Jacks

Fifty150 · August 21, 2018

On 6/24/2018 at 6:12 AM, Jiquay said:

With the frequency of a flat tire on the road (one in 35 yrs driving)

All within the same month. Last month.

First I hit a pothole with the Transit Connect. Wheel damage. Tire still holds air. But I felt better changing it so that I don't drive on a damaged wheel.

Then the TPMS light illuminates on the dashboard, while I am on the freeway. Fearing that I had another damaged tire or wheel, I pulled over. Spent over an hour removing each tire, inspecting it for damage, and reinflating on the side of the road....only to find no damage, and deciding that TPMS light must be because my damaged wheel with the sensor is in the spare tire position.

Developed a slow leak with a tire on the truck. Found a tire with damage. Ordered new tires. Will get 4 new tires once they all arrive at the tire shop. But in the last few weeks, at least twice a week, I have been jacking up the truck to fill the tire with air.

So in the last month, I have used my jacks, breaker bar, impact socket, air compressor, and torque wrench more than I have had to in decades. I do not typically remove and install tires. Even rotations are done at whatever tire shop that I have lifetime free rotation, re-torque, balancing, et cetera. Perhaps 12 years ago, I had Wal*Mart install some tires. Their system does not indicate what they installed way back then. Just that as part of the installation, there is lifetime balance, rotation, and re-torque. So I am still getting that with whatever I drive in. America's Tire, Sears, Firestone, WheelWorks.....all have some record of me buying or installing tires there over the years, and there is a notation in the system for road hazard, rotation, or whatever. I don't even remember. I just drive into the shops and ask them to check their system.