Oh no!!!I have a flat.

[snakeeyes]

How ironic is this? This afternoon I walked outside and noticed one of the tires on my daughter’s car was low. I literally had them put on this week—they can’t have 50 miles on them. Jacked the car up and rotated the tire until I found the culprit—a self-tapping screw. I happened to have one of the Slime tire plug kits in my shop...30 minutes later and she was on the road and the tire was holding pressure. I’ll get it looked at next week but the kit was a great stop-gap. Fortunately the screw was in the middle of the tire, between tread blocks—probably the easiest to repair.

[1795]

As I think about it, if one has a portable air compressor then the concern of not being able to get the jack underneath the car can be addressed. Unless the tire has a blow out, is otherwise destroyed, or the object that was impaled into the tire has come out, then the object (such as the above mentioned self tapping screw) will act as a partial seal and the tire can be inflated enough to enable the jack to be used and then a repair can commence.

If the tire is destroyed or otherwise not repairable on the road, then it is time for a flatbed. I would hazard a guess that 99% of the cobras on the road lack a spare tire in the boot.

[snakeeyes]

A couple of 2 x 4s can go a long way in that respect, as well.

[FredG]

Those slime plug kits are the best. Can't believe how well they work and how easy they are to use. Put one in my Infinity tire a long time ago and its still fine. I drive really fast when on the Highway and have not had any issue at all with it.

Fred

[CHANMADD]

Originally Posted by patrickt

I have two small supplementary scissor jacks. Compressed, they are five inches high. They will not fit under the frame of my ERA when the car has been sitting (they're just a hair too tall). However, if the car has been up on jacks, and the scissor jack is the last one to be lowered, the car will settle a little bit above the height of the scissor jack and you can pull it out from the frame. If you find yourself with a flat rear tire, out in the middle of nowhere, and all you have is one scissor jack, you're going to have a helluva time getting your rear up and off the ground. Even in the garage (where I have had a flat on the rear) you have to "work your way" up in to the air by jacking different points on the car in order to get a jack under the frame over on the side where the flat is. Doing it is almost like solving a puzzle where the trick is "OK, where do I jack in order to get enough clearance to place the next jack that will allow me to get the rear tire off the ground."

Pull up on the fender ...you can probably lift it 2 inches with ease

[Jaydee]

Also carry a couple of short bits of 2by 4's so you can drive the car up on them to raise the car.Or use them for wheel ckocks or to put under the jack to stabilise. I had a RAA member get a flat tyre on his Porsche. Great, put on the space saver then where the hell do you put a dirty big wheel and tyre. On the passengers lap. JD

[Unique427]

Tire puncture kit, air compressor from
Home Depot and AC Delco 2 ton scissor
jack. All fit in small bag out of the way.

Jack
https://www.amazon.com/ACDelco-34111.../dp/B00496NFAI

Tire Inflator
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-12...D12A/203356023

[Jaydee]

What about a airbag that uses the exhaust to lift it? JD

[Tom Kirkham]

I have found 45 degree curved nose pliers to be real time savers when pulling screws out.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/KNIPEX-6...-160/304206699

The bend gives the pliers a built in fulcrum to help with prying.

[Dwight]

I carried three cans of Flat Fix for 18 years and 42,000 miles. Never did use them.

[bwcobra15]

When I get back home after a week of work out of town i'll show my roadside emergency kit.

[tortuga]

Originally Posted by twobjshelbys

AAA membership. Thin and fits in the wallet.

Ive had to flatbed mine home 3x...

Problem is the WAIT, if your engine or drivetrain $hits the bed, well your getting towed, but a flat you can change.

If you've ever used that bull jizz crap, you wont again...its a mess and your tire changer may refuse to deal with it when you bring it to him...

I carry a spare, a jack and a hammer, Yes the spare fits all 4 corners and no a rear doesn't fit in the trunk, but im not sitting on the side of the road...

[novasscnc]

Never used it but I carry the Ford Mustang compressor with tire goop they say it works

[bwcobra15]

Disclaimer: i am fortunate so far to have never had to use any of this to repair a flat tire, with the exception of using the portable compressor once to air up a low tire.

