There have been countless jokes made about the ability of a man to make a tire. I learned quickly in the oil field, changing tiers on truck trailers and heavy equipment was a way of life. The ability to change tires became so routine that I felt we could compete with racecar drivers in the pits, but that was work, and I am no longer in the oil field. I drive a nice Cadillac that requires lots of work and maintenance to run correctly and effectively. The cost of maintaining a vehicle is a small fortune. Still, it is necessary, considering that there is neither an effective public transit in place that accommodates the economy nor enough funding to support one.
The importance of making it to your job is unparalleled. Especially considering the events of 2020, with most of the country suffering from employment, and the rest struggling to keep their door open. When a flat tire strikes out of nowhere, it can be a recipe for disaster.
Even before I got off from work, my coworker told me that I had a flat tire, not the news I wanted to hear after working all night. I just recently bought new tires and new rims. My old tires needed replacing, and the rims were starting to leak around the bead. I got some nice rims that were black and reasonably stylish. I didn't consider that one; I needed a 7/32 Allen wrench to get the hub cap off, and secondly, I didn't have the proper socket set to take the lug nuts off because I needed the unique key and an adaptor.
I first started by getting an Allen wrench and getting the hub cap off and then my donut out and aired up. My coworkers offered help until finally, the head maintenance guy showed up, and I was forever grateful. Not only did he have a jack, but an impact gun and socket set. I also managed to find the key in my car, which was impressive, considering at first I didn't even know I needed it.
The next big obstacle was jacking the car up. Anyone who owns a Caddie knows how low to the ground they ride, and with a flat tire, the vehicle sat even lower. To get the car up in the air high enough, we had to reposition the jack and use three 2x4s before we had clearance. Finally, we managed to overcome everything and get the donut onto the car.
As I was at the tire shop getting my tire fixed, I decided to do what I had intended to do long before and adequately prepare. Before leaving, I ordered a tire and a new rim to stand in as a spare with the backup donut being a back up to the backup. After the tire stop, I went to the hardware shop and purchased a battery for my impact drill and a socket to hold the lug nut key. With the jack already included in my car, I have a fantastic set up ready to change a tire effectively.
Nothing is worse than spending downtime on something you would rather not be doing. Altogether, I spent over an hour with the tire problem. When I want to get a second job, I know how I can't have these setbacks.
The important take away is being ready for the unknown circumstances and having the proper tools and proper knowledge.