$80, Harbor Freight - 1.5 Ton Aluminum Racing Floor Jack with Rapid Pump®
One of the early reviews mentions using it on his Model 3. I have one and use it all the time. Winter/summer tire changeovers, rain/dry changeovers at the track, etc.
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Model 3 has no spare tire
- Thread starter jumper4000
- Start date
One of the early reviews mentions using it on his Model 3. I have one and use it all the time. Winter/summer tire changeovers, rain/dry changeovers at the track, etc.
Lifeinabox
Member
That's ridiculous. Everyone knows the 909 generates meth and not solar energy.My favorite part about this comment is how most of California's solar energy comes from Inland Empire
dgpcolorado
high altitude member
Although I, too, have a floor jack for home use, I carry this scissors jack in my car: Torin Big Red Steel Scissor Jack, 1.5 Ton. It lifts a corner of my Model S in garage conditions, although I haven't had to try it on a road shoulder yet. I don't know if it would work in a Model 3 but since it collapses to 3¾ inches high, my guess is that it will fit under a 3, even using a jack pad or hockey puck.
My Cadillac doesn’t have a spare, either. It’s a weight savings measure.
Not a big deal. I’ve got 3 forms of roadside assistance available - AAA, my car insurance and Cadillac’s roadside care. Any one of which will do the trick.
I slid into a curb on the ice last week; bent a control arm. Called AAA, within 45 minutes it was up on a flatbed and at the dealership 15 minutes after that. Easy cheesy.
Of course I can change a flat tire, but I can say that in the last 20 years, I’ve had exactly one. The weight savings alone is net positive vs an hour of time.
So I understand your frustration - and 3 1/2 hour wait is crazy, but always good to have multiple options. I chose AAA last week but could’ve used the other two.
Even once I get a M3, I’ll keep three options available. Just in case.
Not a big deal. I’ve got 3 forms of roadside assistance available - AAA, my car insurance and Cadillac’s roadside care. Any one of which will do the trick.
I slid into a curb on the ice last week; bent a control arm. Called AAA, within 45 minutes it was up on a flatbed and at the dealership 15 minutes after that. Easy cheesy.
Of course I can change a flat tire, but I can say that in the last 20 years, I’ve had exactly one. The weight savings alone is net positive vs an hour of time.
So I understand your frustration - and 3 1/2 hour wait is crazy, but always good to have multiple options. I chose AAA last week but could’ve used the other two.
Even once I get a M3, I’ll keep three options available. Just in case.
siminoff
Member
StealthP3D
Well-Known Member
It's economics, performance (spares and jacks and lug wrenches add real weight that is always costing you performance and efficiency) and convenience (most flats happen close to services and home). Just catch an Uber and have someone else fix your flat. I've had so few flats using modern tires, properly inflated, that I really don't see the point of hauling everything around "just in case" (and I'm generally "old school" in terms of being prepared).
It would probably make more sense to carry around a cardiac "shock machine" in case someone had a heart attack!
Same here. My last 2 vehicles have not had a spare, and I haven’t missed it one iota.
Right. I'll give you another: You should be wearing a helmet in your car, because your chance of head injury is the same or higher as the same time spent riding a bicycle. And yet... we find the concept or wearing a helmet in the car just silly! It is all a matter of risk/reward. (and humans are notoriously terrible at determining risk).
Recommend use a torque rench to torque the nuts to appropriate force and to loosen the nuts. The metal is “too soft” to use a traditional 300 ft-lb torque gun - it does not work.
StealthP3D
Well-Known Member
What the heck are you talking about? The Model 3 uses the same kind of steel studs, lug nuts and alloy wheels as other modern cars. If anything, the recommended lug torque of 129 ft/lbs is actually higher than 90% of the cars on the road. There is nothing "soft" about it. Ideally, the lug nuts on all cars are torqued with a calibrated torque wrench to specifications but, to the best of my knowledge, there is not a car out there that comes with an emergency torque wrench in the spare tire kit. It is common practice to torque the spare using common sense "feel" and retorque the lug nuts ASAP with the repaired tire using a torque wrench. There is nothing different about the Model 3 in this regard and it's not clear why you try to portray the Model 3 as being "soft" or different in terms of lug torque.
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StealthP3D
Well-Known Member
You carry a floor jack and a spare tire everywhere you go? And a torque wrench? Do you have an emergency water filter, some iodine for nuclear attacks/disasters, and a folding bicycle in case you break down? Oh, yeah, don't forget to wear a helmet and carry a defibrillator in case someone has a heart attack.
AlanSubie4Life
Efficiency Obsessed Member
Probably best to not use the 300 ft-lb setting on any lug, Tesla or not! That is why good impact wrenches come with adjustable settings. Always step it down to a mere 90 ft-lbs (and check the direction setting), which is not going to snap any lug bolts. And it won’t warp anything either. Or you could try using a torque stick (never have, not sure I trust them).
And always finally torque to spec with a torque wrench. Make sure the wheel is seated properly before doing any wrenching of course, otherwise you could destroy everything. Related - watch out for stray hub centric rings too. Galling is real!
Cordless impact wrenches are the best for tire changes! Makes it a breeze. There is a reason tire shops use impact wrenches (with torque sticks). But not needed for an emergency kit. Just a cheap torque wrench should suffice.
I have an Audi emergency jack (pictured above) for my emergency jack - Not a full size floor jack (identical to yours actually) - I leave that at home!
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StealthP3D
Well-Known Member
That's just one reason car makers are ditching the old fashioned spare tire, jack and lug wrench.
AlanSubie4Life
Efficiency Obsessed Member
StealthP3D
Well-Known Member
It is possible to edit your prior posts! I know you’re worked up.
I don't see any need to edit my previous posts and I'm not really sure what you're talking about being "worked up"? Makes no sense.
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