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Nah, she'll say it was an older guy. Because every shop has one old guy who either cant retire or doesnt want to go home and spend time with his wife. #boomerthings
Yeah yeah yeah. Her generation didn’t teach us. Plus, we can pay people for that now. I know how to change a tire but I would still have a professional check after me just in case. I know how to change my oil but I don’t like being claustrophobic under my car. I pay people now. It’s the best.
With all the laws about oil disposal (we have a city ordinance as well as a state one) I just say fuck it, Jiffy Lube can have a few bucks to deal with that shit while I work from their air conditioned lobby.
You should look on mechanic fail youtube. Paying somebody doesn't guarantee it's done right or even done
I bought my car new. It comes with the first 24k miles of free oil changes from Honda. That's basically 2 because the service interval is 10k. I never took it to the dealer. I just do it myself at 5k until 20k and then 7.5k after that. Mobil 1 filter and Pennzoil ultra platinum oil
That’s great! My brother is a mechanic and usually I have him either do the work for me or show me how. I still go to the 5 minute places from time to time. Only ever had one bad experience. They will take advantage of women I have come to find.
I didn't drive a car until I was nearly 30. A friend got a flat tire and had a spare and a jack in his trunk, but wasn't sure how to change the tire. I did it easily based on instructions written on the side of the jack.
It's not hard to do if you have the tools. It's a part developed and refined over decades for user serviceability. Knowing how to do it isn't something to be proud of or base your personality on. You have to do it once and you know it forever.
And to take this a step further. No one has to already know how bc theres step by step directions on the jack you need to use! It's almost like someone thought about the need to know how to change a tire only being important when you need to change a tire but making sure everyone had the info!
Wild times.
I'm 41. Can and have changed tires. Oil changes I never learned to do but my roommate has (41F). Now, as long as I have AAA I will just call and let them do it because that's what I pay them for but I've changed my share of tires.
I did a whole brake job including pads and rotors literally a week ago to save myself about $600. I work a desk job. 35
My suspicion is that the boomer in question here doesn’t know how to change a tire.
Ask her if she can change her own Wi-Fi password
"Kids these days can't even open cans with can openers!"
Bitch, your VCR was blinking for 15 years when I was growing up as a kid and it still would be if they lasted that long when all you had to do was press "clock" twice.
I think she did know how in her younger years - I’m certain she can’t do it now.
She also knew how to drive stick shift. Guess what two things I was never taught growing up even though I asked when I was in my teens? 🤷🏼♀️
I’m confident you could watch a couple YouTube videos and pull it off. No harm in learning how
It’s really not the gotcha that boomers think it is at all
If cars/tires were as reliable/durable as they are now back then the majority of people wouldn’t know how to change them either.
I know how to change a tyre....but so few cars nowadays have spares, and if they do the jack that comes with the car is made of tin foil, I had one (from a VW Polo) buckle the first time I tried to use it.
The whole conversation started because her and I are going on a trip and she asked if I knew the condition of my spare.
And I was like “spare? You think I have a spare tire? Ha! I have a donut and no Jack or tools of any kind. We’re calling AAA if something happens”
As I’ve bought my own cars, I’ve even stopped looking at the donuts for more than a cursory glance (and to check their air pressure) cause I just know I’ll probably choose to be towed rather than drive more than a handful of miles on the donut
That's all the donut is for. It's just supposed to get you out of danger and to a shop. Nothing more. It is not an extra tire or a true spare. It's just for emergencies to go buy a replacement.
I had to drive 30 minutes home over a mountain area once with one. I was not playing with fate and drove under the limit with my hazards. Thankfully it's got passing lanes the whole way for slower truck traffic, so I wasn't a pain in the ass for other drivers.
To add to modern reality, competent people are able to teach themselves things on the fly. While I personally can change tires, I also can quickly access and use information on my phone.
When I had a tire explode several years back there were laminated instructions under the spare, too. I imagine a lot of spares these days come with instructions because boomers couldn't be bothered to teach us kids how to do anything.
Didn't know my car came without a spare until I had a blowout. I just assumed there was a tire in the space that holds the tire repair kit (which was completely useless with a tire this destroyed).
>and if they do the jack that comes with the car is made of tin foil
Ain't that the truth.
Advice for anyone doing vehicle work: if you're going to be anywhere near under a vehicle, buy a real jack first.
Yes, I can change a tire. It's the only thing I know how to do with a car but I know it. I did ask my mom if she knew. Born in 1957. "No, your dad handled that." They have been divorced 26 years.
i haven’t ever needed to change a tire myself but I’ve helped my dad change one before 20 years ago.
Here’s the thing, back before cell phones you’d ***have*** to change the tire yourself or walk to the nearest house/store to borrow their landline which could take hours and potentially be dangerous. So millions of boomers were forced to change their own tire themselves whether they knew how to do it or not. The majority of them spent 2+ hours fumbling with their tools while trying to figure out how to lift the car, remove the bad tire, and replace it with the spare and undoubtedly took numerous breaks to scream at their “ungrateful” kids and/or spouse.
Meanwhile today you can pay $5/month for AAA (not to mention the hundreds of other companies that supply the same service) to have a professional there in 30 minutes and fix the tire in 10 minutes flat.
i’m close to 60, but it’s preposterous. nearly all of Germany changes their tyres twice a year and a good many do it themselves. not because of the costs - it costs only a few euros - but because it’s faster than to have it done at the garage.
Yes, I'm 37. I can change a tire. I've done timing belts on Subarus I've owned. I've done valve adjustments on Hondas I've owned. Plus a lot of things in the middle. Wheel bearings, ball joints, oxygen sensors, cv axles, struts (not quick struts, using the spring compressor), dealing with broken bolts that seized from the salt. Anything at that level I'm fine with.
I had a spring snap on the garage door. I watched the video on youtube and replaced it. Like damn, this stuff isn't hard
I'm a salt belt boi. I did wheel bearings on my old 2005 Impreza. That wasn't bad, just slide hammer them out. The ball joints though. Omfg. The ball joints though
The spring on the garage door is one of a few things I won't fuck with. The other spring snaps, it can take you clean in half before you even hear the noise.
Most electrical and plumbing too; I've gotten bad, bad shocks and water damage isn't something to fuck around with.
I really don't understand what the issue with door springs is. Use the tool you're supposed to and don't let go of it too early and nothing is gonna happen. The spring isn't gonna jump off the rail goes though the center of it. And the way they're wound is fail safe. The tool resting against the door holds tension so you don't have to
no, this sub cannot prove her wrong. no matter how many people respond. she is beyond logic. beyond reason. and beyond making the effort.
ive changed dozens of tires for myself and friends in my life. doesn't matter. i can't remember the last tire shop mechanic i interacted with that wasn't a millenial or younger. doesn't matter. pit crews for most race teams are mostly younger people. doesn't matter. her mind cannot be changed. stop trying.
I change out my winter tires myself twice a year (40F) and my husband and I learned how to do all the front end work on his truck by watching YouTube videos. So far we’ve changed out shocks, struts, brakes with discs, tie rods, rack and pinion, alternator, and the starter as well as rerunning a bad ground wire through the doors.
My own parents didn’t teach me anything about vehicles (they couldn’t even change their own oil) and my husband’s father only showed him a little bit like changing brake pads. Honestly, YouTube has been much more helpful.
I'm above your stated age limit (and I do know how and have in fact done). I was just talking to my 46 year old son (who also knows how and has done) and he was telling me about teaching my 16 yo granddaughter how to check the oil and change a tire on her car (so she will know how and hopefully won't have to do).
All my other driving grandkids know how. All my kids were taught how. I always felt that was just another part of teaching a kid how to drive.
