Just hit a pot hole and the wall of my tire is fucked. Popped the trunk to replace it but I forgot the scisor jack that came with my car doesn’t work. Long story short, I had family who lived near by pick up my floor jack and ratchet kit. Now I am looking into tire replacement, but also how I can just solve this on my own the next time.

Are bottle jacks good for emergency tire replacement, or should I just look for a scisor jack? I feel like bottles are easier, but theres always a few people saying they are junk when I look into them. I have a tire iron but had them grab my ratchet set just in case since it was next to the jack.

I just feel like a dumbass now and want to make sure I’m not a dumbass in the future

  • humble_boatsman@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    10·
    7 days ago

    You may consider keeping a 12"x12" square of 3/4 plywood or something with your kit to create a somewhat sturdy footing for any jack you choose. Can also come in handy if stuck in snow or mud

    • betterdeadthanreddit@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      6 days ago

      If you keep a few around, check them over periodically and before use in case they start rotting from moisture in the environment. Don’t want to find a soft spot when it gives way under the weight of a vehicle.

      • humble_boatsman@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        4·
        6 days ago

        Its a footing not a table. The weight is still on the earth underneath. How moist is ur emergency roadside kit that its got rotting plywood?

        • betterdeadthanreddit@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          6 days ago

          My car’s kinda shit and I live in a place that gets a decent amount of rain and/or snow through different parts of the year. There are times when it’ll get damp and stay damp for extended periods of time. Could probably do something to help it resist the climate a little better or run the AC to dehumidify but I haven’t and likely won’t because the overall impact is minor. Anyway, I had some wood stashed away for car-being-kinda-shit reasons and, while cleaning out some road trip junk, noticed that it was growing new life and warping a little. Might have been the conditions, might have just been the wrong kind of wood. Not much of a story but it’s another item on the list of things I check once in a while.

    • tasankovasara@sopuli.xyz
      1·
      6 days ago

      This is a good one! I have a piece of virgin wheel tread used to re-tread heavy duty truck tires. Afraid of losing it, it’s quite the treasure :D