do you girls know how to change a flat tire?

[Dancing Fire]

if you had a flat in the middle of nowhere by yourself.

 

[Miranda]

Yup. Now, for me the question would be...Do I have the strength to get the nuts off? That answer is no. Especially after the tires have been balanced. The tire shops always put them on so tightly.

 

[Elegant]

No, I don''t, but hopefully I would have enough signal strength on my cell phone to call to get it fixed...
I have to pass through the I-5 here in CA to get from Northern California to Southern California and there are long stretches of road where you are screwed if yo got a flat, but I can still use my cell phone...

Can you Dancing Fire?

 

[strmrdr]

its shocking how many guys cant change a tire these days.

The other day a guy was working on changing one in front of my apt and he was going to kill himself.
He had the scissor jack upside down with the base on the car and the parking brake was not set.

 

[ahappygirl]

Yes. I''ve done it twice, one for myself and once when I was in a friend''s car when the tire blew. I also can change the oil, mow a lawn, use jumper cables, and know where the water and gas shut-offs in my house are. My parents taught me these things when I was in middle/high school, as well as lots of other stuff I wasn''t particularly interested in at the time. They also made me learn to drive manual transmission (glad about that one, too.)

I don''t change my oil anymore and I belong to AAA.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 7/19/2008 9:05:17 PM
Author: Elegant
No, I don''t, but hopefully I would have enough signal strength on my cell phone to call to get it fixed...
I have to pass through the I-5 here in CA to get from Northern California to Southern California and there are long stretches of road where you are screwed if yo got a flat, but I can still use my cell phone...

Can you Dancing Fire?

i said.... in the middle of nowhere, so no cell phone signal. can you do it ?

yes, i know how to change a flat

but haven''t done it in 20 yrs.

 

[Harriet]

No, but I don''t even know how to drive!

 

[isaku5]

Our son asked me the same question when he was a teenager, and I was stiill commuting to my teaching job.

He offered to watch while I tried

. I got only as far as trying to loosen the nuts, then grudgingly gave the job to him. He, who was all about weightlifting and proper exercise, couldn''t loosen them either

Back then, we didn''t have cell phones, but if I were still doing the commute, I''d have to have one - no question about that.

 

[somethingshiny]

I''ve known how to change a tire since I was 10. And, it''s a good thing, I had 4 flats on my first car within 3 months!! (I lived in the middle of nowhere and obviously had some faulty roads and farm implements lying around)

I am a firm believer in a licensed driver being able to do general maintenance. I think part of a licensing exam should include being able to change a tire, check pressure, check the oil (if not change it), and be able to check all your fluids.

I realize to many (even men...) that seems rough, but I don''t know why anyone would drive if they can''t take care of their vehicle. Or how they''d be comfortable driving for that matter.

 

[Elegant]

Date: 7/19/2008 9:48:54 PM
Author: Dancing Fire

Date: 7/19/2008 9:05:17 PM

Author: Elegant

No, I don''t, but hopefully I would have enough signal strength on my cell phone to call to get it fixed...

I have to pass through the I-5 here in CA to get from Northern California to Southern California and there are long stretches of road where you are screwed if yo got a flat, but I can still use my cell phone...

Can you Dancing Fire?

i said.... in the middle of nowhere, so no cell phone signal. can you do it ?

yes, i know how to change a flat

but haven''t done it in 20 yrs.

Well Dancing Fire, darling

, I suppose my answer would still be no, I can''t...that''s what I pay my insurance company for...

This reminds me of a time I was too freaked out to pick a tick out of my poor little Maltese...ugly, green, and bulging btw...

...so I called my dad and told him about it and he told me to just pull the darn thing out, and I said, "I JUST CAN''T!!!!! I''m going to have to take her to the vet tomorrow and pay him to take it out!"

And he said, "Honey, you are going to have to start learning how to do things on your own."

I''ve seen people change tires...does that help?

 

[miraclesrule]

Been there, done that. Actually, I wouldn''t have known how to change my friends tire for her if I hadn''t been paying attention to my StepDad when he changed mine. Thank gawd she has the same car I do, so I knew exactly where everything was and proceeded to put her spare on like I was a pro.

Now, I feel all manly.

And DF....with my old ''69 Trans Am...I was able to remove, gap, and replace all 8 of my spark plugs

When you are a single Mom, one learns how to become a handyman real fast.

 

[LaraOnline]

Interesting question... I still can (I think)
haven''t done it for at least ten years...
however I would still know to put the park brake on (snorts confidently)
gad here''s hoping I don''t ever have to try

 

[Jelly]

Hehe, I like this question.

1) I saw my college roommate fix her flat tire which inspired me.
2) I changed my own flat tire next time.
3) My mom was inspired by me, so she changed her own flat tire as opposed to calling AAA.
4) I "rescued" a guy friend by changing his flat tire for him...hiked up my skirt and got down and dirty. He was very impressed.

 

[miraclesrule]

Date: 7/19/2008 10:27:45 PM
Author: Jelly
Hehe, I like this question.

1) I saw my college roommate fix her flat tire which inspired me.
2) I changed my own flat tire next time.
3) My mom was inspired by me, so she changed her own flat tire as opposed to calling AAA.
4) I ''rescued'' a guy friend by changing his flat tire for him...hiked up my skirt and got down and dirty. He was very impressed.

