Changing the tire?

Mazda Forum Mazda Classifieds Photo Gallery Member List Search Contact Us Sponsors
Models Mazda News Mazda Recalls TSBs Timeslips Register Login

Changing the tire?

Printable Version

Mazda >> Mazda Vehicles >> Mazda3 >> Changing the tire?

Page: [1] 2 3 4 next > >>

Message

<< Older Topic Newer Topic >>

Changing the tire? - 1/23/2008 10:19:39 AM

DannyIndeed

Posts: 1
Joined: 1/23/2008
Status: offline

Alright, I'm the happy owner of a 2005 Mazda3 S. Bought it used in July '07. And finally got a flat. (Of the non-patchable variety.) Now I'm not all that repair-savvy on cars, but I've never had problems changing a tire. Until now.

Everything's factory on the car, no custom rims or anything like that. But after removing the lug nuts and getting the car jacked up, I still can't get the tire to come off. Am I missing some vital piece of information here that the salesman neglected to mention? And what is that odd little tool that was packaged with the (rather useless) tiny tire iron? It's about 7 inches long, round, with one threaded end and one end with a metal loop? My roommate is a car-savvy guy, and he had no idea. Any help is appreciated, as I refuse to take my car to a dealership to fix a flat tire.

Post #: 1

RE: Changing the tire? - 1/23/2008 11:03:15 AM

Siber Express

Posts: 801
Joined: 11/14/2007
From: Clinton Tennessee
Status: online

While on the jack, lug nuts off, kick the tire on the bottom or smack it from the rear with a BFH.

The little threaded rod with the eyelet is a tie down loop, there is a spot on the front on the right side that comes out and that screws in to tie the front of the car down during towing.

_____________________________

08 Mazda 3 s 5 Door Copper Red Mica 2.3 5 Speed M/T

He Who Dies With The Most Toys Is Nonetheless DEAD.

(in reply to DannyIndeed)

Post #: 2

RE: Changing the tire? - 1/23/2008 11:45:20 AM

virgin1

Posts: 5209
Joined: 3/15/2007
Status: online

Aluminum, as in your wheels, works and plays too well when in contact w/other metals. It's grows attached to the cast iron that makes up the brake rotor at the mating surfaces.
As Siber suggests, smack the tire from the front or the back at an angle, which should loosen it from the rotor.
You can avoid this situation in the future (notice I said avoid not necessarily eliminate) by applying a very light coat of Permatex Anti-Seize to the mating surface of the wheel(s.) Too much and it'll get on everything as you drive the car, so use it sparingly. This will not allow the galvanic action between the two metals to occur and they won't freeze together as easily.

_____________________________

"There is no tool you can buy that will replace experience." - Josh Mills, C.K.DeLuxe

(in reply to Siber Express)

Post #: 3

RE: Changing the tire? - 1/23/2008 12:58:03 PM

wineye

Posts: 251
Joined: 9/10/2007
Status: offline

Virgin, you really answered it scholarly...

(in reply to virgin1)

Post #: 4

RE: Changing the tire? - 1/23/2008 1:18:01 PM

icspots

Posts: 898
Joined: 5/31/2006
Status: offline

What they all said.

_____________________________

Mods to come: ????

(in reply to wineye)

Post #: 5

RE: Changing the tire? - 1/23/2008 1:59:38 PM

WarDogsOfNam

Posts: 105
Joined: 12/24/2005
Status: offline

galvanic action- that is the term of the day class

(in reply to icspots)

Post #: 6

RE: Changing the tire? - 1/23/2008 2:55:30 PM

virgin1

Posts: 5209
Joined: 3/15/2007
Status: online

quote:

ORIGINAL: wineye

Virgin, you really answered it scholarly...

I gotta' tell ya', I often have a very dry sense of humor, Win, but sometimes I'm just not sure when you're being serious and when you're joking... I'm sure you joke, right?
I'm a couch engineer w/years of experience and learning... often the hard way.
Some of your posts indicate to me that you've got more of the book smarts down pat.

_____________________________

"There is no tool you can buy that will replace experience." - Josh Mills, C.K.DeLuxe

(in reply to wineye)

Post #: 7

RE: Changing the tire? - 1/23/2008 6:46:14 PM

wineye

Posts: 251
Joined: 9/10/2007
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: virgin1

quote:

ORIGINAL: wineye

Virgin, you really answered it scholarly...

I gotta' tell ya', I often have a very dry sense of humor, Win, but sometimes I'm just not sure when you're being serious and when you're joking... I'm sure you joke, right?