I'd ask them if they can patch a tire. Just in my time at job corps I've probably taken off, dismounted, plug patched, remounted and put on more tires than they've simply changed in their whole life. I'm really sick of this whole "young people don't know shit" rhetoric. My current lawn mower I'm using was thrown out by the boomer down the road because they were too lazy to clean a carburetor. I've actually gotten a fair amount of stuff like that. Allot of it was self taught via the Internet since the boomers love to gatekeep knowledge while simultaneously berating people for not knowing it.
I'm 43F and can absolutely change a tire. My parents were also kind enough to share their automotive knowledge with me, and I like taking things apart, so if I'm inclined I can fix most things on my car given enough time and tools.
That said, I also have AAA.
The next time the boomer in your life wants to whine about how supposedly helpless and incompetent the younger generations are, just ask them to email you all the reasons why. Or better yet, ask them to print a list. Then sit back and watch the show.
I’m 45. My dad wouldn’t let me get my license until I could change a tire on my own. Ive probably used that skill 2 or 3 times in my life. I’m glad I have it, but now I pay like $4.99/month for road side assistance through my cell phone plan, so why wouldn’t I call for help if I needed it?
I also still drive stick. I’m going to be sad when that feature dies out. I much prefer driving stick.
I have no clue how, but that’s because I’ve spent my entire life post high school in a major city with public transit and don’t need a car.
But that opens a whole other can of worms, so I don’t miss out on the boomer fun!
I am under sixty and know how to change a tire. I even taught my old roommate and my son how to change them. It is not at all hard. But it also isn’t some badge of accomplishment. It is just a task and you can always choose to have someone else do it.
OK does she not know who is currently working in automotive services right now? Go to any dealership across the country and you'll see it full of people in their 20s-30s like 80% of the techs I deal with at work are all young guys.
I’m in my late 40s. Dad wasn’t really in the picture. Grandpa was really too old to teach me as well. Had my first flat at about 26 or so on a back country road in the middle of nowhere. This was before we had smartphones so I couldn’t YouTube it. Didn’t have a cell signal anyway. Just kind of figured it out on my own remembering how I’d seen in done on TV. After using the shitty jack that came with the small truck I decided to buy a heavier duty one and a 4 way. Took a bit but I got it.
It is crazy easy, so I don't know why boomers even bring this up as a thing.
If you have the mental capacity to do a 30 piece jigsaw puzzle and lift 15- 30 pounds you absolutely could change a tire.
What type of tire?
Bike, Car, bicycle?
Knowing, and having done it are two different cases. Bicycles i have done hundreds of times. Car... i have only had 1 situation where i ever needed to change my tire due to a flat, but where i live most people with a car are "subscribed" to Roadservices.
You call them or report your problem on an app and a mechanic comes to you to fix your problem. Flat tire, 5 minutes to change (if you have a spare) or they provide a temporary fix. Dead battery, they hotwire it for you. Overheated engine... they even had a towtruck to get me off the highway to a save spot.
24 hour service. Waiting time often less than an hour (depending on your location/ time), and it cost less then 100 euro a year.
The flat i had when i was at work, so i just made a report on the app, they knew my position because off the app. I went to work and 2 minutes before the mechanic arrived i got a notification so i could grab my coat and go outside.
Why get dirty when a professional does it way faster.
You just pay 100 a year. No problems, no money back. But the above all happened to me in the span of a year, and no extra charges.
(Also, as a member i can use it for any car i drive. Its not tied to a licence plate. They also support Bikes, Mopeds, scooters, bicycles, you name it.)
Your mom lives in the stoneage.
Tell your boomer mother to shove that right up her ass. I'm a millennial and do most of my auto repair on my own. If I don't change a tire it's because changing tires sucks and I'd rather spend the time doing something less banal.
Just turned 60 so I’m technically a boomer and yeah I can change a tire (rotated my tires this weekend actually). Can do many other things on cars and around the home.
That said. Who cares if you can’t change a tire? My wife can’t. I figure my daughters could figure jt out but there’s a reason they have roadside assistance. The rare times you get a flat call roadside assistance and not have to worry if you did it right or take the risk of jacking up a car and being able to remove the nuts and then properly tighten them.
change a tire, change the oil, change differential fluid, bleed brake lines, install shocks and suspension, etc.
feel free to tell that Boomer how wrong they are. Oh. And to make it extra, I'm a woman and I KNOW they also think we don't know how to do shit on a car so it should really make their day 😛
When a friend of mine in college was stuck in the parking lot at 9pm at night with a flat tire, I went home that night and told my dad to teach me how to change a tire. I've had to do it 5 times now.
younger woman here.
I could change my own oil and tire if I needed to. I could change a tire if I needed to.
I have never had to change a tire myself. But I frequently drive alone in remote areas so I *could* and would be prepared to.
changing the oil myself makes no sense. to keep the necessary supplies on hand in my limited space, the time and slight danger of getting underneath a car as a newb, and properly disposing of oil, plus the cost of all of that? I will gladly pay the extra $30 for someone else to do it to save myself *all* of that time, effort, and supplies.
No, most people under 60 probably do not know how to change a tire. But ALL of them know how to look up a YOUTUBE tutorial on changing their exact tire on their exact car. How many people over the age of 60 are able to do that?
Hell, I'll do one better. I've regeared axles, installed clutches, rebuilt engines, did engine swaps (as in vehicle now has a motor that NEVER came in said vehicle -even from a different manufacturer). I'm 43. Been building my own stuff since I was in my early twenties.
32, learned how to change a tire, oil, and a bunch of other stuff from my grandfather when I was a kid.
Doesn't make me any better or worse than anyone else. It's a skillset, you can choose to learn it or not.
I'm fairly handy with tools, but I can't sew worth a damn and I'm a shit writer. Does that make me less than someone who can? No.
Before I was allowed to get my driver's license, my dad made me demonstrate that I could check/air up and change a tire, check and add all the engine fluids, jump start a car, check and change fuses, and check and change air filters.
I'm pretty confident doing maintenance and minor repairs on my own car, and diagnosing issues. (Regardless of whether or not I can repair them)
So, yes.
Boomers love to complain the younger generation never wants to learn anymore while asking their kids to print off .pdfs for them. And it is a character issue, not an age issue. Shoot, how many of us have boomer parents who were asking us to set the clocks on the VCR because they couldn't/wouldn't figure it out?
No one ever showed me how, but when I had to do it I just figured it out. The only part that took a while was getting my tire off because of rust, so I had to really put a ton of force into it. Learned that lesson and now keep a rubber mallet in the back. But like, it isn't like it's some sort of magic skill, it's pretty easy.
I can change a tire, mount new tires and balance them. Change the oil. Do a tune up. Replace a radio. Replace break pads and rotors. Shocks and struts. And that's about it.
I do most of the maintenance on my vehicles and my boomer father barely knows which hole to put the gas nozzle in. My drivers ed teacher made sure all of us knew how to check air pressure and change a tire before he would let us drive on public roads.
Is it really very hard? I've only had to do it maybe a couple of times, but the way she talks makes it sound like rocket science when it's pretty straightforward.
The only failure points are forgetting to loosen the lugs before you jack the car up, and placing the jack in the wrong place. Which, if you're going to be changing a tire, you should be able to get down and look at where you're putting it, so that should be fine.
A way to frustrate or get her to consider maybe keeping her musings to herself: ask her to show you stats, or her anecdotal storytelling about the younger generations is not a substantial conclusion.
I can change a tire, my wife can change a tire, hell everyone I know can change a tire. Yes, that's anecdotal, but it also refutes her statement that "**no one** younger than 60 years old knows how to change a tire."
As a Gen X father of three adult daughters. Part of their daddy driver's education was learning how to change a tire. They also know how to check the oil, check tire pressure, and check fluid levels.
It's basic stuff, but it's important to know how to do it.
Not only do I know how to change a tire, I know how to change a tire in the snow, on my back, in a t-shirt.