Isn''t that the truth!! It''s kind of crazy how little today''s "modern men" know about what it usually considered "man stuff". I always have to be the one to set up the stereo, surround sound, tv, disc player etc, components because the guys always screw it up. I even labeled them before my contractors dismantled everything so my roommate could put them back together, but he screwed them all up and I had to get down and dirty and redo it myself.

Cheers to all the women who can handle power tools, vehicles, propane and flats.

 

[princesss]

No, but I really want to learn! Does that count?

 

[TravelingGal]

Duh DF...that''s why I got married.

Just kidding. Yes, I do, but I haven''t done it in ages and not on my new car.

 

[somethingshiny]

I just had to add, when I was about 3 months pregnant, I had to change a tire on a horse trailer in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere. And, when I was 8 months pregnant, I had to hook up and tow a guy out of a ditch. It was snowy and icy and no one should have been on the roads, but he and I both were, and he couldn''t even hook a tow strap up to his jeep! I had to get down in the snow, belly and all, and dig out from under his vehicle so I could hook my strap up. (In the guy''s defense, what little there is, he didn''t know I was pregnant until I had unbuttoned my coat when I had pulled him to the road. He was mortified.)

These things aren''t difficult and could really help you out someday. If you don''t know basic maintenance that could keep you from being stranded, PLEASE learn it.

 

[reader]

Nine years as a rural carrier, can''t avoid it.

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 7/19/2008 8:26:01 PM
Author:Dancing Fire
if you had a flat in the middle of nowhere by yourself.

I''d call Triple A, or hubby. Yes I could change it myself, but would feel better having a pro doing it for me.

 

[Anna0499]

No...I sort of want to learn but I think I''d be too scared to get out of the car on the side of the road to do it...especially if it was at night!

I''d be scared of doing it wrong and the tire coming off after a mile or so...I''d definitely call in the reinforcements I think.

 

[miraclesrule]

Date: 7/19/2008 11:19:12 PM
Author: somethingshiny
I just had to add, when I was about 3 months pregnant, I had to change a tire on a horse trailer in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere. And, when I was 8 months pregnant, I had to hook up and tow a guy out of a ditch. It was snowy and icy and no one should have been on the roads, but he and I both were, and he couldn''t even hook a tow strap up to his jeep! I had to get down in the snow, belly and all, and dig out from under his vehicle so I could hook my strap up. (In the guy''s defense, what little there is, he didn''t know I was pregnant until I had unbuttoned my coat when I had pulled him to the road. He was mortified.)

These things aren''t difficult and could really help you out someday. If you don''t know basic maintenance that could keep you from being stranded, PLEASE learn it.

OMG, I know that shouldn''t make me laugh, but it did. I think the "what little there was" set it off. He should have been mortified!! Can you imagine how emasculating that must have been for him? I shouldn''t be laughing, but I can''t help it.

 

[purrfectpear]

Not only can I change a tire, I can change brakepads, timing chains and adjust a turbocharger. I used to race Miatas

 

[Linda W]

Uh, no I can''t, so I would call Triple A

 

[fieryred33143]

My boyfriend showed me years ago how to change a tire. We used to live an hour apart so whenever I had a flat tire (which for some reason it happened A LOT) he would drive an hour to change it and then drive an hour back home. After about the sixth time he went through a step by step lesson LOL.

 

[hairgirl95]

Yep, I grew up on a farm, and I have changed MANY tires. I seemed to have a fetish for driving over curbs in high school and popped 3 tires doing that! I can also change oil and filter, change spark plugs/wires, jump start a battery, drive a manual transmission, drive a combine and tractor, and flush my anti-freeze. I got a great thrill picking on my ex-husband who didn''t know a battery cable from a spark plug. I actually changed the plugs in his car. Pretty humbling for him I must say! My now husband is a car guru, and I have learned SO MUCH from him. I actually enjoy it! And I am a frou frou girly girl. You would never guess I like to turn a wrench when you meet me. Props to all you other gals who have the mechanic gene too!!

My husband says it makes us sexy.

 

[LuckyTexan]

CAN I? Yes. Ask me if I know where my tire IS. That''s a whole other subject. hahah!

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 7/20/2008 12:28:52 AM
Author: purrfectpear
Not only can I change a tire, I can change brakepads, timing chains and adjust a turbocharger. I used to race Miatas

when can i bring my car over?

 

[VRBeauty]

Date: 7/19/2008 10:17:00 PM
Author: miraclesrule
And DF....with my old ''69 Trans Am...I was able to remove, gap, and replace all 8 of my spark plugs

Ditto, and I could gap the distributor (turns out my thumbnail was a good gap gauge), except I was doing this on an Opel GT (4 spark plugs). I''ve changed tires before but I haven''t had to change a tire on my current car. Love those runflats!

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 7/19/2008 10:17:00 PM
Author: miraclesrule
Been there, done that. Actually, I wouldn''t have known how to change my friends tire for her if I hadn''t been paying attention to my StepDad when he changed mine. Thank gawd she has the same car I do, so I knew exactly where everything was and proceeded to put her spare on like I was a pro.

Now, I feel all manly.

And DF....with my old ''69 Trans Am...I was able to remove, gap, and replace all 8 of my spark plugs

When you are a single Mom, one learns how to become a handyman real fast.

yeah but....did the car start after your mini tune up?

 

[LaraOnline]

Date: 7/20/2008 12:28:52 AM
Author: purrfectpear
Not only can I change a tire, I can change brakepads, timing chains and adjust a turbocharger. I used to race Miatas

That''s cool!