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Eventful Weekend

MDSA

Member
705
12
18
Location
Valdese, NC
Besides hooking up with TARHEEL and AM GENERAL for Memorial Day, we also had the Deuce in the woods and I experienced my first flat tire.

On Saturday we took the Deuce and the boys' four-wheelers for some trail riding. We had a father and son from church come along.

Then early Monday morning (5am) I took my 2 youngest boys out cause they wanted to. My 15 year old has his permit so he drove the Deuce on the 4-lane bypass around town. No traffic and 4 lanes and did a good job. We ended up at an Ingles parking lot where the boys decided to see how far they could push the truck. About 50' before they quit. Oh to have the energy of youth. We then picked up my mother for breakfast where I heard an air leak. The restaurant wasn't far away so I drove, but on the way I realized the right front tire wouldn't last much longer as it was pulling bad. I parked at the restaurant and quickly got the jack under the axle. BUT, I goofed big time.

I did not put any wood under the jack, nor did I screw the extension all the way up. When I went to actually change the tire after breakfast, I didn't have enough clearance to get the tire off. So... off we went to scrounge some wood to put under the Deuce. All we could find were some OLD railroad ties, but at least we found those. Jammed the ties under the Deuce, let the jack down and extended the jack, but there wasn't room to put a 2X6 under the jack and the tire still would not clear. So more wood under the Deuce. Let the jack down again, finally able to put a 2X6 under the jack and we cleared the tire. So after jacking 3 times we got the tire changed. We found a roofing nail in the tire. I'm glad it happened near home and not later that night when I was on my way to Hickory with AM GENERAL to meet TARHEEL.

Now my tool box on Deuce looks like a woodshop with various lengths of wood to use next time I get a flat.

Brian
 

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Recovry4x4

LLM/Member 785
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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GA Mountains
Flats and bottle jacks, not good bedfellows. I keep 3 lengths of 4x4 in the truck. On a flat I simply drive the flat tire up on one of the 4x4s and then do my jacking from there. On an outer dual, you don't even need a jack.
 

MDSA

Member
705
12
18
Location
Valdese, NC
Weekend

TARHEEL, Actually there were 6-7 deputies eating breakfast that morning. I'm sure 6am on Memorial Day is slow for them.

RECOVERY4X4 I'm a bit confused about your method of jacking. I now will keep extra lumber for tire changing, but how exactly do you use the 4X4 for the front?

Do you have the 4X4 parallel with the axle and park on it so you have extra height under the axle for the jack?

Any ideas will be helpful.

Thanks, Brian
 

mangus580

New member
6,010
282
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Location
Western NY
RE: Weekend

I think kennys point was to bring the truck up to 'inflated height' before you start jacking... less cranking on the jack to get it high enough to get the full tire on.
 

Recovry4x4

LLM/Member 785
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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1,814
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Location
GA Mountains
RE: Weekend

Bingo Mike. I just drive up on the length of the 4x4 to get the truck close to the same height. The travel on most bottle jacks isn't enough to jack a truck up from a flat and get the new tire on.
 

alphadeltaromeo

Active member
1,901
3
38
Location
Alto, GA
RE: Weekend

Ok, I was slightly lost here too, but just got it...I think...you just drive the flat tire up on the wood...then put the jack to the right hight and start jacking.

Is that what you're saying?
 

Recovry4x4

LLM/Member 785
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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Location
GA Mountains
RE: Weekend

YES, Drive the flat tire up on the 4x4. Then adjust up the middle of the bottle jack and then jack er up.
 

Alredneck

Banned
1,494
15
0
Location
TN
RE: Weekend

Just an opinion but I carry a 3 1/2 ton floor jack its a small roll around type, it is easy to work with and has like 14 inch of lift. Granted it wont pick up my whole deuce but niether will my bottle jack, but its a lot easier to work with. I still carry my bottle jack as part of my BII but I thinks thats cause of old habits and encase of emergencies.
 

DanMartin

New member
1,276
16
0
Location
Hillsboro, Oregon (USA)
RE: Weekend

I picked up a 20 ton air-over-hydraulic bottle jack...place it where you want it...stand back and hit the button...up she goes. Since these trucks have air, why not save yourself some grief?

I also carry some 4x4 blocks in the back just in case I need them for exactly what Kenny said...and enough to crib up the axle once it's up high enough. A good use for the un-rotted part of an old fence post or two.
 

Jones

Well-known member
2,237
83
48
Location
Sacramento, California
I'm a firm believer in the use of jacking pads. Their bigger footprint makes working in sandy or soft ground a lot easier and also makes using a bottle jack a lot safer. The pads are 1/4" steel plate and the piece of wood on top cuts down on the steel on steel slip factor. I made my own but Austin Aviation has them on a fairly regular basis on his site.
 

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