Got a Flat, Here's a "how to"

[TSLA Pilot]

> Scissor jacks are just scary. [jerry33]

Right you are; but I was sure tempted!

View attachment 40469
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Wycolo--

I have to guess that this photo was Part 1 of an unload process?

Then you move the trailer forward, until the front wheels were almost off, then unhooked the front of the trailer, thus letting the back drop to the ground, then lowered the rear and drove off?

Or ________________?

Regardless, if I deduced this correctly, it was a very impressive solution to a seemingly vexing problem--nice job!

 

[wcalvin]

My kit in the trunk well has:

12v compressor
Plug kit with various size plugs, T handled reamer and plug installer
Utility knife (to trim plugs)
Pliers (to remove nail/screw)
Tire marking crayon (to mark area before removing offending object)
Work gloves

Digital tire pressure gauge in glove box

Jack? Tire iron?

 

[N4HHE]

> Scissor jacks are just scary. [jerry33]

Right you are; but I was sure tempted!

View attachment 40469
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I don't understand what the floor jack is doing? Fork lifts are used all the time in salvage yards to move vehicles around. With blocks on the tines to lift on the Model S's lift pads I don't see anything untoward about using a fork lift to unload or load on trailer. Its just like having a portable 2-post lift, only its a 1-post lift, and portable!

 

[AC1K]

Just an update, since patching that tire last year, i haven't lost a single PSI, the Tires sat around all winter, and now they are on my car, the PSI level was the same as all the others.

 

[roblab]

Yesterday my TPS went off, pressure low. Checked tires: One at 25 lb. Careful search with soap water to look for bubbles: rusty nail in center of tread.

I have used plugs in tires for 40 years, about when steel belted radials came out. I owned a business that worked with construction, and my trucks, vans and cars had every imaginable tire type on them. I plugged a tire a week, at least.

Over the years, I have noticed that the tire repair companies started to get upset about all these people fixing their own tires for a few pennies in a few minutes. The scary stories started to circulate, then all the tire shops "refused" to put in plugs, because they "ruin the tire", etc., etc.

There may be some people who don't watch the pressures and will run a repaired tire flat, or drive with a nail in a nearly flat tire, but a little experience tells you that, yup, that ruins the tire, but it is NOT the plug or the plug process. In my 40 years of plugging tires, only once have I had a plug leak, and by putting in a second plug, that tire ran it's tread life out on the vehicle. My cars and trucks were in daily use logging in thousands of miles, and using up tread that would have cost thousands to replace, or thousands to take to a tire shop, be un-mounted, checked, plugged and patched inside, re-pressured and remounted. Half the time they screwed up when they did it (you know those TPMS sensors cost over $100 each).

I plugged my tire. I only put it on about a month ago, and it is wasteful to take it off and replace it because of a nail hole. Tire companies rely on fear to get your money. Car companies do the same thing when it comes to brake fluid or charging an electric vehicle. The plug cost me less than a dime. I don't dismount the tire, and I don't deflate it. I do it where it sits. And it will last as long as the other tires.

Learn how to plug your tires. It works, and it works well, reliably. Learn to discount the protectionist babble from the tire companies and tire repair places. They are mainly after your money, despite what they say about "you may die", etc.

 

[LagunaHJames]

Just an FYI I had a slow leak develop that turned out to be a small piece of hard plastic that had embedded itself in the tire. My local Sears automotive shop that I have dealt with for years fixed it for $19. No problems. There is no way that I would be able to do the repairs described in this thread myself. Kudos to those who can.

 

[bart513]

That's great!. I've never plugged a tire but how do you do it without removing it from the car?

 

[EdA]

Once you find the nail/screw, etc. roll it until it is at 4pm or 7pm on clock so you can access it.
You have to pump the tire up a bit before plugging, but then go to it.

Unfortunately when I got my flat the screw was in backwards and I had to have the tire removed.

 

[Canuck]

Learn how to plug your tires. It works, and it works well, reliably. Learn to discount the protectionist babble from the tire companies and tire repair places. They are mainly after your money, despite what they say about "you may die", etc.

