Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Can your kid change a tire?

............. That's pretty much what I see.... And that's why I refer to the 5 spd. stick in my '09 Tacoma as an "anti-theft device".

Yes my kids can change tires and their own oil.

Funny story from my LEO days. Was a State Trooper just on normal patrol in the backwoods of my patrol zone. Came upon a newer car with four late teens standing outside the vehicle looking at a flat tire . I Stopped and just had to ask what the problem was, and received the flat tire answer. I asked the 4 if any of them knew how to change the tire, all responded with no. I told them they were on their own returned to my patrol vehicle and left. Knowing that it would be a good chance I would get called on the carpet for my actions, I called my supervisor and informed him of the situation. He said they should not be driving then, and he would deal with the parents when they called to complain about me. So trust me there are drivers out there who have no clue how to change a flat tire, and I blame it on the parents.

Jacking/changing wheels/checking fluids/etc. were all part of the training routine - along with some disciplined driving rules - for our 4 daughters in the 70s and early 80s. They were good and conscientious about it, and got a refresher opportunity now and then. I always re-checked the torque on the lug nuts after they did a change - they always were in good shape as young ladies, but upper body strength is not a forte for most women.

A while back, one of them was visiting us and came out to a garage while I was dismounting a wheel from the big Mack LTL and using an impact tool - she said "wow, you never showed or let us use that tool when we were young". I never had one back then. Just as well.

Yup, but they are 41 and 38. Oh, and they're MEN.

Literally yesterday, my 9 year old and I were working on his mom's old Highlander. I had to lift the tire into place and get the first nut started, but he put on all the rest. I showed him the tightening pattern too.


I did do the final torque of the nuts though


Both he and his 11 year old brother WILL know how to drive a stick by the time they get their driver's licenses.

I believe early VW's also had right and left hand lug nuts.

When both my son and daughter got their driver's licenses, changing tires and checking fluids was the first thing I taught them. However, when my daughter was 18 she had her first flat. I was at work when she called me and told me she couldn't break the lug nuts loose. Luckily she was only about a mile from home. When I got there, she had the car jacked up, hub cap off, and spare tire out. Whoever put the lug nuts on, didn't want them to ever come off. King Kong couldn't have gotten them off. I had to go home and get a breaker bar and a pipe to get them off. If it weren't for that, she would have done it herself. She's not a sissy.

My son-in-law couldn't change a tire until my daughter taught him - can't remember if that was before or after she married him. What I can't fathom is he's still perfectly content with it that way - I'd be happy to teach him how to be a man but he wants absolutely no part of it. Drives me fuggin nuts

Read a map....most youngsters follow the GPS on their fancy computer phones religiously. Take those away and they'd really be lost. Be easier to pull their teeth without novocaine (or however you spell it) then get them to look at a map.

NYH1.

We don't have kids but that's my theory for the wife. Luckily she doesn't have to travel much for work.



Speaking of tires....

This past fall I went to check the air on the inside duals on the pickup. For the life of me couldn't find the angled air chuck/gauge. And of course they make the holes in the wheels too godddamn small so a man can't fit his hand in and run a pressure gauge let alone get a chuck on the valve stem.

Had to jack it up and remove the outside wheels to get at them. Half hour later for a 2 minute job.

Thank God for cordless impact wrenches or I would have had a stroke...

Yeah - he can and better than that - he knows how to use a set of spoons too.

As to reading a map - yeah, he can do that. Even knows how to figure the miles with the little arrows and exit numbers.

He can ride a motorcycle too - don't think he has jockey shift/suicide clutch down tho.

Yeah, and oil changes and brakes, shock changes, air filters, alternators, starters etc. I wanted them to know whats involved so if they wanted to pay to have it done they can see if they are getting screwed.

They're too young right now, but they will know basic maintenance. Of course, like mentioned before, I'd prefer road-side assistance for most situations.

I also plan to teach them manual transmissions and backing trailers. Although I don't figure "sticks" will be too available when they reach adulthood.

I've been driving with a license for 30 years, and......I've never had a flat tire yet on a vehicle that I was driving.

Our new minivan doesn't even have a donut spare, just a can of fix-a-flat.

You know....there are some things you should never say (or type) out loud!

NYH1.

Amazing how rare a flat tire is these days. As noted, it has been over 30 years. The boys know how to swap a tire though the eldest (28) of the three is not not a car guy. Middle son (26) does all his maintenance and fixes on his old Miata. Youngest, 19, can pretty much do it all to include an alignment on my 73 Mach 1.

I had a 69' Plymouth Fury b-body, big block donor car for several mopar builds i did.

It had left hand threads but only the left side.

Yeahhh cuz dats de Crip side


I smacked them fuggers out first chance I could after I popped the axels out of that 8-3/4 pumpkin.

All 4 (grown men now) can and know their way around the rest of vehicle wrenching.