A flat while climbing a rough dirt surface

[LastTry]

Hypothetical but possible...Somewhere someone must have befallen this challenge. Maybe even worse, on a technically challenging rock/mud surface, then front or back tire goes flat. How do you deal with this? How can you stabilize the jack and jack stand?

 

[saucebox]

Drive it to somewhere safe/flat, and change or fix the tire. Or if it that isn't possible, anchor the vehicle to something VERY stable (via winch to a tree, or a strap to another truck, etc.) and go from there. Keep yourself and anyone in your group away from anything dangerous—not under or behind the truck, and steering clear of any anchor line.

It's only happened to me once, and the first option worked for us. Tire was a goner though.

 

[flintknapper]

Hypothetical but possible...Somewhere someone must have befallen this challenge. Maybe even worse, on a technically challenging rock/mud surface, then front or back tire goes flat. How do you deal with this? How can you stabilize the jack and jack stand?

Airbag Jack for that situation.

 

[IndroCruise]

Hypothetical but possible...Somewhere someone must have befallen this challenge. Maybe even worse, on a technically challenging rock/mud surface, then front or back tire goes flat. How do you deal with this? How can you stabilize the jack and jack stand?

Great question – because it does ask us all do some risk assessment before a trip instead of at the scene of a problem:

• Preparation -- always travel with a plug/repair kit, small air compressor for re-inflation, and, two (not just one) bottle-jacks or screw-jack (with suitable saddles and/or hooks and/or non-slip pads between jack and vehicle plus base plates for soft ground under a jack), all aimed to safely lift at pre-determined jacking points on vehicle. Carry shovel etc in case ground must be prepared for jack. [Note: More than one jack because a single jack may run out of travel, may require second larger to jack continue lift OR use Hi-Lift Jack if carried and if proficient in its safe use],

• If the event is simple puncture, find it by rolling vehicle forward or backward, and then plug the puncture WITHOUT jacking – using the plug/repair kit which is always carried and re-inflate with the small compressor which is always carried,

• If tyre damage is beyond plugging, do whatever it takes to drive the vehicle to level ground before jacking – even if this destroys the tyre and damages the wheel. Any alternative is better than the huge risks to persons and vehicle of jacking a vehicle on a slope with any kind of jack, including an exhaust jack on which a vehicle will easily move and roll,

• If the above alternatives are physically impossible – very difficult to imagine how this would be ‘impossible’-- but especially if unavoidable and vehicle is on a slope, secure the vehicle before jacking so that it is impossible for it to move -- AND ensure that all persons are well clear of unexpected vehicle movements, and, well clear of unexpected rope failure or attachment failure (which means no-one within radius of 1.5 x length of towrope, snatchstrap, or securing rope) . If vehicle cannot be secured – do nothing – wait for help and more equipment,

• Ensure that all present agree on the one person who will listen to ideas then give instructions and that all agree to accept those instructions,

All-terrain jacks comparison test: 4x4 product test - https://www.whichcar.com.au/gear/recovery/all-terrain-jacks-comparison-test-4x4-product-test




Stuck -- now what???

 

[flintknapper]

• "If tyre damage is beyond plugging, do whatever it takes to drive the vehicle to level ground before jacking – even if this destroys the tyre and damages the wheel. Any alternative is better than the huge risks to persons and vehicle of jacking a vehicle on a slope with any kind of jack, including an exhaust jack on which a vehicle will easily move and roll,"

^^^^^^

Good advice...BUT a flat tire (often times already off the bead) can make it impossible for the vehicle to continue on (with three wheels). You'll be changing the tire RIGHT THERE or leaving the vehicle....period.

So...think about it ahead of time and have a plan. But most of all, DO NOT put yourself in a situation where the vehicle can shift. Consider where the weight bias is (on slopes).....or be prepared to experience an abject lesson.

Use your head, take your time, learn WHAT you need to do in each situation BEFORE you need to do it. Have the proper equipment.

 

[ramangain]

• "If tyre damage is beyond plugging, do whatever it takes to drive the vehicle to level ground before jacking – even if this destroys the tyre and damages the wheel. Any alternative is better than the huge risks to persons and vehicle of jacking a vehicle on a slope with any kind of jack, including an exhaust jack on which a vehicle will easily move and roll,"

^^^^^^

Good advice...BUT a flat tire (often times already off the bead) can make it impossible for the vehicle to continue on (with three wheels). You'll be changing the tire RIGHT THERE or leaving the vehicle....period.

