Changed my First Tire - A Computer Nerd's Triumph!

[edward]

Yep.

I think my old 68 Chevy truck has reverse threads.

I still remember this poster hanging in the high school auto shop.
"Righty tighty lefty loosey".

Given that I had rebuilt by first motorcycle by age 12, I found this to be quite insulting!

Wow Ivan you were practically a mechanical child prodigy.

I did my first automobile engine swap at age 14 using a chain hoist hung from a tree limb.

 

[edward]

There is one more thing I wanted to mention about changing the tire on the rim with tire irons, or a couple of big screw drivers for that matter.

Many moons ago an old timer showed me how to clip a pair of vice grips on the edge of the rim so that the tire won't slip back off or on to the rim ahead and behind of the tire irons.

I haven't changed an a car tire that way in years, but the vice grip idea works great on wheel barrow and lawn tractor tires.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Wow Ivan you were practically a mechanical child prodigy.

Nah, it was a fairly normal progression. I started mowing lawns at age 10, which meant that I had to learn how to fix the engine on the lawnmower. Then I fell in love with minibikes, and then dirt bikes. Ironically though, my first rebuild was for pay and not my own use. And it was a very strange engine. They used a rotating slotted plate instead of intake valves! And IIRC, the clutch assembly went right through the engine; through the middle of an idler gear and shaft. I had no manual and had a heck of a time figuring out how it was supposed to work. Interestingly, after being stumped for a day or two, it came to me in a dream. No kidding! I can still remember seeing the thing go together, in my sleep, and then bolting out of bed.

I did my first automobile engine swap at age 14 using a chain hoist hung from a tree limb.

Back when VW bugs were all the rage, down in Los Angeles the gangs got so good at stealing the engines that it evolved into formal contests. The last time that I heard about this, the winner had the engine out in something like 30 seconds!

 

[edward]

Interestingly, after being stumped for a day or two, it came to me in a dream. No kidding! I can still remember seeing the thing go together, in my sleep, and then bolting out of bed

LOL I had the same thing happen the first time I tried to rebuild a GM quadrajet carburetor.

I have had that Eureka moment a number of times in my life, but the one I'll always remember happened at 2:00 am at age sixteen.

 

[Poop-Loops]

Man, you guys are lucky. Whenever I have a dream where I figure something out, I wake up all excited like you two, but then realize what I just dreamed was a load of crap. For one, there was a bear chasing me.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

That's okay. I once dreamt that I could travel through time by drinking antifreeze, which of course would kill you - the antifreeze certainly would, and the time travel might as well.

 

[wolram]

I find this post most enlightening, it is sort of a survival kick up the ass ,what do you do if your auto breaks down, well if it is an engine problem sweet fanny all, because engine management systems are so complex these days one has little more than no chance to fix it,
so if you travel the wilderness make sure you do not have electronics as your beast of burden.

 

[turbo]

No kidding, Woolie! My last few Harleys were carbureted, and I have torn those carbs apart, opened up throttle pumps, rejetted, and done other performance mods, installed steeper cams and adjustable push-rods, etc. Then I went modern and bought a 2005 Softail with fuel injection. I have changed the air intake and exhaust, but the only way I can tinker the fuel now is by reprogramming the add-on controller I installed. It works pretty well, but it just ain't the same...

 

[tribdog]

Are you talking about just popping the bead,

You ever use starting fluid and a lighter to pop it back into place? that's when the fun starts

 

[Moonbear]

Uh oh! We have Danger, tribdog and wollie all in one thread talking about fixing stuff...everyone, DUCK FOR COVER! IT'S GONNA BLOW!

(And I do not even want to know what they mean by "popping the bead". )[/size]

 

[B. Elliott]

(And I do not even want to know what they mean by "popping the bead". )[/size]

It's kinda like pop-lock and droppin' it... only less droppin' and more poppin'.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

You ever use starting fluid and a lighter to pop it back into place? that's when the fun starts

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=181677

 

[binzing]

Ivan, are you sure you didn't wander away from NE Morning street in Corvallis as a small toddler? You sound just like a Goetzinger.