I have a harbor freight aluminum floor jack that breaks down and fits in the trunk. I dont keep it in the trunk at all times, only when I go on long road trips. If I have a problem close to home i'll probably call a friend or AAA.




I keep stowed in the trunk at all times a portable air compressor and tire repair kit:




The tire repair kit i got from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0..._title_o07_s00






The compressor came from Griot's Garage, and has two modes: air only, or also the sealant goop.

https://www.griotsgarage.com/product...pair+system.do




I figure this is good cheap insurance in the event I'm completely stranded. Hope I never have to use them.



.

[MaSnaka]

I have a fix a flat can of compressed air and sealant. As I knock on wood I'll say I have never used it but wonder...Is the tire ruined with the sealant floating around on the inside? does it settle when you are parked and throw your tire balance out of whack? I figure it's good to have an option but AAA card and the roadside assistance might be a better option.

John

[ACHiPo]

Originally Posted by MaSnaka

I have a fix a flat can of compressed air and sealant. As I knock on wood I'll say I have never used it but wonder...Is the tire ruined with the sealant floating around on the inside? does it settle when you are parked and throw your tire balance out of whack? I figure it's good to have an option but AAA card and the roadside assistance might be a better option.

John

Was wondering the same thing. I've heard great things about Slime (seems like basically the same stuff?), and I used to use Fix-a-Flat on bike tires with no noticeable issues, but I wonder what effect it has on a car tire balance.

[snakeeyes]

My understanding is that fix-a-flat-type sealants will eventually solidify inside the tire. That’s one of the reasons the directions tell you to drive on them immediately, I think. If you’ve ever used the stuff and gotten it on your hands, it turns to a gooey mess almost immediately and then dries on your skin like glue. Assuming the tire is driven a decent distance after it’s injected, in theory it should be evenly distributed inside, but I’ve used it a time or two and had the subject tire feel like it had lost a wheel weight. It can be hosed out when the tire is removed from the wheel, but of course if you drove any appreciable distance on the deflated tire (or if it picked up a nail or cut in the sidewall or too close to the sidewall) it may be ruined anyhow.

[riggsjr]

Originally Posted by 1795

That's what the quick jacks are for Not!It probably isa wise idea to carry a small low profile jack, as even if you have AAA depending on where you are there could be no cell service. Sometimes you have to just roll up your sleeves and tackle the problem at hand. A can or two of fix a flat is a must.

I always carried a couple cans, a tire puncture kit, 12 volt air compressor and Found a used scissors jack (can't recall from what vehicle) that was very low profile and assorted tools.

Jim

https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DCC020...96744019&psc=1

This air compressor is great. It works on a 20V max battery, 12V DC, or 110V AC.It also has an LED light helps to provide illumination in dark spaces.You set the desired air pressure and the auto shutoff provides accurate inflation. I use this all the time. Great for garden tarctors,atv's and car tires also.

[Karl Bebout]

I carry an 18" long 2"x10" piece of planking, beveled on one end. Rolling up on it raises the car enough to get my little scissor jack under the frame. I also watched a u-Tube comparison of stop leak products and Slime proved to be far superior to the aerosol Fix-a-Flat product. The testing was done with 1/4" punctures and was pretty extensive. Now, I carry a big bottle of Slime and pitched the large can of F-A-F I'd carried for years. I do also carry a plug kit and a 12v air compressor. Of course, a side wall puncture will make AAA pretty much the only cure. (personal experience)

[ACHiPo]

Originally Posted by riggsjr

https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DCC020...96744019&psc=1

This air compressor is great. It works on a 20V max battery, 12V DC, or 110V AC.It also has an LED light helps to provide illumination in dark spaces.You set the desired air pressure and the auto shutoff provides accurate inflation. I use this all the time. Great for garden tarctors,atv's and car tires also.

I just bought one of the Avair compressors, the 300P, and it is a lot better than my previous 12VDC compressor (a Black and Decker I think). It topped my 255/60R15 tire up from 20 psi to 34 psi in about a minute.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/VIAIR-30...300P/202945030