[ Virgin, I am dead serious, you are our learned member on this forum. just read other people's comments, we all felt the same way. I think I chose the right word, "scholarly" does not always/only belong to someone with a pair of thick beer bottle bottoms in a ivory tower...]/

I'm a couch engineer w/years of experience and learning... often the hard way.
Some of your posts indicate to me that you've got more of the book smarts down pat.

[that's a fair statement, Virgin. but I also learned from my own mistakes, esp. when it comes to home improvement, doing one thing well put me thinking subconsciously that I'd do other things well, and paid the hard way. This is one reason that caused me to go back to books sometimes. I too am an engineer working on designing aircraft engines, don't have much luck to learn it the hard way (people generations ago did).....so I guess some habitual thinking is getting in on topics about cars......

< Message edited by wineye -- 1/23/2008 6:56:34 PM >

(in reply to virgin1)

Post #: 8

RE: Changing the tire? - 1/23/2008 8:43:28 PM

sstlaure

Posts: 2364
Joined: 11/28/2005
Status: offline

Your spare tire makes a handy weight to use to get that tire off. Hold the tire at the top with the spare parallel to the tire you want to take off. Contact the 2 tires at the 6 o-clock position a couple of times and it should pop off.

_____________________________

2004 Mazda6 Sportwagon

Any statements made are purely my opinion

(in reply to wineye)

Post #: 9

RE: Changing the tire? - 1/24/2008 1:58:47 PM

virgin1

Posts: 5209
Joined: 3/15/2007
Status: online

quote:

ORIGINAL: virgin1

ORIGINAL: wineye

I gotta' tell ya', I often have a very dry sense of humor, Win, but sometimes I'm just not sure when you're being serious and when you're joking... I'm sure you joke, right?

Virgin, I am dead serious, you are our learned member on this forum. just read other people's comments, we all felt the same way. I think I chose the right word. "Scholarly" does not always/only belong to someone with a pair of thick beer bottle bottoms in a ivory tower...

I'm a couch engineer w/years of experience and learning... often the hard way.
Some of your posts indicate to me that you've got more of the book smarts down pat.

that's a fair statement, Virgin. but I also learned from my own mistakes, esp. when it comes to home improvement, doing one thing well put me thinking subconsciously that I'd do other things well, and paid the hard way. This is one reason that caused me to go back to books sometimes. I too am an engineer working on designing aircraft engines, don't have much luck to learn it the hard way (people generations ago did).....so I guess some habitual thinking is getting in on topics about cars......

I thank you so much for your very nice comments and compliments, but I think you misunderstood my meaning of "couch" engineer. I am not trained as an engineer. The truth is much less spectacular. I have always worked on and had a interest in all things automotive, since I was <10 yrs old. I am the only one of three children and my parents that has this interest. I remember my 12 older brother's first car better than he does and I was 6 or 7 @ the time. A used 1950 Ford Convertible, repainted metallic blue, white top, straight 6 Merc engine, Holley single barrel carb w/manual choke, 3-on-the-tree, w/red and yellow/beige interior. The control knobs on the dash were spherical instead of the usual tulip style most cars of the day had, and the ash tray had a round, recessed face instead of the usual rectangular. Boy, to have that car today...... But I digress.
I used to come home from school greasy dirty because I would run into someone along the way home working on their car and help them w/it. I read Hot-Rod, Hot Rodding and Road and Track like they were Bibles. Later, I worked in the business from the late '70's through the '80's when at that time the business took the fun out of it for me. So I quit.
I was autoxing and road rallying during that time too, and with absolutely no budget so I had to be creative. This is where I believe I got the ability to do research or size something unrelated up and use it for what it was never intended... like that plumber's silicone grease I mentioned to you.

What you do is far more important. Keeping people safe in the often no-win situation of an airplane (crash.) That's life or death. My comment was not intended to be a put-down but to indicate that you are knowledgeable more in the mathematics of things than I am. I have noticed this in several of your posts. Perhaps that' why I was unsure what was meant by your recent comments. My cynical nature thought that perhaps I wasn't worthy of such praise ad that they might be meant as "back-handed" compliments from someone w/proper training. So, I was just testing the waters to find out. I didn't have any other reason for feeling this way as your posts and comments seemed genuine. And too, as is often the case w/guy-talk, we tend to chide each other, rib each other and put each other down but in an affectionate, respectful way.

_____________________________

"There is no tool you can buy that will replace experience." - Josh Mills, C.K.DeLuxe

(in reply to wineye)