So...think about it ahead of time and have a plan. But most of all, DO NOT put yourself in a situation where the vehicle can shift. Consider where the weight bias is (on slopes).....or be prepared to experience an abject lesson.

Use your head, take your time, learn WHAT you need to do in each situation BEFORE you need to do it. Have the proper equipment.

Just an FYI, when you quote, the carrots are redundant @flintknapper

You wanna be hip with your forum skillz ....

 

[flintknapper]

Just an FYI, when you quote, the carrots are redundant @flintknapper

You wanna be hip with your forum skillz ....

No....

I don't really give a Rats A$$.

No doubt, my posts are full of grammatical errors and punctuation flaws. But hopefully contain useful content.

Please try to remember I am a knuckle dragging Texan and make allowances. K?

 

[ga12r1]

• "If tyre damage is beyond plugging, do whatever it takes to drive the vehicle to level ground before jacking – even if this destroys the tyre and damages the wheel. Any alternative is better than the huge risks to persons and vehicle of jacking a vehicle on a slope with any kind of jack, including an exhaust jack on which a vehicle will easily move and roll,"

^^^^^^

Good advice...BUT a flat tire (often times already off the bead) can make it impossible for the vehicle to continue on (with three wheels). You'll be changing the tire RIGHT THERE or leaving the vehicle....period.

So...think about it ahead of time and have a plan. But most of all, DO NOT put yourself in a situation where the vehicle can shift. Consider where the weight bias is (on slopes).....or be prepared to experience an abject lesson.

Use your head, take your time, learn WHAT you need to do in each situation BEFORE you need to do it. Have the proper equipment.

Im a big believer in making it to (relatively) level ground. Ive lost a bead on a very off camber, sloped, rocky trail before and just had to drive on the wheel about 150 feet to a safer spot to reseat. If the vehicle can't be moved under its on power winch to a better spot. You shouldn't be in a spot like that without a second truck and winches and good recovery gear.

 

[re_guderian]

Uphill, pulling a trailer. No way to make it to "flat" ground. Anchored with winch cable, and changed it on the hill...

 

[ramangain]

I am a knuckle dragging ....

This is a pre-requisite for LC/LX ownership

 

[re_guderian]

Uphill, pulling a trailer. No way to make it to "flat" ground. Anchored with winch cable, and changed it on the hill...

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Coincidentally, my avatar picture was taken in 2003 about 30 minutes before the flat. This was on day 3 of a week-long solo trip, trailer and rig packed with spares and supplies. Not my smartest endeavor. I carried 2 spares, and got each patched, had a total of 4 flats. Was trying to get from Mexico to UT through AZ with no pavement. Didn't make it, but that's a story for another thread.

 

[flintknapper]

Uphill, pulling a trailer. No way to make it to "flat" ground. Anchored with winch cable, and changed it on the hill...

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^^^^^

There ya go. Perfect example. Well Done!

 

[re_guderian]

Also cut this washout too short at night on the same trip. 2 flats at once, on both driver's side tires, inverted and bent front DS leaf spring. Pintle hitch buried. Took me all night to fix and extract. This was my first trip with a digital camera, so I wasn't used to taking a million pictures of everything back then...

 

[Live to Ski]

Coincidentally, my avatar picture was taken in 2003 about 30 minutes before the flat. This was on day 3 of a week-long solo trip, trailer and rig packed with spares and supplies. Not my smartest endeavor. I carried 2 spares, and got each patched, had a total of 4 flats. Was trying to get from Mexico to UT through AZ with no pavement. Didn't make it, but that's a story for another thread.

Colorado river?

 

[re_guderian]

Colorado river?

This was before I had GPS, and between fire closures and my paper maps being extremely inadequate for private road closures (in NF land), it took much longer than I had allocated (6 days.) Then the road I was on just....ended, east of Young below the Mogollon Rim, and I was way behind schedule, and only half-way. Epic adventure, but would do much differently now. Saw a lot of pretty country, and 2 other rigs...

 

[LastTry]

Also cut this washout too short at night on the same trip. 2 flats at once, on both driver's side tires, inverted and bent front DS leaf spring. Pintle hitch buried. Took me all night to fix and extract. This was my first trip with a digital camera, so I wasn't used to taking a million pictures of everything back then...

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Dang, you were up s...t creek. Nite too. Well it didn't snow.