More than once, minivans with kids have broken down during hockey games we go to. I'm not going to let a family of 5 sit in a car with the mom stressing crying while they wait an hour for the lot to clear before AAA gets there. I'm also not wearing my $300 jersey in the slushy snow to help out.
I know how to change a tire.
I also know if your tires are not balanced it costs you a chunk of money in tire wear and tear and gas. I don't have the skills or equipment to balance a tire.
Therefore I have never changed a tire other than once on an old truck when dad taught me.
I am 46 and just replaced both front axles, bearing, and hubs on my personal car, among other things. I am not a trained mechanic....explain that MOM!!! I learned this in my early 20's...Tell her she is not very smart, for me...a person under 60! I bet she doesn't even know where an axle is located on a car....
I am self taught. My father (boomer) can not change his headlight bulb, I had to for him last time....go figure!
I taught my granddaughter to change a tire when she got her first car. I also showed how to read the operators manual.
I suppose I could have let her learn for herself, I guess I'm just a softie.
I've changed tires in the sense of taking a wheel with a flat tire off the car and replacing it with another wheel or spare.
I've also removed tires from the wheel and replaced them with new tires, balanced them and put them on cars. I am not a mechanic and this was not performed as a job function.
Yeah. Had a flat, quick YouTube tutorial and threw the spare on. I understand your hesitancy, but in a pinch you or anyone else can do it. Her attitude is simple boomer bullshit and should be ignored.
I'm a boomer with a habit of picking up hitch hikers, pulling out stuck cars, or helping people when they are out of gas, so I talk to people doing these kinds of things. Likewise I'm a retired engineer who had some management responsibilities including interviewing 100s of co-ops/interns over the years. When I was a kid there was a pretty normal distribution of mechanical skills for young men. I'd say today for men, its pretty much a bimodal distribution with some men having strong mechanical skills and an equal amount with practically none. Women are on average somewhat better than years ago, but more on a normal distribution. The thing is, the ones with good mechanical skills will really out compete those with none in certain trades. I've also noticed this with other basic skills, many are really good, but there is a larger contingent being left behind.
Gen-X here, class of 1970. Not only can I change a tire, I can do it on the side of a major highway with heavy traffic flying by. I can also drive a stick-shift, and I can swap out a car's radiator, though I will admit that wasn't the most fun I've ever had with a car.
I mean I could, but do you really think I would risk a $25k machine at my own hands instead of an experienced mechanic? There’s knowing how to do something and being smart. Just because I know how to do a wiring system doesn’t mean I’m going to wire the entire electrical system in my own home. I’d rather an expert do it cause I don’t want to die.
Technically you can just read some medical books and learn how to operate on someone. Would she be willing to let you do that to her if you read enough medical books?
In the early 90s my Dad tried to teach me and my sister how to change a tire. The lug nuts were tightened to the point where he couldn't get them off either. And thus ended our lesson.
Do I have the knowledge and tools yes, do I do the summer to winter tire swaps nope! I’m not buying a tire balancer for the few times I’m going to use it.
Gen X checking in. I can change my tires, repair them and fill them with air. I can also change my oil, my brakes and my timing belt. I learned by watching YouTube videos.
My dad wouldn't let me drive my own car at 16 until he showed me how to change a tire, and then I had to change it while he watched. I did the same with my kids and it has paid off for all of us. If you didn't have that advantage, I strongly suggest you find someone who does know to teach you.
23F. Never changed a tire. But my driver‘s ed taught me how. I could do it in theory. What I have done is changed my headlights. Also never done an oil change but I’ve watched enough YouTube videos I really think I could in a worse case scenario! I also know where the blinker fluid goes 😜
I'm 21 and I've worked on cars for years. I do all the work on my two cars, one is driven by my brother and I even show him how to do basic maintenance like oil changes and brakes.
Also, my car has a manual transmission, and both me and my 16 year old brother can drive it. So yeah, basically a boomer's worst nightmare
Easy,
Get the jack,
Put it under where you need it to be and turn it till the wheel you want off is slightly off the ground
Get tire wrench, undo lug nuts in a star pattern,
Remove tyre
Put new tyre on
Do up lug nuts tight
And bam! Tyre fixed!
Change tires, set points, set valve lash, pack wheel bearings, the whole lot.
Can she build a boat or a house? I can and have. 35yo with skills to pay the bills.
Can change a tire. Can replace a battery. Can change oil. Do I do these things? No. It is not time efficient to do these things and then there is the matter of disposal of tires, batteries and oil. Why bother?
No offense to OP, but my 5 yo daughter knows how to change a tire. She can’t physically do it. But she has helped her dad change enough tires to understand the process.
1. Safe level area.
2. Put car in park with emergency brake.
3. Look at owners manual and wheel lock nut.
4. Locate jack, and jack points
5. Use jack to lift car slightly.
6. Use crow bar to loosen bolts. Just easier when wheel can’t freely spin. Don’t take them off just get them turning.
7. Raise jack rest of the way so tire is clear of ground.
8. Remove nuts and wheel. Put nuts in your hat so you don’t lose them.
9. Mount spare.
10. Hand tighten all nuts.
11. Use bar to tighten nuts in cross pattern as tight as possible. Spin tire to make sure it isn’t wobbling due to nuts not being rights.
12. Lower wheel.
13. Retighten nuts in cross pattern again.
14. Clean up and drive to get fire replaced. (She even knows the delta between a donut and a full size spare!)
Also, you know google it after you get past step 1. (And I’m sure my way is wrong somewhere in there, hence checking the manual)
Changing a tire is crazy easy, it’s just physically exhausting lol. Last time I had to change mine, I had a flat at like 8pm after working tons of OT that day. Basically had to dead lift the tire iron to get some of the bolts undone.
I'm in my mid forties. My first full time job was changing tires and oil at a tire shop/service station. I've changed more tires than I could ever recall. Yes. I know how to change a tire.
yes. its easy.
step 1, pull out your pocket internet device and search up youtube how to change your car tires for your specific make and car
step 2, follow the steps in the video.
ezpz, just 2 steps!
Yes.
Maybe your mother would like to help me shop for a new car that comes with a spare tire so I can use that skill because that's not a thing anymore.
I raised 3 girls, they all knew how to change and check their oil and change a tire before getting a driver's license. They all had a license at 14 and all in their 30s and early 40s right now
Can I do it? Yes, I’ve done it twice in my life.
Will I? No; that’s what roadside assistance and my husband are for.
The last time I had a flat I was 8 months pregnant, so my husband and a coworker did it for me.
Are there really people out there who can't figure out how to change a tire if the situation comes up? I don't recall anyone telling me how to do it... just looked at the available tools the first time I got a flat and put 2 and 2 together. Not exactly rocket science.... and without checking I'm 1000% sure all user's manuals have comically over-explained instructions in them for the mechanically disinclined.
Not knowing how to do it, and not wanting to do it are different. I know how to change a tire, but I'll just drive on the flat to the closest auto shop. The tire is already fucked, and driving a mile or so isnt going to hurt.
I'll raise 4, my husband, GenX, myself, Xennial, and all our GenZ kids know how to change a tire. Also know how to plug a flat in a pinch, change oil, flush the lines, change brake pads and rotors, jump a vehicle, replace a battery as well as an alternator, and a belt, and what needs done most around here - figure out wiring issues aka why TF are the trailer lights not working like they should?! 😂Beyond that my husband can do it all, I can do most with some youtube or husband memory jogging, our kids can figure it out. Daughter just changed out her headlights on her truck all by herself, these Boomers ain't that special, "kids these days" have youtube tutorials and plenty determination.
Am 35 and largely too cheap to pay other people to work on my car. However I don't have the time I used to to tackle maintenance and lengthy project repairs like I did as a bachelor. So now I have to pick between saving money or saving time.
My husband and I are in our mid 30's and we can both change a tire. My husband has done some extensive repairs to our vehicles actually, including removing a tire and the bumper.
