and diagnostic skills will soon be gone, then what?

My old pickup lugnuts have stainless steel covers over them. I discovered that rust can form on the steel nuts, and distort the caps to the point none of my sockets will fit. (I have 6 point sockets Metric, SAE, and Wentworth/British Standard.) Peal the cover off, and still not a standard size. In a bag I carry all the sockets close to the right size, enough nuts to replace all on 1 wheel, and a tool designed to remove rounded nuts.
Years ago, I took a fork tube off a UJM, cut it to about the length of my long breaker bar. Then I cut a pipe that would just fit over the fork tube. This lets me double the length of breakerbar with plenty of overlap. When I sold the tool truck, I kept this, and put it in wife's trunk. I would hope somebody would help her, but with that we both know she can break the nuts loose.

[ReneeG]

2oldman wrote:
A wench is a girl or young woman.

. . . of a reputation in question . . .