Changing a tire

[naturegirl]

Well, up until now I have managed to get out of the endeavor of changing a tire. Have I been taught by watching? Yes. Have I ever changed one on my own? No.

 

So I'm out hunting for a couple days. After the first afternoon hunt I get to my truck and start it. Now with the new vehicles you don't have to be very smart to know you have a flat tire because it tells you when you turn it on. Lights are flashing and the dash says I have 14 lbs of air in my front left tire.

 

Yep I'm out somewhere in the desert, but I have thankfully started a kit for such needs and have a small air compressor. I read the directions (women do this all the time). It's 20 minutes on and 30 minutes off. After an hour plus I have my tire air upped. I would rather change the tire at home if possible so I air up after the morning hunt and head home.

 

I'm home now and I pull out the truck manual, go to page 175, and read the directions on how to change a tire. It's time I make myself do this pesky little chore. Some directions make no sense at all and some I understand well. I know a man wrote the directions because men typically leave out the simple little things like a picture of the jack with words saying what each piece is called, which would save people like me time.

 

Even after reading the directions, I forgot to loosen the nuts before jacking it up so then I got the practice of lowering it and jacking it up again. This is where I got frustrated. No matter how hard I tried I could NOT loosen the nuts. I was getting extremely frustrated and felt like I was going to break the wrench they provide so I called on Mr. Google and he said to try a 4-way. Then I call my neighbor to borrow one and actually get two to see which size I need to carry in my truck from now on. I try the small one and still can't get any of them loose. I move to the big 4-way and finally get them loose.

 

I also like to think I have a bit of common sense so I do not understand why the manual said to remove the blocks before lowering the jack so I didn't listen to the manual.

 

I think it's a good idea if when teaching how to change a tire, you let the person being taught do the work from start to finish. There is a difference between watching and doing.

[Jimmyc]

I use a pipe that fits over the wrench to get more leverage. That should do it.

Good luck.

[yotebuster]

Better yet, if you get it aired up and get it home, just drive it to the tire shop and have them fix it. They charge a couple dollars more if it's on the vehicle is all. I don't mind changing tires, its getting the dang spare out and back up where it came from!!

[Jimmyc]

 

 

I use a pipe that fits over the wrench to get more leverage. That should do it.

Good luck.

...and there is NO reason to super crank the lug-nuts down... Firmly tight is all that is needed...

Absolutely. I use the pipe only to break them loose. Not to tighten them.

[5guyshunting]

Next time you might try one hand and one foot pushing down on that 4-way. It makes it easy even with small 4-ways.

[DesertBull]

Just put some fix a flat in it and trade the truck in. Thats what I do.

[elkaholic]

Do your self a favor and get a 14In breaker bar /1/2 inch drive - used for sockets- and a 4 inch extension in 1/2 inch drive and a 1/2 drive socket to fit the lugs

 

easy to keep under the seat and you'll have the right tool to easily loosen / tighten any nut that the socket fits

[Ernesto C]

Naturegirl, next time you cant get a bolt/nut loose, put some water on them, wait a minute and you'll be surprise how easy you'll get them loose!

 

Don't forget to put a rock or some kind of block on both sides of a tire to prevent it from moving forward or backwards and fall off from the jack.

 

Ernesto C

[4Falls]

Since you now have plenty of info on changing a tire let me say that I really enjoy your writing style. I like the sarcastic humor and point of view you bring to all your posts/stories. You probably have already heard this, or have been told this, or heck you may already be a professional writer but if not it may be something for you to look into. Thanks for sharing.

[Tucson John]

Yea I can relate! My daughter brought home a dresser from IKEA.......man oh man what a PITA! No written directions all pictures....and about a billion fasteners! Oh well at least a hundred, and if you goof up one step, out of dozens, you have to disassemble and start over. I think I like Ashley furniture better!

[Snapshot]

The best thing would be to call up us, strong, handsome, CWT guys. We would trip over ourselves to come help a woman with guns.

[Guest 300ultramag.]

I humped tires for 6 years at my 1st job.. it has paid dividends in my adult life to know all the ins and outs of all things tires.

 

I have changed the wimpy trailor tires with screwdrivers and a crow bar on the side of a road... I have set a bead with shaving cream when it was ran flat and it wouldnt take air 3 miles in on a dirt road.. and have limped a tire back on a bundle of cut up t shirt and slime..

 

learn how to patch and plug... carry slime and plugs and a compressor..

 

a cheater bar is helpful.. throw locking lug nuts away!

 

 

 

lastly any advice I could give is... ALWAYS put the spare under the vehicle 1st when using a jack... if it travels at all that steel spare rim will save your butt from being crushed and you can start over .. once you have freed the flat tire from the hub switch them out... placing the flat tire under the vehicle while your installing the spare..

 

if the truck falls with no tire there is a good chance you wont be able to get the jack back under it.. that spare gives you some room to work with.

[Hunterjohnny]

 

learn how to patch and plug... carry slime and plugs and a compressor..

 

a cheater bar is helpful.. throw locking lug nuts away!

 

lastly any advice I could give is... ALWAYS put the spare under the vehicle 1st when using a jack... if it travels at all that steel spare rim will save your butt from being crushed and you can start over .. once you have freed the flat tire from the hub switch them out... placing the flat tire under the vehicle while your installing the spare..

 

if the truck falls with no tire there is a good chance you wont be able to get the jack back under it.. that spare gives you some room to work with.

All this but I use these wrenches without fail. The handle telescopes for leverage.

[AZ8]

[Pine Donkey]

It's been a long time since I changed a tire in the field. Do whatever is needed to limp it in and take it to a tire shop. I keep slime, a plug kit and a foot pump under the back seat. Those three items will usually get you going again unless you just destroy the tire. One time I put a rock or something through a sidewall. After looking at the hole, I decided my best option was a mesquite stick wrapped in a piece of t-shirt soaked in slime. I drove the stick in with a rock, aired it up and let the tire shop do the rest. It held for the fifteen mile drive to pavement and 10 miles to town. This was during an August hunt in the desert. Driving a bit slower in air conditioning is way better than changing a tire on a mountain road.