Jack pads in Aus

[Vostok]

The universe knows. I tell you, it just knows.

I order a set of jack pads, and what happens the following week? This!





My first ever puncture (rear passenger side). A roofing bolt, straight through! This would not have happened if I didn’t order the pads

I went to my local Beaurepairs, and they said, “oooh, we don’t like to jack those… but we can plug it without jacking”. Which they did, lying on the ground. Job done in 5 minutes and they didn’t even charge me!

Thanks & well done chaps!

 

[doggy1]

Hi Vostok, thanks very much for this info. A long time ago, I used to repair my own tyres because I did a huge amount of offroad work. Those days are gone. But I have invested in tyre repair kits for both my EVs and think I'll be able to use them if stuck out in the countryside. Am also getting set up with pucks, jack and small ramp. But I was wondering how feasible it would be to repair a tyre punctured exactly as you illustrate, with the wheel still on the vehicle. You have answered that now so it will be the first method I try should I get a flat tyre. Mine will probably happen just before the suitable jack arrives! It didn't happen when the first 4 pucks came but maybe the puncture is just awaiting the second 4 pucks which are on their way from Aliexpress!

 

[Vostok]

I have invested in tyre repair kits for both my EVs and think I'll be able to use them if stuck out in the countryside. Am also getting set up with pucks, jack and small ramp. But I was wondering how feasible it would be to repair a tyre punctured exactly as you illustrate, with the wheel still on the vehicle. You have answered that now so it will be the first method I try should I get a flat tyre.

The bolt went through on the inner side of the tyre so seemed to be quite inaccessible and I didn’t think they‘d try to fix it without jacking and taking the wheel off, but they just asked me to slowly move the car until the bolt was in an accessible position clear of the wheel arch, the bloke lay on his back, stuck his head under the car, and plugged it in-situ!

So like you I now feel more confident plugging a rear tyre if this happened while on a road trip. Front tyres are a lot easier. I have a plugging kit in the sub-boot with large long-nose pliers to pull the offending object out.

 

[Maximillan]

The bolt went through on the inner side of the tyre so seemed to be quite inaccessible and I didn’t think they‘d try to fix it without jacking and taking the wheel off, but they just asked me to slowly move the car until the bolt was in an accessible position clear of the wheel arch, the bloke lay on his back, stuck his head under the car, and plugged it in-situ!

So like you I now feel more confident plugging a rear tyre if this happened while on a road trip. Front tyres are a lot easier. I have a plugging kit in the sub-boot with large long-nose pliers to pull the offending object out.

For a long road trip in order to get me out of pickle I was thinking of packing a 12v hand held air pump, and for an extreme emergency, a can of goo.

 

[Vostok]

For a long road trip in order to get me out of pickle I was thinking of packing a 12v hand held air pump, and for an extreme emergency, a can of goo.

I have the Tesla tyre repair kit which contains both of these things. Some think it is overpriced for what it is, but hey it comes in a nice badged bag.

The pump is noisy but pumps up the tyres pretty quickly and doesn’t run out of puff even at high pressures (I‘ve pumped up to 50).

 

[Candleflame]

dont use goo. Goo is a waste of time.

Get a tire patch kit instead. Goo wont help you with a big screw etc and thats about the only thing you can fix at the road side.

 

[paulp]

I have the Tesla tyre repair kit which contains both of these things. Some think it is overpriced for what it is, but hey it comes in a nice badged bag.

The pump is noisy but pumps up the tyres pretty quickly and doesn’t run out of puff even at high pressures (I‘ve pumped up to 50).

If you have cordless power tools eg makita you can buy a compressor skin. You can then take that with you on road trips along with a couple of batteries. Its fantastic as a mobile compressor around home as well.
The goo has a short shelf life, so much cheaper to then just replace that as needed

 

[Vostok]

The goo has a short shelf life, so much cheaper to then just replace that as needed

In 1990 I did my first real big road trip to central Australia, and bought a can of goo just in case I needed it in the middle of nowhere.

In 2015 and 2 cars later (Nissan Leaf), I discovered leaving work for the day that I had a puncture - rear tyre was almost completely flat. The Leaf comes with a space-saver spare, so I prepared to jack the car up but then discovered the wheel brace was missing. Gah!! Can‘t remove the wheel! Then I remembered I had a can of goo buried in the boot - yes, the same one that went with me to Uluru.

I used it and bingo - it still worked! Tyre pumped up and sealed, good enough for me to drive home then take it to a tyre repair place the next day.

YMMV

 

[doggy1]

Vostok, after using the goo, was that the end of the tyre? I have heard that it renders a tyre unusable apart from the drive to the tyre repair place. I'll be using the plug kits (or at least, giving them a whirl). Amazing the goo worked after a long time, but I suppose it is sealed in an airtight container.

 

[doggy1]

In a strange twist of fate, I ordered new pucks after 6wks of the original ones being in Auspost. 30mins later, I got the first notification in over 6wks from Auspost and now they arrived! So, I'll onsell the second set when they come. These have a red O-ring and I just checked and they fit perfectly. They are 25mm thick.

On my 3LR, I measure 120mm from the puck face to the ground. That fits very nicely with the claimed 145mm ground clearance. I estimate I will lose a further 40mm with a flat tyre, leaving a mere 80mm for the jack. I know there is a Porsche jack that is supposed to fit but they appear a bit rare and also steeply priced.

If I can get a jack that goes close, I can perhaps cut 10mm off a couple of these pucks so I have two of 15mm and two of 25mm.