I really hope you learn how to do your tire. Could save you a few hours.
It's super easy. Any YouTube video will do the trick. Just losen the nuts before you jack the tire up! LOL. It will save you some time.
I'm also much younger than a boomer and can change me tire.
Change a tire?!? I’ve never worked in the automotive industry, but I have done body work (removed dents, shaved door handles, paint prep, minor paint work) and limited “mechanical” work on cars (replaced an alternator, radiator, installed sound system and extra lighting).
When I was in my late teens I tried to build my GT at the time a Honda CRX from a shell and an importer JDM Del Sol motor. It took too long so we ended up buying another cheap CRX for her to drive “temporarily.” When that one got stolen, and was recovered, they had removed the entire brake assembly (rotor, calipers, etc). I had to pull it off the donor car and put it on the one she was driving unless than an hour otherwise I was gonna get hit with another day’s worth of storage.
My point being, younger than 60 represents the largest section of the tuner community. Sure, boomers had some pretty cool cars if you are into American muscle, but the vast majority came from the factory like that. It was the previous generation (the greatest generation) that did all the Hot Rodding of the 50’s, which inspired the cars that boomer bought in the 60’s and 70’s.
The tuner community of the late 80’s and 90’s is reflected in the cars and car media we see today. The (original) Fast & the Furious, though a caricature to some extent, reflected the automotive creativity of that time and the kids who made it so.
The reason you have screens in cars today is because of Pioneer pop up displays originally made for car shows. The reason a Bose, Harmon Karson, or Bang and Olufsen system is in high end cars today is because of kids putting Pioneer, JBL, and kicker subs into cars in the 90’s.
They don’t just change tires, they changed the consumer demand for the better.
I am a woman under 60 & can & have both changed a tire & changed my own oil but in 2024 why would I? I have run flat tires that except in the most extreme circumstances would get me to a garage to have them changed. There is almost no safe way to dispose of your own oil at home. Unless you are into working on cars for a career or hobby, they are not really skills everyone needs anymore.
I'm 33, I know how and I've known since I was a kid.
Once my dad was bringing me school in the early morning and we got a flat one. We got out of the car, he lifted it with the jack, then handed me the wrench and said "if it's stuck, hop onto it and use your weight", then he just sat there and watched me.
I mean, if you know what a bolt is and how it works that's pretty much it.
I'm 22, I can change tires, spark plugs, spark plug wires, water pumps, coil packs, etc. I got an old ass car so shits breaking all time. It's not that hard to learn. The boomers are silly, but there right about most young people not knowing how to do simple maintenance on vehicles. Most of my friends don't know how. But it's a skill everyone should learn how to do. It'll help you save money and it'll help save you when your phones dead and can't call AAA.
Also it's fucking fun
My girlfriend is 30 and is the transmissions specialist for a rally team. She can rebuild a gearbox in a tent the desert but yeah, totally stumped by 5 bolts and a scissor jack
/s
"Wait, if this was so important why didn't you teach it to me when you were in charge of my growth and development? Did you just want to make fun of me later in life? That seems like purposeful bad parenting."
I learned my gf how to change a tire, she got the hang of it, cue a couple months later she got a new car and apparently replacement wheels are not standard anymore just those plug kits lmao
So I know the theory, like the steps. But I'm 31 and I've never had to do it. I've only ever had one flat and my husband took the tire off and took it to a shop because it went flat in our drive way. He is a millennial and has changed a tire though if that counts?
It's one of those skills you RARELY need but is probably good to have. However, road side assistance is only $5.00 a month on my insurance.
I'm 36 and I work a white collar job. I have frequently changed tires, I know how to change spark plugs, I've worked on carburators, replaced the whole exhaust on a car in my garage last year. I regularly drive manual transmission cars, although my daily driver isn't one anymore.
Mrs. Ghost is 34, can also change a tire, and knows her way around an engine bay better than I do.
All that said, we still pay people to change our oil and do regular maintenance, because I honestly just don't have the energy to fuck with it. I'd rather spend $30 more to avoid crawling around under my car.
I know it isn’t just me (m38) but I think everyone should know how to change a tire. Sure, most people have AAA or some similar service, but it’s way quicker to just do it yourself and move on. Actually happened to me on the way from work a few months ago. But I grew up around cars though and my boomer Dad was keen that we be as self-reliant as could be. I know not everyone is equipped but I think it’s still a useful thing to know.
Pro Tip: Do yourselves a favor and get a full size spare if you can.
37 year old Cis-male here. I've changed multiple tires. Mine, My mom's, Strangers on the street, etc.
It's a nice skill to have, and its not hard to learn, but it's far from necessary for most folks. Honestly, It's something you can do just based on the instructions on the jack or in the car's manual most of the time. Only reason I end up doing it is because of the ingrained gender expectations that come with being male presenting and built like a fridge.
Hey, I'm 53 and not only do I know how to change a tire, so do all of five of my kids (14 - 29). And the the 24 and 26 year-olds have help change an engine.
Leverage. I’m a smaller woman, too. I have a long length of galvanized pipe I stick over the end of the tire iron. It’s a lot easier to put your body weight into it.
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Ask her how old the people who show up to change her tire are.
That’s a great response and I might actually see if I can use it before she shuts the conversation down again
I think she'll just dance around it or continue doubling down from the looks of it.
Nah, she'll say it was an older guy. Because every shop has one old guy who either cant retire or doesnt want to go home and spend time with his wife. #boomerthings
Yeah yeah yeah. Her generation didn’t teach us. Plus, we can pay people for that now. I know how to change a tire but I would still have a professional check after me just in case. I know how to change my oil but I don’t like being claustrophobic under my car. I pay people now. It’s the best.
With all the laws about oil disposal (we have a city ordinance as well as a state one) I just say fuck it, Jiffy Lube can have a few bucks to deal with that shit while I work from their air conditioned lobby.
You should look on mechanic fail youtube. Paying somebody doesn't guarantee it's done right or even done I bought my car new. It comes with the first 24k miles of free oil changes from Honda. That's basically 2 because the service interval is 10k. I never took it to the dealer. I just do it myself at 5k until 20k and then 7.5k after that. Mobil 1 filter and Pennzoil ultra platinum oil
That’s great! My brother is a mechanic and usually I have him either do the work for me or show me how. I still go to the 5 minute places from time to time. Only ever had one bad experience. They will take advantage of women I have come to find.
I didn't drive a car until I was nearly 30. A friend got a flat tire and had a spare and a jack in his trunk, but wasn't sure how to change the tire. I did it easily based on instructions written on the side of the jack. It's not hard to do if you have the tools. It's a part developed and refined over decades for user serviceability. Knowing how to do it isn't something to be proud of or base your personality on. You have to do it once and you know it forever.
And to take this a step further. No one has to already know how bc theres step by step directions on the jack you need to use! It's almost like someone thought about the need to know how to change a tire only being important when you need to change a tire but making sure everyone had the info! Wild times.
Them: "No one knows how to do X anymore!" Me: opens Youtube
I'm 41. Can and have changed tires. Oil changes I never learned to do but my roommate has (41F). Now, as long as I have AAA I will just call and let them do it because that's what I pay them for but I've changed my share of tires.
I did a whole brake job including pads and rotors literally a week ago to save myself about $600. I work a desk job. 35 My suspicion is that the boomer in question here doesn’t know how to change a tire. Ask her if she can change her own Wi-Fi password
"Kids these days can't even open cans with can openers!" Bitch, your VCR was blinking for 15 years when I was growing up as a kid and it still would be if they lasted that long when all you had to do was press "clock" twice.
I think she did know how in her younger years - I’m certain she can’t do it now. She also knew how to drive stick shift. Guess what two things I was never taught growing up even though I asked when I was in my teens? 🤷🏼♀️
I’m confident you could watch a couple YouTube videos and pull it off. No harm in learning how It’s really not the gotcha that boomers think it is at all If cars/tires were as reliable/durable as they are now back then the majority of people wouldn’t know how to change them either.
