Changing A Tire

A few weeks go I got a flat tire. By the way it happened to be only three days after I had brand new tires put on! Feeling like a super independent woman and not really having anything better to do I thought I would attempt to change it myself. By complete chance I had seen a video on Youtube on how to change a tire (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN5QQJlT8uwwhich) was 3:25 long and a pretty woman was changing the tire; so I felt sure that this was something I could not only do, but do quickly. I have had MANY flat tires in my life time but I also had AAA or big brothers that would/could come to the rescue. As I got all of the tools out of the trunk I had this overwhelming feeling that I was accomplishing something great! So I went to work.

Step 1) Find the place where the jack goes. (5 min)
Step 2) Trying to get my hub cap off (25 min)
Step 3) Loosening the lug nuts the first time making sure to use the star pattern (20 min)
Step 4) jack the car up (at least 10 min)

**Ok so at this point I realize that changing a tire is much harder then the video showed but I would not let that stop me I was determined.

Step 5) Take off lug nuts. Now here is where it gets even more complicated. The lug nuts would not come off, I worked forever. They somehow got tight again and I could not get them loose. (35 min)

**Now I'm thinking of every guy I know that might be able to come over and assist with putting the tire on. I'm thinking the lady in the video is crazy, there is noway anyone could change a tire in less the 4 min! However coming to the conclusion that I must do this myself (B wasn't going to be home until later that afternoon) and that I had important things to do (window shopping) I pressed on.

Step 6) Remove flat tire, and put spare tire on using the lug nuts you put in a special place earlier (25 min)
Step 7) pray that the tire is on tight enough and that you will not die on the way to the tire shop to get it fixed! (15 min)

That said I changed the tire all by myself! It was a little bit longer then 3:25. And it was much more frustrating then it looked in the video. I would suggest to every lady out there... USE AAA! That's what they get paid for, make 'em work for it, and they know how to do it a lot faster.