I gave up on the Porsche jacks, though that would be the ideal jacking solution (for on the road). I ordered a cheapish 3 tonne jack as a bit of a trial. Photos show what I ordered and what I received (no ratchet arm!) the nice thing is that if I cut off the top rotating piece of steel, the jack height is exactly 80mm, which is exactly what I need. Mulling over welding a small post and matching hole in a puck (but this would restrict getting the jack under the puck due to the post height).

 

[Vostok]

Vostok, after using the goo, was that the end of the tyre? I have heard that it renders a tyre unusable apart from the drive to the tyre repair place.

Yes, they replaced the tyre. I don’t know how much of a scam that is, and whether in fact it would be perfectly safe to drive on a “gooped” tyre until it needs to be replaced for other reasons, but it seems the prevailing approach of the tyre business.

Amazing the goo worked after a long time, but I suppose it is sealed in an airtight container.

I was more impressed the contained was still pressurised and sufficiently inflated the tyre after 25 years!

 

[doggy1]

I think the tyre is full of the rubberised goo so the balance and weight would be all over the place plus the repair would likely not be too long lasting compared with the cord/plug approach. I'm going to avoid the goo if it means replacing one or two tyres as a result.

 

[Maximillan]

The YouTube algorithm today decided that I needed to see this, and after watching it I've decided that I'd prefer a plug kit than using a can of goo.
The channel and presenter definitely isn't my usual cup of tea, but he explains how to use a plug very well.

 

[Vostok]

These arrived today - pretty good, just under 3 weeks from ordering. The pads don‘t come prepackaged in the storage bag which seemed a bit odd, but whatever.




Does this mean I am now guaranteed to never need them?

 

[doggy1]

I acknowledge it is a bit of an experiment, but where I've got to for fixing flats out in the countryside:
1. Based on Vostok's experience, I think there is a reasonable chance of fixing a simple puncture with the wheel on the car. If not, I can now remove a wheel without too much fuss. The scary bit could be safety on the side of the road.
2. I have a comprehensive plug kit plus a dual cylinder electric compressor.
3. I have now modified the jack shown in the attached photo and shown 5 posts earlier. I ground off the rivet head to remove the swivelling piece at the top. I left the shaft as a 4mm high locating post.
4. I drilled a shallow and matching hole in one of my 4 pucks so it locates with the jack.
5. I welded a 21mm AF bolt to the crank point. Cut the bolt shaft to length and then cut a groove to fit the crank end and welded (TIG). 21mm is same as wheel nuts.
6. Height of the jack is 81mm and it should fit with a totally flat tyre sitting on the rim, according to my measurements.
7. Using a 21mm socket and 300mm ratchet spanner I can easily jack up front or rear and get the wheel in each case well off the ground. In a pinch, the wheel brace could be used but there is not much ground clearance until the jack is somewhat elevated.
8. So extra I am carrying is small compressor, ratchet spanner, socket, jack, 21mm wheel brace and plug kit. A few kilograms.
We'll see how this works out in the "real world"

 

[ZeeDoktor]

Anyone have a recommendation on where to buy a low profile jack with jack stand that works for my S here in Aus?

 

[doggy1]

Now that I am set up with low profile jack, ratchet handle, tyre repair kit and 4 pucks, the OTHER 4 pucks have turned up! I'm not sure they are worth posting, but if anyone in Northern parts of Sydney want to pick them up I am happy to sell for $15 which is $9 less than I paid and about $7 less than you can buy on eBay. They are the good quality ones with the red O-ring and I have tested one of the other 4 on my car and it is great. Pucks only- there is no case. I bought for Model 3 but I believe they fit S and X as well.

 

[paulp]

Now that I am set up with low profile jack, ratchet handle, tyre repair kit and 4 pucks, the OTHER 4 pucks have turned up! I'm not sure they are worth posting, but if anyone in Northern parts of Sydney want to pick them up I am happy to sell for $15 which is $9 less than I paid and about $7 less than you can buy on eBay. They are the good quality ones with the red O-ring and I have tested one of the other 4 on my car and it is great. Pucks only- there is no case. I bought for Model 3 but I believe they fit S and X as well.

Now you just need a puncture to test it all. I dont know about the 3, but S has to have wheel nuts tightened with a torque wrench. All I know is its the same torque as a commodore.

 

[Leeroy]

I dont know about the 3, but S has to have wheel nuts tightened with a torque wrench. All I know is its the same torque as a commodore.

Yes the 3 is the same, in fact most car wheel nuts are meant to be torqued, just nobody bothers and tighten everything gorilla tight. The 3 does have a fairly high number (for wheel nuts) though, 175nm.

 

[doggy1]

Just had my first puncture (in the Tesla). Started as a slow leak (4psi lost over several days). I moved the wheel around and studied it with a powerful torch but could not see anything. Checked valve, valve cover and stem and no leaks. Then after a 700km trip during which I topped it up once with my portable compressor, it got a lot worse. In fact, my phone beeped and it told me (via Tesla App notification) that the rear left tyre was dangerously flat (23psi). I was rather pleased about this because I thought the tyre pressures only updated when driving. So the car must have woken up and checked. The other wheels all said about a day ago for their readings.

I removed the wheel and found a nail on the inner side of the tread. Fairly small head (about 3mm) so not surprising I needed the wheel off to see it. I debated fixing it at home with my plug kit but as I was going 50km into the city and passing a JAX I decided to leave it there. Thought it might be $25 to $35. It only just fitted into Zoe's boot- they are BIG wheels! JAX took the tyre off and "mended it properly" which probably means something other than what I was going to do. Checked for any other damage, new valve and valve stem, balanced it. $60! So prices have gone up and I will save my own tyre plugging for when I am out in the bush.

Tyre has been fine since and no pressure loss.