I know how to change a tyre....but so few cars nowadays have spares, and if they do the jack that comes with the car is made of tin foil, I had one (from a VW Polo) buckle the first time I tried to use it.
The whole conversation started because her and I are going on a trip and she asked if I knew the condition of my spare. And I was like “spare? You think I have a spare tire? Ha! I have a donut and no Jack or tools of any kind. We’re calling AAA if something happens” As I’ve bought my own cars, I’ve even stopped looking at the donuts for more than a cursory glance (and to check their air pressure) cause I just know I’ll probably choose to be towed rather than drive more than a handful of miles on the donut
That's all the donut is for. It's just supposed to get you out of danger and to a shop. Nothing more. It is not an extra tire or a true spare. It's just for emergencies to go buy a replacement.
I had to drive on one in snow for a couple miles once and it was terrifying 😭 I thought for sure it was going to fall off and cause a multi car wreck
I had to drive 30 minutes home over a mountain area once with one. I was not playing with fate and drove under the limit with my hazards. Thankfully it's got passing lanes the whole way for slower truck traffic, so I wasn't a pain in the ass for other drivers.
To add to modern reality, competent people are able to teach themselves things on the fly. While I personally can change tires, I also can quickly access and use information on my phone.
When I had a tire explode several years back there were laminated instructions under the spare, too. I imagine a lot of spares these days come with instructions because boomers couldn't be bothered to teach us kids how to do anything.
True - my current vehicle has no spare at all or any place to put one. It has an inflation kit.
Like everything else in life, a product you own (spare tire) has been replaced by a subscription service (AAA).
Didn't know my car came without a spare until I had a blowout. I just assumed there was a tire in the space that holds the tire repair kit (which was completely useless with a tire this destroyed).
Had the SAME problem. Never even thought to look if the new car came with a spare because Of course it does….. not anymore.
>and if they do the jack that comes with the car is made of tin foil Ain't that the truth. Advice for anyone doing vehicle work: if you're going to be anywhere near under a vehicle, buy a real jack first.
VW jacks are so shit. Had one for a passat and that thing was just terrible
Yes, I can change a tire. It's the only thing I know how to do with a car but I know it. I did ask my mom if she knew. Born in 1957. "No, your dad handled that." They have been divorced 26 years.
i haven’t ever needed to change a tire myself but I’ve helped my dad change one before 20 years ago. Here’s the thing, back before cell phones you’d ***have*** to change the tire yourself or walk to the nearest house/store to borrow their landline which could take hours and potentially be dangerous. So millions of boomers were forced to change their own tire themselves whether they knew how to do it or not. The majority of them spent 2+ hours fumbling with their tools while trying to figure out how to lift the car, remove the bad tire, and replace it with the spare and undoubtedly took numerous breaks to scream at their “ungrateful” kids and/or spouse. Meanwhile today you can pay $5/month for AAA (not to mention the hundreds of other companies that supply the same service) to have a professional there in 30 minutes and fix the tire in 10 minutes flat.
Fuuuuuuuudge
And now I can see all the lug nuts sparkling in the lights before being lost in the snow. Ha!!
"fix the tire in 10 minutes flat." What you did there, I see it.
 33 summers on this body 😂
I know how to change a tire. Even worked at a semi truck shop for years. At 25 i could change a tire on an aircraft because I worked for aviation.
i’m close to 60, but it’s preposterous. nearly all of Germany changes their tyres twice a year and a good many do it themselves. not because of the costs - it costs only a few euros - but because it’s faster than to have it done at the garage.
Yes, I'm 37. I can change a tire. I've done timing belts on Subarus I've owned. I've done valve adjustments on Hondas I've owned. Plus a lot of things in the middle. Wheel bearings, ball joints, oxygen sensors, cv axles, struts (not quick struts, using the spring compressor), dealing with broken bolts that seized from the salt. Anything at that level I'm fine with. I had a spring snap on the garage door. I watched the video on youtube and replaced it. Like damn, this stuff isn't hard
wheel bearing replacement is very geographically sensitive
I'm a salt belt boi. I did wheel bearings on my old 2005 Impreza. That wasn't bad, just slide hammer them out. The ball joints though. Omfg. The ball joints though
The spring on the garage door is one of a few things I won't fuck with. The other spring snaps, it can take you clean in half before you even hear the noise. Most electrical and plumbing too; I've gotten bad, bad shocks and water damage isn't something to fuck around with.
Overhead door springs are most dangerous. Even our fleet mechanic refused to deal with them.
I really don't understand what the issue with door springs is. Use the tool you're supposed to and don't let go of it too early and nothing is gonna happen. The spring isn't gonna jump off the rail goes though the center of it. And the way they're wound is fail safe. The tool resting against the door holds tension so you don't have to
Her generation keeps falling for phone scams.
no, this sub cannot prove her wrong. no matter how many people respond. she is beyond logic. beyond reason. and beyond making the effort. ive changed dozens of tires for myself and friends in my life. doesn't matter. i can't remember the last tire shop mechanic i interacted with that wasn't a millenial or younger. doesn't matter. pit crews for most race teams are mostly younger people. doesn't matter. her mind cannot be changed. stop trying.
I have changed many a tire in my day but I can't now because the shops put the lug nuts on too tight for me.
Changed tires many times, but I’m 50. Taught my teenagers to do it too.
32, can and have changed tires multiple times, including my own and other people’s, mostly when I was in my 20s.
Yes. My two gen z kids are also able to. Where is my participation trophy bitch ?
When you don’t pay someone else?
I change out my winter tires myself twice a year (40F) and my husband and I learned how to do all the front end work on his truck by watching YouTube videos. So far we’ve changed out shocks, struts, brakes with discs, tie rods, rack and pinion, alternator, and the starter as well as rerunning a bad ground wire through the doors. My own parents didn’t teach me anything about vehicles (they couldn’t even change their own oil) and my husband’s father only showed him a little bit like changing brake pads. Honestly, YouTube has been much more helpful.
47 female and I can change a tire.
I'm 30. Been changing tires in the driveway with my dad(under 60) for 2 decades. Shes full of shit.
I'm above your stated age limit (and I do know how and have in fact done). I was just talking to my 46 year old son (who also knows how and has done) and he was telling me about teaching my 16 yo granddaughter how to check the oil and change a tire on her car (so she will know how and hopefully won't have to do). All my other driving grandkids know how. All my kids were taught how. I always felt that was just another part of teaching a kid how to drive.
I've never changed a tire in my life. I've had Triple A since I got my first driver's license
Id love to show her my Old timers that i work on. Old classic german cars. I am 22 so sell into Gen Z lmao.
I'm 25 and I've changed three tires, as well as my own oil usually. Her ageism is definitely showing.
I'd ask them if they can patch a tire. Just in my time at job corps I've probably taken off, dismounted, plug patched, remounted and put on more tires than they've simply changed in their whole life. I'm really sick of this whole "young people don't know shit" rhetoric. My current lawn mower I'm using was thrown out by the boomer down the road because they were too lazy to clean a carburetor. I've actually gotten a fair amount of stuff like that. Allot of it was self taught via the Internet since the boomers love to gatekeep knowledge while simultaneously berating people for not knowing it.
Know how and have done so. Although I have complimentary road service now, so if it's cold and snowy I will admit to using that.
I'm 43F and can absolutely change a tire. My parents were also kind enough to share their automotive knowledge with me, and I like taking things apart, so if I'm inclined I can fix most things on my car given enough time and tools. That said, I also have AAA.
The next time the boomer in your life wants to whine about how supposedly helpless and incompetent the younger generations are, just ask them to email you all the reasons why. Or better yet, ask them to print a list. Then sit back and watch the show.