 

[scorpa]

No kidding, Woolie! My last few Harleys were carbureted, and I have torn those carbs apart, opened up throttle pumps, rejetted, and done other performance mods, installed steeper cams and adjustable push-rods, etc. Then I went modern and bought a 2005 Softail with fuel injection. I have changed the air intake and exhaust, but the only way I can tinker the fuel now is by reprogramming the add-on controller I installed. It works pretty well, but it just ain't the same...

Hah, my dad was just at a HD dealership the other day getting stuff (to rejet his bike ironically) and there was an old guy behind the service desk he got talking to. Apparently this guy ranted on and on for about an hour about how fuel injection has ruined the harley davidson motorcycle and it was only done for rich sobs that couldn't figure out how to work a choke. This guys sounded like quite a character from the sounds of things.

 

[BobG]

Yahoo! I am a computer nerd and not at all into autos. So when I found one of my car tires slashed this morning I was a bit in a panic. But I opened my owners manual and actually worked my way through getting the spare tire on. Woohoo I feel good!

You did watch the instructional videos before you did that, right?

 

[BobG]

This How to Change Your Tire might be more helpful. She has a How to check your tire pressure and jump start your car video, too. (Remember, it's easier to find someone to give you a jump if ... )

She should clean her battery terminals while she's at it, though.

She's great! She even has a video on how to wear chocolate and how to eat yellow snow!

It probably goes without saying that it's easier to change a tire when the vehicle is stationary, but not absolutely necessary (advanced tire professionals only).

 

[Moonbear]

This How to Change Your Tire might be more helpful.

Too bad she just put the same tire on that she had just taken off rather than the spare. (The spare was on a different rim.) It would have been much better if she had shown the more realistic version where someone hasn't already loosened the lug nuts for you and you have to jump up and down on the lug wrench to get them started off. I'm sure the guys would have found that addition...um...helpful...too.

I did really like the "tips" at the bottom that recommended using your insurance or auto club services whenever possible. Yep, the easiest way to change your tire is to call the auto club.

 

[Alfi]

I change tires the easy way

Hello CAA ? I'm at the corner of ... and poof ... it gets fixed. :D

 

[Janus]

What is the world coming to when someone doesn't know how to change a tire before he's 6 years old?

Anyhow, if you can come up the a name and address for the prick who did it, I'll teach you some other stuff that you might find satisfying.

Maybe changing a tire should be part of your driver's test before you get your license.

 

[Janus]

Yahoo! I am a computer nerd and not at all into autos. So when I found one of my car tires slashed this morning I was a bit in a panic. But I opened my owners manual and actually worked my way through getting the spare tire on. Woohoo I feel good!

You mean you owner's manual actual told you how? It seems that they are containing less and less information on how to "do it yourself".

Example: After my battery had died, the CD player of my my factory installed radio/CD unit player quit working (The radio worked fine). I poured through the manual (Which had a section on the unit) and found nothing that addressed the problem. By trial and error I found out that pulling one of the fuses and putting it back in (the fuse was not burned out) fixed the problem.

I guess they expected me to take it to the dealer and shell out a hundred dollars or so to have someone pull a fuse and put it back in!

 

[wolram]

Hah, my dad was just at a HD dealership the other day getting stuff (to rejet his bike ironically) and there was an old guy behind the service desk he got talking to. Apparently this guy ranted on and on for about an hour about how fuel injection has ruined the harley davidson motorcycle and it was only done for rich sobs that couldn't figure out how to work a choke. This guys sounded like quite a character from the sounds of things.

Your dad should have listened to him, electronics has ruined DIY repairs, i will not buy an auto governed by transistors, the techno age is just a fad designed for dependence on the service industry.

 

[BobG]

Too bad she just put the same tire on that she had just taken off rather than the spare. (The spare was on a different rim.) It would have been much better if she had shown the more realistic version where someone hasn't already loosened the lug nuts for you and you have to jump up and down on the lug wrench to get them started off. I'm sure the guys would have found that addition...um...helpful...too.

I did really like the "tips" at the bottom that recommended using your insurance or auto club services whenever possible. Yep, the easiest way to change your tire is to call the auto club.

Yes, a four-way works much better. The lug wrenches that are supplied by the manufacturer are only good for taking the hubcap off and operating the jack.

I didn't even notice the tips at the bottom. I was busy paying attention to what Madeline was saying .

I want to see the video where she shows how to put gouges in the passenger side of your car while backing up!