Are tires on newer cars difficult to change?

The method hasn’t changed much. But you’re right.. I’ll bet a lot of people don’t care a spare these days. Cell phones and all…

On newer cars it is often impossible to change the wheel at the road side as manufacturers are increasingly selling cars with no spare wheel (BMW for example got rid of the spare when they started fitting run flats. GM also doesn’t include a spare on some models and instead supply an emergency tire inflator with sealant. )

1) lots of cars don’t have real spares – they have those fake spares good for 40 miles or so.

2) people don’t know how. I learned how in high school. But I don’t think there are courses in high school on auto shop any more,

3) people are lazy. Or they don’t want to get their hands dirty.

I taught both my kids because it happens and you need to know what to do but @elbanditoroso is correct, many people have no idea how to do it.

I’ve changed a tire on my first car (1989 Chevy) but had to call roadside assistance for a newer one (2005 Hyundai). The lug nuts were practically impossible to release. Even the AAA guy and mechanic at the garage we got towed to commented on how incredibly difficult they were to get off.

If the lug nuts are put on with an impact wrench and not loosed slightly then yes, they can be a bitch to get off without another impact wrench. I won’t let a car leave the shop after a tire change without first trying to loosen the nuts with a star wrench. If I can’t, they loosen them until I can. Lesson learned the hard way after 8 hours stuck in the desert. Never again.

On the side of the freeway, with an inadequate shoulder, it’s dangerous to change a tire on the left side of the car. I had to once on a two lane portion of Interstate 80 in the Sierra foothills, scared the crap out of me as big rigs came barreling down the hill.

A lot safer with the bulk of a tow truck to provide a modicum of protection.

In the quest for having “little big cars”, many carmakers have opted for ways to eliminate the need for a spare. First came the compact spares, but now either “runflat” tires or a patch kit in lieu of a spare are more common. That’s a few cubic feet of cargo/passenger space freed up, allowing for maximum interior space in the same sized exterior. That is also why new cars have very little (if any) space to work under the hood.

So it’s entirely possible that changing the tire simply cannot be done roadside, at least not by someone lacking both mechanic skills and a truckful of tools.

@Cupcake @rojo That’s why I generally wind up using my foot on the lug wrench to crack them loose before I lift the car. The way I see it, if it takes more than double what the actual specs call for (my lug wrench is about a foot long, so ~200 ft-lbs) to crack the nuts loose then I have bigger problems than a flat tire.

People just don’t know how these days. I remember a couple of years ago explaining to a grown man how to take hub caps off. Hard for me to even believe.

@ARE_you_kidding_me If every car you’ve ever seen had alloy wheels, I could see it. I’ve seen otherwise intelligent and tech-savvy people be stymied by a command line.

@zenvelo On the side of the freeway, with an inadequate shoulder, it’s dangerous to change a tire on the left side of the car.
Most (nearly all) have more than enough shoulder at the side of the freeway, but they sit there with their hazards on waiting for roadside service as if they expect the tow guy to change the flat or bring a new tire.

@jerv First came the compact spares, but now either “runflat” tires or a patch kit in lieu of a spare are more common.
I guess their ”runflat” tires are not running flat or they can’t figure out how to use the tire repair kit, if they did, why would they be sitting on the freeway?

@Hypocrisy_Central Well, “runflats” feel a bit weird when they let go. In fact, it’s pretty easy to miss the signs that one is in need of replacement until it’s beyond the point where it’s “runflat” properties are even needed. Or, more likely, ignore them. Looking at how many people will keep a compact spare on for months, I can’t rule that out.
As for not having the skills to use a repair kit, most people who get a flat wind up a bit flustered at the situation, and that can throw them off their game and make them act dumber than they really are.

@jerv I know my business partner has had to go change his wifes tires several times over the past few years for that very reason. She had runflats on and did exactly that until they reached a point where they damaged beyond repair. Almost every time it was only when backing out of her parking space at work that she finally realized there was a problem. Most of her driving was in town with speeds below 45 mph. Not sure whether she did not notice the TPMS gauge or didn’t know what it was (I am sure she did after the first time) or whether the gauge was not functioning properly.

@Hypocrisy_Central You could do the Christian thing and stop to help people change their tires. Teach them how to do it and be of service at the same time!

@rojo And for those with runflats who try to get a few extra few miles from something like “Fix-a-flat” or some other tire sealant, you get the added joy of replacing that pressure sensor as it gets clogged with goop!

Between the added (and unsprung) weight of runflat tires and their cost, along with the added road noise and harsher ride, I personally would do what many others who bought a car with runflats have done; replace them with “normal” tires. A solution that causes more problems than it solves is a poor solution, and I average about a flat a decade anyways.

@zenvelo If the roads HC drives are anything like I-5 around here, he’d need a little divine assistance just to get over into the shoulder.

@zenvelo You could do the Christian thing and stop to help people change their tires. Teach them how to do it and be of service at the same time!
If I were driving and not commuting as one of the passengers, I would not have a problem with it, from past experience it seem as if they had more issue with it.