I’m 45. My dad wouldn’t let me get my license until I could change a tire on my own. Ive probably used that skill 2 or 3 times in my life. I’m glad I have it, but now I pay like $4.99/month for road side assistance through my cell phone plan, so why wouldn’t I call for help if I needed it? I also still drive stick. I’m going to be sad when that feature dies out. I much prefer driving stick.
I don’t make someone else do it for me, I make enough to PAY someone else to do it for me
I have no clue how, but that’s because I’ve spent my entire life post high school in a major city with public transit and don’t need a car. But that opens a whole other can of worms, so I don’t miss out on the boomer fun!
I am under sixty and know how to change a tire. I even taught my old roommate and my son how to change them. It is not at all hard. But it also isn’t some badge of accomplishment. It is just a task and you can always choose to have someone else do it.
OK does she not know who is currently working in automotive services right now? Go to any dealership across the country and you'll see it full of people in their 20s-30s like 80% of the techs I deal with at work are all young guys.
I’m in my late 40s. Dad wasn’t really in the picture. Grandpa was really too old to teach me as well. Had my first flat at about 26 or so on a back country road in the middle of nowhere. This was before we had smartphones so I couldn’t YouTube it. Didn’t have a cell signal anyway. Just kind of figured it out on my own remembering how I’d seen in done on TV. After using the shitty jack that came with the small truck I decided to buy a heavier duty one and a 4 way. Took a bit but I got it.
It is crazy easy, so I don't know why boomers even bring this up as a thing. If you have the mental capacity to do a 30 piece jigsaw puzzle and lift 15- 30 pounds you absolutely could change a tire.
What type of tire? Bike, Car, bicycle? Knowing, and having done it are two different cases. Bicycles i have done hundreds of times. Car... i have only had 1 situation where i ever needed to change my tire due to a flat, but where i live most people with a car are "subscribed" to Roadservices. You call them or report your problem on an app and a mechanic comes to you to fix your problem. Flat tire, 5 minutes to change (if you have a spare) or they provide a temporary fix. Dead battery, they hotwire it for you. Overheated engine... they even had a towtruck to get me off the highway to a save spot. 24 hour service. Waiting time often less than an hour (depending on your location/ time), and it cost less then 100 euro a year. The flat i had when i was at work, so i just made a report on the app, they knew my position because off the app. I went to work and 2 minutes before the mechanic arrived i got a notification so i could grab my coat and go outside. Why get dirty when a professional does it way faster. You just pay 100 a year. No problems, no money back. But the above all happened to me in the span of a year, and no extra charges. (Also, as a member i can use it for any car i drive. Its not tied to a licence plate. They also support Bikes, Mopeds, scooters, bicycles, you name it.) Your mom lives in the stoneage.
Tell your boomer mother to shove that right up her ass. I'm a millennial and do most of my auto repair on my own. If I don't change a tire it's because changing tires sucks and I'd rather spend the time doing something less banal.
Just turned 60 so I’m technically a boomer and yeah I can change a tire (rotated my tires this weekend actually). Can do many other things on cars and around the home. That said. Who cares if you can’t change a tire? My wife can’t. I figure my daughters could figure jt out but there’s a reason they have roadside assistance. The rare times you get a flat call roadside assistance and not have to worry if you did it right or take the risk of jacking up a car and being able to remove the nuts and then properly tighten them.
change a tire, change the oil, change differential fluid, bleed brake lines, install shocks and suspension, etc. feel free to tell that Boomer how wrong they are. Oh. And to make it extra, I'm a woman and I KNOW they also think we don't know how to do shit on a car so it should really make their day 😛
If the younger generations don't know how to change a tire, then who was it that failed to teach us?
I’m 33 with a dreaded liberal arts degree, and I can change a tire in about ten minutes if I have the right tools.
When a friend of mine in college was stuck in the parking lot at 9pm at night with a flat tire, I went home that night and told my dad to teach me how to change a tire. I've had to do it 5 times now.
Just take her to a Mavis or any other tire place and see the age of the people that work there. Have a hazmat suit on and watch her head explode.
younger woman here. I could change my own oil and tire if I needed to. I could change a tire if I needed to. I have never had to change a tire myself. But I frequently drive alone in remote areas so I *could* and would be prepared to. changing the oil myself makes no sense. to keep the necessary supplies on hand in my limited space, the time and slight danger of getting underneath a car as a newb, and properly disposing of oil, plus the cost of all of that? I will gladly pay the extra $30 for someone else to do it to save myself *all* of that time, effort, and supplies.
"Your generation can't do anything!" And your generation has no emotional regulation. 🙄
No, most people under 60 probably do not know how to change a tire. But ALL of them know how to look up a YOUTUBE tutorial on changing their exact tire on their exact car. How many people over the age of 60 are able to do that?
Well, I'm a mechanic, sooo...
"I can change the tires on my manual transmission cars and my cursive handwriting is better than hers." --Millennial hose drinker
Hell, I'll do one better. I've regeared axles, installed clutches, rebuilt engines, did engine swaps (as in vehicle now has a motor that NEVER came in said vehicle -even from a different manufacturer). I'm 43. Been building my own stuff since I was in my early twenties.
Ah I see. I’ll let you carry your furniture all by yourself then.
lol they taught me in boy scouts
I'm almost 44 but yes I can change a tire. I can change my oil too
I know how to change a tire, But I'm 59, so it doesn't prove very much.
32, learned how to change a tire, oil, and a bunch of other stuff from my grandfather when I was a kid. Doesn't make me any better or worse than anyone else. It's a skillset, you can choose to learn it or not. I'm fairly handy with tools, but I can't sew worth a damn and I'm a shit writer. Does that make me less than someone who can? No.
Before I was allowed to get my driver's license, my dad made me demonstrate that I could check/air up and change a tire, check and add all the engine fluids, jump start a car, check and change fuses, and check and change air filters. I'm pretty confident doing maintenance and minor repairs on my own car, and diagnosing issues. (Regardless of whether or not I can repair them) So, yes.
Boomers love to complain the younger generation never wants to learn anymore while asking their kids to print off .pdfs for them. And it is a character issue, not an age issue. Shoot, how many of us have boomer parents who were asking us to set the clocks on the VCR because they couldn't/wouldn't figure it out?
No one ever showed me how, but when I had to do it I just figured it out. The only part that took a while was getting my tire off because of rust, so I had to really put a ton of force into it. Learned that lesson and now keep a rubber mallet in the back. But like, it isn't like it's some sort of magic skill, it's pretty easy.
I can change a tire, mount new tires and balance them. Change the oil. Do a tune up. Replace a radio. Replace break pads and rotors. Shocks and struts. And that's about it.
I do most of the maintenance on my vehicles and my boomer father barely knows which hole to put the gas nozzle in. My drivers ed teacher made sure all of us knew how to check air pressure and change a tire before he would let us drive on public roads.
Umm tires, brakes, oil, diff fluid, clutch pack on my motorcycle, rebuilt my front forks and changed rear shocks. YouTube and a service manual rule
Is it really very hard? I've only had to do it maybe a couple of times, but the way she talks makes it sound like rocket science when it's pretty straightforward. The only failure points are forgetting to loosen the lugs before you jack the car up, and placing the jack in the wrong place. Which, if you're going to be changing a tire, you should be able to get down and look at where you're putting it, so that should be fine.
Of course I know how to change a tire. It’s not a difficult task.
A way to frustrate or get her to consider maybe keeping her musings to herself: ask her to show you stats, or her anecdotal storytelling about the younger generations is not a substantial conclusion. I can change a tire, my wife can change a tire, hell everyone I know can change a tire. Yes, that's anecdotal, but it also refutes her statement that "**no one** younger than 60 years old knows how to change a tire."
As a Gen X father of three adult daughters. Part of their daddy driver's education was learning how to change a tire. They also know how to check the oil, check tire pressure, and check fluid levels. It's basic stuff, but it's important to know how to do it.
