Can you change a flat tire yourself or not?

[DisneyJen0504]

Nope. I have never had a flat tire though (luckily...knock on wood) but no I wouldn't know the first thing about changing a tire. I don't think changing a tire has squat to do with having your license or car btw.
I have AAA and DH to take care of tire issues.

 

[NMAmy]

Nope, sadly, I don't even know how to change my oil.

Nah, don't feel bad about that. I've changed the oil in my cars before but it's much easier with a lift & I'd do it at work. I don't want to crawl under my car in the driveway and do it, either. That's a reasonable maintenance item that's well worth the money to have someone else do it for me, IMO.

 

[ADisneygirl]

Nope, I have no desire to change a dirty flat tire. I have a cell phone and AAA and other options. In a pinch, if I were forced to either stay in a dangerous situation or change it myself, I guess I could figure it out. Although part of me thinks I might just drive on it flat to safety.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

No one, male or female, should be allowed to get their license without being able to change a flat tire, or drive a stick shift in my opinion.

The vehicle manufacturers need a more user friendly spare tire storage method then.


I agree about the stick shift though!

 

[bajanswife]

One afternoon, several years ago, I changed all 4 of my tires myself - I'd just bought 2 new ones and I wanted to change the positions of the 2 old ones that I was leaving on. Back then I had a normal car - now I have a great big van! I'm not even sure where everything is on this van, and I guess I ought to find out! I honestly don't know if I could change the tires on this van by myself.

One thing that can be tricky when it comes to changing tires, as I've discovered once or twice: if the wheel nuts were previously tightened by a machine instead of a person, they are going to be VERY difficult to loosen again!

 

[lillygator]

sure I could change my own flat as well as the oil...but as far as the flat goes - that is what I keep my AAA membership around for!

 

[simpilotswife]

Could I? Yes! Will I? That's what AAA is for.

 

[mickeyboat]

I can, and I have, but I won't now. When DH stops calling me to pick up coffee cream on the way home, I will stop calling him for vehicle issues. We each have our jobs, that is not one of mine.

However, if it was an emergency I could do it.

Denae

 

[SeeDisney]

NO, I never had a flat tire. And I don't know how to change it.

 

[Parkhopper]

I CAN and I HAVE, but if given the choice, I would have someone like AAA do it next time. Last time I changed a tire myself, I wound up giving myself a black eye!! I was trying to take the (factory tightened) lug nuts off and the tire iron came off and popped me one in the face.

Suzi

 

[chasbos]

Uh, NO! Why would I pay for CAA to change my own tire? As someone else stated I have a cell phone and CAA service.

Also, in 16 years of driving I have never had a flat tire while away from home.

 

[battricia]

Well see here's the thing. (And I have pleanty of this experience, being the Queen of flat tires!) I do actually KNOW how to change a tire. However, any time I've ever tried in the past, I couldn't get the lug nuts off. But I know it wasn't just me because whenever the tripleA guy got there he couldn't really get it off either. they've literally had to 'jack' the t bar up to loosen it before they could get it off. That was my old car though, the new one might be easier.

tricia.

 

[rcyannacci]

I can and I have, but it's a pain in the rear!

The first time I changed a tire was in college; it took me over an hour, and I was covered in rain and mud. I was throwing things and shouting obscenities, but I finally finished. My roommate was laughing at me the whole time.

 

[bajanswife]

I have AAA and a cell phone

No AAA here, half the time I forget to charge my phone, and DH travels a lot!

I'll be in a lot of trouble if I don't figure out how to deal with flat tires on this van I now have!

 

[cardaway]

On one of those few days I had to dress formally and accident happened in front of me where a truck rear ended another truck and took off his trialer hitch. I drove over the hitch, busted my tire, and bent my rim.

I couldn't get all messy so I called the roadside assitance. They quoted 1.5 hours before they could make it out to change the tire so I was forced into it.

Yep, I ended up getiing the grime on my pants and just as others said, some of those lugs were tuff to get off, and I'm one of the strongest people I know. Not sure why they torque them down beyond the recommended amount, but they do.

It was all good in the end. The formal meeting was cancelled, the grime came out in the wash, the guy who caused the accident worked at Goodyear and replaced the tire and rim the next day,

 

[froglady]

I have in the past, but now that I'm of a "certain" age I'll call AAA. I also pay someone else to change my oil; it's not an emergency (unless YOU let it go) it's messy, takes time, and you still have to bring the oil someplace to get rid of it safely. Much easier to pay the 30 bucks or so for someone else to do it.

I can drive a stick shift, though, and did so just the other day.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

I know how and have done it in the past. But like others have said, if the lug nuts are put on with an impact wrench there is no way I can get them off.

And I have changed my oil and do know how to drive stick.

 

[Kermit]

I can, and I keep a pair of dirty shoes in my trunk so that I can do it if I need to. I've never had a flat tire of my own that I needed to change, but I've taught a few guys how to change tires on other people's cars.

 

[ChrisnSteph]

I can (my parents wouldn't let me drive until I knew how to change a tire), but I have AAA!

 

[Gary M]

I've changed many in my life, but at my age I belong to AAA.