[Jan Fisher]

A survey has found Australians lack vital car repair skills and one skill in particular: changing a tyre.

The survey found one in three would have no idea about how to go about changing a tyre, with the worst offenders in NSW. Queensland came out on top, with 70 per cent of responders claiming they could confidently change a tyre.

The survey also showed the ability to change a flat is dying out with each generation.
Almost twice as many baby boomers (84 per cent) have the skill compared to the youngest driving generation Gen Z (49 per cent).

About 65 per cent of Gen X and 53 per cent of Gen Y were able to help with a flat tyre.

I have never had to change a tyre, and indeed the last time I had a flat tyre was in the 80s. I knew my dad loved that sort of stuff so he drove from his work and changed it for me. But having said that, he would have been appalled if I didn’t know how to do it myself.

Apparently part of the problem is roadside assistance is so readily available now people are happy to outsource the problem to others.

What do you think, are we losing vital skills?

[allan j goodwin]

I can but with age I find it hard to crouch down to do it so I use the RACQ.

[Tony graham]

Not just a matter of knowing how to change a tyre;
if had new wheels/tyres installed, or wheels rotated at a service centre, mostly likely used air spanners to tighten the wheel nuts. Need a large wheel brace and a lot of strength to unfasten the wheel nuts.

[Jan Fisher]

I agree Tony, while I know in theory how to change a tyre due to my car-mad father, I don’t know if I could pit my strength against mechanically tightened wheel nuts.

[David Ryder]

I can but only if I can get the wheel nuts off which have been done up by a tyre fitter using an air rattle gun. If I can’t crack them then I call the RACQ.

[Gordon Nussey]

In the past I have both changes a wheel and changed a tyre.
The latter, remove the wheel from the vehicle, remove the tyre from the rim and put a new tyre on the rim, blow it up and replace the wheel on the car.
I therefore make the distinction between the two.
I actually do not have to do that anymore as my vehicle has “runflat” tyres !!!

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