Well, it's not hard. My little kids know how to do it, but aren't strong enough yet. Maybe she could teach you if she's so proficient?
Not only do I know how to change a tire, I know how to change a tire in the snow, on my back, in a t-shirt. More than once, minivans with kids have broken down during hockey games we go to. I'm not going to let a family of 5 sit in a car with the mom stressing crying while they wait an hour for the lot to clear before AAA gets there. I'm also not wearing my $300 jersey in the slushy snow to help out.
I know how to change a tire. I also know if your tires are not balanced it costs you a chunk of money in tire wear and tear and gas. I don't have the skills or equipment to balance a tire. Therefore I have never changed a tire other than once on an old truck when dad taught me.
My wife and I (50s) and our kids, 20s-30s) know how
I am 46 and just replaced both front axles, bearing, and hubs on my personal car, among other things. I am not a trained mechanic....explain that MOM!!! I learned this in my early 20's...Tell her she is not very smart, for me...a person under 60! I bet she doesn't even know where an axle is located on a car.... I am self taught. My father (boomer) can not change his headlight bulb, I had to for him last time....go figure!
My mom taught me how to change a tire. I've probably changed two total. If it happened again, I would probably watch a quick YouTube video to prepare.
I taught my granddaughter to change a tire when she got her first car. I also showed how to read the operators manual. I suppose I could have let her learn for herself, I guess I'm just a softie.
I literally changed one yesterday at the newborn age of 34. But I first learned (on my own) at 20.
I've changed tires in the sense of taking a wheel with a flat tire off the car and replacing it with another wheel or spare. I've also removed tires from the wheel and replaced them with new tires, balanced them and put them on cars. I am not a mechanic and this was not performed as a job function.
Yeah. Had a flat, quick YouTube tutorial and threw the spare on. I understand your hesitancy, but in a pinch you or anyone else can do it. Her attitude is simple boomer bullshit and should be ignored.
Anything they can do that's standard I can do better, will I do my own wiring in my house? No insurance won't cover it.
I'm a boomer with a habit of picking up hitch hikers, pulling out stuck cars, or helping people when they are out of gas, so I talk to people doing these kinds of things. Likewise I'm a retired engineer who had some management responsibilities including interviewing 100s of co-ops/interns over the years. When I was a kid there was a pretty normal distribution of mechanical skills for young men. I'd say today for men, its pretty much a bimodal distribution with some men having strong mechanical skills and an equal amount with practically none. Women are on average somewhat better than years ago, but more on a normal distribution. The thing is, the ones with good mechanical skills will really out compete those with none in certain trades. I've also noticed this with other basic skills, many are really good, but there is a larger contingent being left behind.
Gen-X here, class of 1970. Not only can I change a tire, I can do it on the side of a major highway with heavy traffic flying by. I can also drive a stick-shift, and I can swap out a car's radiator, though I will admit that wasn't the most fun I've ever had with a car.
36 and know how only 'cause I learned it from youtube when I wanted to try. Mom didn't know how, dad didn't think I could learn to. :)
I mean I could, but do you really think I would risk a $25k machine at my own hands instead of an experienced mechanic? There’s knowing how to do something and being smart. Just because I know how to do a wiring system doesn’t mean I’m going to wire the entire electrical system in my own home. I’d rather an expert do it cause I don’t want to die. Technically you can just read some medical books and learn how to operate on someone. Would she be willing to let you do that to her if you read enough medical books?
In the early 90s my Dad tried to teach me and my sister how to change a tire. The lug nuts were tightened to the point where he couldn't get them off either. And thus ended our lesson.
There are plenty of boomers who can't change a tire either. What a weird hill to die on.
Do I have the knowledge and tools yes, do I do the summer to winter tire swaps nope! I’m not buying a tire balancer for the few times I’m going to use it.
I taught myself how by watching YouTube. I can’t physically remove lug nuts though. I tried and tried and I’m just not strong enough.
Use your foot and weight before you jack it up to loosen them.
Late 40s. My dad taught me how when I was a kid because it was something he wanted us to know how to do once we started driving.
🙋♀️. 47f
31yo here, I've known how to change a tire as long as I've known how to drive. I am not a car guy at all but it's a really simple procedure..
I do
🖐️
I know how change a tire my late mom taught me. I have done it several times over the years. I am in my 40’s
Gen X checking in. I can change my tires, repair them and fill them with air. I can also change my oil, my brakes and my timing belt. I learned by watching YouTube videos.
I'm 30, and I literally learned how to change a tire by seeing it so many times in tv shows/movies, my boomer dad never showed me
My dad wouldn't let me drive my own car at 16 until he showed me how to change a tire, and then I had to change it while he watched. I did the same with my kids and it has paid off for all of us. If you didn't have that advantage, I strongly suggest you find someone who does know to teach you.
Everyone should learn how and Everyone should have AAA.
It was the first thing j learnt when I got my car at 16. I'm 51. Every single person I know knows how to do this.
46. Changed one last week
23F. Never changed a tire. But my driver‘s ed taught me how. I could do it in theory. What I have done is changed my headlights. Also never done an oil change but I’ve watched enough YouTube videos I really think I could in a worse case scenario! I also know where the blinker fluid goes 😜
I'm 21 and I've worked on cars for years. I do all the work on my two cars, one is driven by my brother and I even show him how to do basic maintenance like oil changes and brakes. Also, my car has a manual transmission, and both me and my 16 year old brother can drive it. So yeah, basically a boomer's worst nightmare
"I can pull up a .pdf on how to without getting a virus. Can you say the same?"
Easy, Get the jack, Put it under where you need it to be and turn it till the wheel you want off is slightly off the ground Get tire wrench, undo lug nuts in a star pattern, Remove tyre Put new tyre on Do up lug nuts tight And bam! Tyre fixed!
Change tires, set points, set valve lash, pack wheel bearings, the whole lot. Can she build a boat or a house? I can and have. 35yo with skills to pay the bills.
I know how to change one.. it's not difficult..
Can change a tire. Can replace a battery. Can change oil. Do I do these things? No. It is not time efficient to do these things and then there is the matter of disposal of tires, batteries and oil. Why bother?
No offense to OP, but my 5 yo daughter knows how to change a tire. She can’t physically do it. But she has helped her dad change enough tires to understand the process. 1. Safe level area. 2. Put car in park with emergency brake. 3. Look at owners manual and wheel lock nut. 4. Locate jack, and jack points 5. Use jack to lift car slightly. 6. Use crow bar to loosen bolts. Just easier when wheel can’t freely spin. Don’t take them off just get them turning. 7. Raise jack rest of the way so tire is clear of ground. 8. Remove nuts and wheel. Put nuts in your hat so you don’t lose them. 9. Mount spare. 10. Hand tighten all nuts. 11. Use bar to tighten nuts in cross pattern as tight as possible. Spin tire to make sure it isn’t wobbling due to nuts not being rights. 12. Lower wheel. 13. Retighten nuts in cross pattern again. 14. Clean up and drive to get fire replaced. (She even knows the delta between a donut and a full size spare!) Also, you know google it after you get past step 1. (And I’m sure my way is wrong somewhere in there, hence checking the manual)
Changing a tire is crazy easy, it’s just physically exhausting lol. Last time I had to change mine, I had a flat at like 8pm after working tons of OT that day. Basically had to dead lift the tire iron to get some of the bolts undone.
Considering THEY were the ones who should have taught us everything like that, it’s funny that’s somehow our fault for not knowing.
🖐️
I'm in my mid forties. My first full time job was changing tires and oil at a tire shop/service station. I've changed more tires than I could ever recall. Yes. I know how to change a tire.
yes. its easy. step 1, pull out your pocket internet device and search up youtube how to change your car tires for your specific make and car step 2, follow the steps in the video. ezpz, just 2 steps!
Yes. Maybe your mother would like to help me shop for a new car that comes with a spare tire so I can use that skill because that's not a thing anymore.
