Accident/flat tires and placement of the car jack

[Doug_G]

Honestly, how many flat tires have you all had in the last few years? I mean this isn't the sixties or seventies anymore. In the seventeen years that I have driven cars I never had a "regular" flat, just one as a result of an accident, but that wasn't the fault of the tire.

Last time I had a flat was in 1985. My car had died, and the dealer gave me a brand-new loaner with an apparently defective tire.

That same year I got a nail in my tire but it didn't go flat. I just heard a click-click-click noise, found the nail, and had it fixed.

 

[neroden]

Honestly, how many flat tires have you all had in the last few years? I mean this isn't the sixties or seventies anymore. In the seventeen years that I have driven cars I never had a "regular" flat, just one as a result of an accident, but that wasn't the fault of the tire.

I had five blowouts in less than five years not so many years ago.

Turned out to be a defective batch of tires (full set and a spare). Kind of sucked as they blew well after their warranty expired.

I've also had flats due to driving over broken metal at highway speeds. I intend to carry a spare tire.

I'm debating whether to get two full sets of five or just use one of the off-season tires as a spare.

 

[perbakken]

Five flats the last 12 months... Before that I have had two flats in 30 years.

 

[Cobos]

What did you do Perbakken? I know Norways road quality isn't good but that usually kills your suspension not the tires...

Cobos

 

[neroden]

Five flats the last 12 months... Before that I have had two flats in 30 years.

Check your tire warranty!

 

[RLA12194]

So getting back to the original thread topic...Any thoughts on jacking the car up at one of the designated jack spots per the manual (high suspension setting, jack mode) as if to replace a single tire vs. a full car lift? Will the asymmetric jacking stress the battery casing or possibly cause harm?

 

[mknox]

I'm sure it will be just like the Roadster; they will tell you where the safe jack points are:

Yes, here are the Model S lift points:

- - - Updated - - -

Same thing with the Roadster; the manual calls it a "tire sealant aerosol". I would only use it if desperate; it will destroy the tire pressure monitor.

Some (Like Slime) indicate that they are TPMS-safe. Not sure if that's just marketing hype, but they do make the claim...

 

[shokunin]

I've used a jack to lift to the Model S to remove the wheels one at a time (to clean and coat them). I don't think using a jack is going to be an issue, the Rangers are going to have to use a Jack to service the car anyways. Just remember, a jack is to temporarily lift the car, use a jack stands if you're working for an extended time.

I was very careful not to hit the metal frame of the battery pack and only the plastic tabs / lift points. I checked the alignment several times to ensure proper placement. Using a rectangular piece of rubber/wood is helpful if your jack has the typical round lift pad.

Are there temporary (small) scissor jacks that can handle the weight of the model S?

 

[santana338]

So there is no jack point to lift both front wheels or both back wheels off the ground to do a summer/winter tire swap? On my Odyssey the common practice is to use a jack on center engine lift point, then put jack stands on the outboard lift points (similar to the figure above). I'm not sure if there is a similar lift point for the rear.

I'm looking at this to reduce the amount of work involved in swapping out summer/winter tires.

 

[Robert.Boston]

So there is no jack point to lift both front wheels or both back wheels off the ground to do a summer/winter tire swap? On my Odyssey the common practice is to use a jack on center engine lift point, then put jack stands on the outboard lift points (similar to the figure above). I'm not sure if there is a similar lift point for the rear.

I'm looking at this to reduce the amount of work involved in swapping out summer/winter tires.

No, there is no central jack point such as you describe. The middle of the car is the battery, which is most definitely NOT a jack point. I don't see any reason, though, why you couldn't jack up just one of the lift points to get enough clearance to change a wheel. Remember to put the car into Jack mode before you do so.

 

[mknox]

No, there is no central jack point such as you describe. The middle of the car is the battery, which is most definitely NOT a jack point. I don't see any reason, though, why you couldn't jack up just one of the lift points to get enough clearance to change a wheel. Remember to put the car into Jack mode before you do so.

That's what I've always done... one at a time. I have a 120v impact gun which speeds things up considerably, but I always use a high quality torque wrench for snugging up the lug nuts on the replaced wheel.

 

[stevezzzz]

Wycolo and I had a rear wheel off my S a couple of months ago to check whether his aftermarket wheels would clear the brakes (no, sadly). We put it in jack mode and used his floor jack and a short length of 2-by-4 to spread the load over the jack pad (which is well marked on the bottom of the chassis side beam fairing) with no issues. I don't think you'd be able to put a jack stand under one side so you could used the jack on the other side, in order to get two wheels off the ground at the same time: the jack pad isn't long enough to get both the jack and the stand under there at the same time.