Thanks for the info and also to the OP, AC1K. I went to Canadian Tire and they had a couple of different kits:

Victor Car Tubeless Tire Repair Kit | Canadian Tire

Victor Heavy Duty Tubeless Tire Repair Kit | Canadian Tire

I splurged and got the $9.99 one and I will keep it in the truck.

 

[jerry33]

Just bear in mind that although a plug will seal the hole just fine (it's been a long time since plugs had problems with radial tires) if you don't inspect the interior of the tire for damage, there is a risk of sudden deflation sometime later.

 

[N4HHE]

Thanks for the info and also to the OP, AC1K. I went to Canadian Tire and they had a couple of different kits:

Victor Car Tubeless Tire Repair Kit | Canadian Tire

Victor Heavy Duty Tubeless Tire Repair Kit | Canadian Tire

I splurged and got the $9.99 one and I will keep it in the truck.

I like the kits with the sticky tar fiber plugs.

 

[stopcrazypp]

I use the stick tar ones too. The mushroom tire plugs (I'm talking about the DIY ones that you plug from the outside, not the type that you do from the inside) are easier to use but don't seem to be as reliable. I had a tire on a used car that was plugged with the mushroom type by a previous owner and developed a slow leak at the plug (although it was already about a year or two after) and the tire shop refused to re-patch/plug it. So I used the sticky tar plug myself and it has held up for about a year now.

However, if you have time to go to a tire repair shop to do a full patch/plug (or if you aren't the DIY type in the first place), I don't see why it's a bad option. It costs only about $30 and they usually also cover it if the patch/plug fails during the lifetime of the tire.

And the warnings about never attempting any sidewall repair also applies in every case.

 

[wycolo]

I don't understand what the floor jack is doing? Fork lifts are used all the time in salvage yards to move vehicles around. With blocks on the tines to lift on the Model S's lift pads I don't see anything untoward about using a fork lift to unload or load on trailer. Its just like having a portable 2-post lift, only its a 1-post lift, and portable!

The fork tines are only 4 ft long so I used an 8 ft extension on the rh fork. These are 2x8 rectangular steel tubing 1/4 in thick (strong) but the weight of the MS does bend it down a bit. So to level it out so I could back the flatbed under it without hitting anything, I just jacked up the far end with the floor jack so the rear tires would completely clear the flatbed. Remember, the reason I did all this is because the rear axle is locked (dead car with PARKing brake ON). The forklift is a 17ft telehandler with 4400 lb lift capacity, not one of the wrecking yard monsters.

I already had lifted the MS front axle which rolled up to the front of the flatbed using the same technique. You are correct, I could have simply lifted the rear of the MS higher due to it sagging on the far side but I asked myself would I rather drop an MS from 4ft or 3ft.

McDonald's trays under each rear wheel would allow MS to be dragged up flatbed ramp, but I didn't have these available.
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[roblab]

Just bear in mind that although a plug will seal the hole just fine (it's been a long time since plugs had problems with radial tires) if you don't inspect the interior of the tire for damage, there is a risk of sudden deflation sometime later.

And on the other side of the coin, driving a car with tires, there is a risk of sudden deflation. At any time. And it isn't because you didn't inspect the inside of the tire either.

Personally, I have never seen nor heard of anyone losing pressure, suddenly or otherwise, in a plugged tire. Only stories I have ever heard are from tire repair personnel, and most of those people have not seen it either, but had been "told by the rep", or the manager, or someone else.

Not saying it doesn't happen. I think we are talking risk actuarials.

Did you know that you can get killed by lightning? Happened to the founder of Pizza Hut, while playing golf in the rain. That settled it for me. I don't play golf.

 

[jerry33]

Personally, I have never seen nor heard of anyone losing pressure, suddenly or otherwise, in a plugged tire.

Having inspected thousands of tires sent in for warranty or road-hazard damage, I can assure you that interior damage from a puncture is very common. Now, many times the tire fails immediately or shortly afterwards, but just as often it fails about six months after the initial damage.

 

[MajesticSound]

Just putting my emergency kit together now. For those of you that have the air compressor and fix a flat kit from Tesla, is the compressor worth it? Or should I get one off of Amazon like: Amazon.com: VIAIR 85P Portable Air Compressor: Automotive

 

[jthompson]

Any compressor will do. I have the Tesla one and it works well, but the spray foam is worthless (and not recommended by the techs).