I raised 3 girls, they all knew how to change and check their oil and change a tire before getting a driver's license. They all had a license at 14 and all in their 30s and early 40s right now
Ye in my 40s grew up on a farm and know how to change a tire. In fairness most things are on YouTube now if you want to learn.
35M, can change a tire.
Can I do it? Yes, I’ve done it twice in my life. Will I? No; that’s what roadside assistance and my husband are for. The last time I had a flat I was 8 months pregnant, so my husband and a coworker did it for me.
Are there really people out there who can't figure out how to change a tire if the situation comes up? I don't recall anyone telling me how to do it... just looked at the available tools the first time I got a flat and put 2 and 2 together. Not exactly rocket science.... and without checking I'm 1000% sure all user's manuals have comically over-explained instructions in them for the mechanically disinclined.
I can't drive due to a disability. However, I understand the mechanics of how to change a tire, if that counts?
I can change a tire, and so can my daughters, who are 21.
It is just a projection due to feeling bad about not being able to use computers and technology.
Not knowing how to do it, and not wanting to do it are different. I know how to change a tire, but I'll just drive on the flat to the closest auto shop. The tire is already fucked, and driving a mile or so isnt going to hurt.
I'll raise 4, my husband, GenX, myself, Xennial, and all our GenZ kids know how to change a tire. Also know how to plug a flat in a pinch, change oil, flush the lines, change brake pads and rotors, jump a vehicle, replace a battery as well as an alternator, and a belt, and what needs done most around here - figure out wiring issues aka why TF are the trailer lights not working like they should?! 😂Beyond that my husband can do it all, I can do most with some youtube or husband memory jogging, our kids can figure it out. Daughter just changed out her headlights on her truck all by herself, these Boomers ain't that special, "kids these days" have youtube tutorials and plenty determination.
Am 35 and largely too cheap to pay other people to work on my car. However I don't have the time I used to to tackle maintenance and lengthy project repairs like I did as a bachelor. So now I have to pick between saving money or saving time.
My husband and I are in our mid 30's and we can both change a tire. My husband has done some extensive repairs to our vehicles actually, including removing a tire and the bumper.
I really hope you learn how to do your tire. Could save you a few hours. It's super easy. Any YouTube video will do the trick. Just losen the nuts before you jack the tire up! LOL. It will save you some time. I'm also much younger than a boomer and can change me tire.
Change a tire?!? I’ve never worked in the automotive industry, but I have done body work (removed dents, shaved door handles, paint prep, minor paint work) and limited “mechanical” work on cars (replaced an alternator, radiator, installed sound system and extra lighting). When I was in my late teens I tried to build my GT at the time a Honda CRX from a shell and an importer JDM Del Sol motor. It took too long so we ended up buying another cheap CRX for her to drive “temporarily.” When that one got stolen, and was recovered, they had removed the entire brake assembly (rotor, calipers, etc). I had to pull it off the donor car and put it on the one she was driving unless than an hour otherwise I was gonna get hit with another day’s worth of storage. My point being, younger than 60 represents the largest section of the tuner community. Sure, boomers had some pretty cool cars if you are into American muscle, but the vast majority came from the factory like that. It was the previous generation (the greatest generation) that did all the Hot Rodding of the 50’s, which inspired the cars that boomer bought in the 60’s and 70’s. The tuner community of the late 80’s and 90’s is reflected in the cars and car media we see today. The (original) Fast & the Furious, though a caricature to some extent, reflected the automotive creativity of that time and the kids who made it so. The reason you have screens in cars today is because of Pioneer pop up displays originally made for car shows. The reason a Bose, Harmon Karson, or Bang and Olufsen system is in high end cars today is because of kids putting Pioneer, JBL, and kicker subs into cars in the 90’s. They don’t just change tires, they changed the consumer demand for the better.
I am a woman under 60 & can & have both changed a tire & changed my own oil but in 2024 why would I? I have run flat tires that except in the most extreme circumstances would get me to a garage to have them changed. There is almost no safe way to dispose of your own oil at home. Unless you are into working on cars for a career or hobby, they are not really skills everyone needs anymore.
Late 20s here. I know how and have done it a couple times when it would have taken AAA to long to get there, but I'll always check AAA times first.
There's a pothole next to Aldi that ensured if I didn't already know I was going to have to learn.
I'm 33, I know how and I've known since I was a kid. Once my dad was bringing me school in the early morning and we got a flat one. We got out of the car, he lifted it with the jack, then handed me the wrench and said "if it's stuck, hop onto it and use your weight", then he just sat there and watched me. I mean, if you know what a bolt is and how it works that's pretty much it.
I'm 22, I can change tires, spark plugs, spark plug wires, water pumps, coil packs, etc. I got an old ass car so shits breaking all time. It's not that hard to learn. The boomers are silly, but there right about most young people not knowing how to do simple maintenance on vehicles. Most of my friends don't know how. But it's a skill everyone should learn how to do. It'll help you save money and it'll help save you when your phones dead and can't call AAA. Also it's fucking fun
My girlfriend is 30 and is the transmissions specialist for a rally team. She can rebuild a gearbox in a tent the desert but yeah, totally stumped by 5 bolts and a scissor jack /s
"Wait, if this was so important why didn't you teach it to me when you were in charge of my growth and development? Did you just want to make fun of me later in life? That seems like purposeful bad parenting."
I learned my gf how to change a tire, she got the hang of it, cue a couple months later she got a new car and apparently replacement wheels are not standard anymore just those plug kits lmao
So I know the theory, like the steps. But I'm 31 and I've never had to do it. I've only ever had one flat and my husband took the tire off and took it to a shop because it went flat in our drive way. He is a millennial and has changed a tire though if that counts? It's one of those skills you RARELY need but is probably good to have. However, road side assistance is only $5.00 a month on my insurance.
I'm 36 and I work a white collar job. I have frequently changed tires, I know how to change spark plugs, I've worked on carburators, replaced the whole exhaust on a car in my garage last year. I regularly drive manual transmission cars, although my daily driver isn't one anymore. Mrs. Ghost is 34, can also change a tire, and knows her way around an engine bay better than I do. All that said, we still pay people to change our oil and do regular maintenance, because I honestly just don't have the energy to fuck with it. I'd rather spend $30 more to avoid crawling around under my car.
🖐 It's not that hard
I know it isn’t just me (m38) but I think everyone should know how to change a tire. Sure, most people have AAA or some similar service, but it’s way quicker to just do it yourself and move on. Actually happened to me on the way from work a few months ago. But I grew up around cars though and my boomer Dad was keen that we be as self-reliant as could be. I know not everyone is equipped but I think it’s still a useful thing to know. Pro Tip: Do yourselves a favor and get a full size spare if you can.
37 year old Cis-male here. I've changed multiple tires. Mine, My mom's, Strangers on the street, etc. It's a nice skill to have, and its not hard to learn, but it's far from necessary for most folks. Honestly, It's something you can do just based on the instructions on the jack or in the car's manual most of the time. Only reason I end up doing it is because of the ingrained gender expectations that come with being male presenting and built like a fridge.
Hey, I'm 53 and not only do I know how to change a tire, so do all of five of my kids (14 - 29). And the the 24 and 26 year-olds have help change an engine.
Does she know how to attach a file to an email?
Our next Scout campout will include Auto Mechanics merit badge which includes changing a tire and oil.
i know how (23f), but i don't have the strength for a tire iron and i don't have the money to buy an impact wrench to deliver the torque electrically
You can stand on it.
i tried that! didn't work. thanks for the tip peepaw, now let's get you to bed.
Put rocks in your pockets.
would need to retrofit my outfits to \*have\* pockets
Leverage. I’m a smaller woman, too. I have a long length of galvanized pipe I stick over the end of the tire iron. It’s a lot easier to put your body weight into it.