View Full Version : Quick tip for vehicle prep
1. Know how far your car can go on a tank of gas. It sounds really dumb and simple but I am amazed at how many people simply don't know.
This is very useful if you have to leave an area because of an impending (insert disaster here). If you know you can go 400 miles on a full tank, and you need to go RIGHT NOW but only have 3/4 a tank, then you know you can go 300 miles and can plan accordingly. It also allows you to accurately compute your MPG.
2. A follow up is keep your vehicle topped off at all times, or as much as is practical (try for at least when it gets half empty). Trying to evacuate and getting in your car to find a low fuel light on would be a bad experience. Also, gas might not be available or priced too high, or lines may be hours long, or rationed out.
3. If your car does not have a locking gas door, buy a locking gas cap. It prevents people from siphoning or putting crap in your tank.
4. Try and keep a 5 gallon container in your garage. Every month pour it into your tank and replace the gas to keep it fresh. If you did #1, you know how far those 5 gallons will get you if you need them.
5. Keep a bottle of coolant, oil, washer fluid, etc with your gas in the garage.
LittleRedToyota
03-09-09, 13:14
5. Keep a bottle of coolant, oil, washer fluid, etc with your gas in the garage.
or, even better, in your trunk/bed of your truck...along with a set of tools, some basic spare parts (radiator hoses, belts, spark plugs, etc.) at least, tire plug kit, cigarette lighter powered air compressor, etc.
Iraq Ninja
03-09-09, 13:27
Here is a big thing... tire changing drills. When was the last time you looked at your nuts? :). It is a good idea to take em off and clean them, and put some lube on em so that they are easier to get off quickly. It sucks to have a stuck wheel nut at 0300 at night with zombies slowly approaching.
Two people should be able to change a flat within 5 minutes, 2 is better.
Also ensure you have a bugout box with oil, oil filters (and a wrench!), air filters, and other consumables ready to go...
...Here is a big thing... tire changing drills...
Agreed. The number of people who rely upon AAA or some other auto service to change a flat tire/perform basic auto service is amazing. Everyone who drives should at least know the basics of their own vehicle and how to check the oil, change a flat, etc, etc.
Also, a little bit of antiseize (available at auto parts stores) on your lugnuts will go a long ways - especially if your vehicle is prone to "rust" conditions (road salt, driven year round in foul weather, near ocean water, etc). It makes it so much eaiser to break the nut free from the stud if you are removing the wheel for a flat, rotating tires, etc.
Apply a small drop of antiseize on the inside of the lugnut prior to installing, then thread it onto the wheelstud. Just don't use too much antiseize; like Elmer's glue, a little dab will do. :D
Keep a four-way tire iron in your trunk too; if you have a "stuck" lugnut, those are far easier to use when you need to break loose a stubborn lugnut compared to the regular "straight" irons. The 4-way provides extra leverage IMHO.
Iraq Ninja
03-14-09, 13:04
Four way spinners are good. We put a piece of tape around the spoke of that fits the nut. That way, we don't waste time getting the right one. We also made a handle out of a metal tube for leverage in cracking the hard nuts. The repair shop had used an airgun and got the nuts on too tight to break em by hand...
Not trying to hijack your thread.
https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=26930
The link above will lead to a thread I posted a few weeks ago after a small tornado took the duplex I lived in back on Feb 10, 2009. In the aftermath of this storm I somehow managed to avoid picking up any nails in vehicle tires, however the U-Haul truck we rented ended up with 2-roofing nails in one of the front tires when I returned it a few days later.
Everytime I returned to the house in my vehicle I constantly feared picking up another nail in a tire.
Has anyone used products like "Tire Slime"? http://www.slime.com/index.php
I know Wal-Mart and other discount stores sell this for ATV useage, but after this little incident I just had...It got me to thinking about using something like this in my Bug Out Vehicle...might give some peace of mind....Anyone have an opinion on it? Cheaper than (Run flat) tires if it works that is.
LittleRedToyota
03-16-09, 15:52
Everytime I returned to the house in my vehicle I constantly feared picking up another nail in a tire.
Has anyone used products like "Tire Slime"? http://www.slime.com/index.php
my buddy who owns a tire shop hates that stuff and says it makes the tire unpatchable. so, you are using a temporary fix that makes a permanent fix (which is to take the tire off the rim and patch it from the inside) impossible.
a better option is a tire plug kit and a cigarette lighter powered air compressor. that is a semi-permanent fix that does not make the permanent fix impossible.
(get a tire plug kit that has T-handled tools, rather than screwdriver handled tools...they are much easier to use.)
tire plugs are quite easy to use. and, although they are supposedly only temporary, i have run for years and tens of thousands of miles on them without them leaking. (though i have also had some start to leak slowly after a couple years...at which time you can just drill out the old plug and put in a new one--or take the tire off the rim and fix it properly.)
something like this:
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200326644_200326644
but, you can pick them up at walmart or any auto parts store.
LonghunterCO
03-18-09, 15:53
Here is a big thing... tire changing drills. When was the last time you looked at your nuts? :). It is a good idea to take em off and clean them, and put some lube on em so that they are easier to get off quickly. It sucks to have a stuck wheel nut at 0300 at night with zombies slowly approaching.
Two people should be able to change a flat within 5 minutes, 2 is better.
I have to put a huge +1 out to this. Especially if you were not the last one to change the tire out. Shops with impact/air driven wrenches can tork them down to to point where you need a 2ft section of pipe added to the end of you wrench to get it off (ask me how I know). I have gone to a "X" handle lug wrench in place of the typical "L" type wrenchs that come with most of todays cars. I also have a hydraulic floor type jack in my vehicles , that have the room, in place of the bottle type jacks that are in most cars. The floor type allow for better positioning without having to crawl totally under it.
Another plus on an x tire wrench. I live on a farm so changing tires is a routine thing. I used an L wrench to change a tire on my pickup, man did that suck. I got an x wrench for that truck as soon as possible.
One thing to keep in mind is you will not get the mileage you get on the highway if you are crawling along doing stop and go.
You'll get about 2/3 the mileage.
Like you guys I always keep a 4-way lug wrench in my vehicle...BTW, I like the idea of wrapping a piece of tape around the end that fits your lugs. (Why didn't I think of that?)
I also keep a tire plug kit, a can of fix a flat (Just for emergencies) and a 12 volt air compressor as well.
My next question is what kind of jack do you prefer? I have a small floor jack as well as the original jack furnished by GMC in my Blazer...it has come in handy many times.
LittleRedToyota
03-25-09, 09:25
My next question is what kind of jack do you prefer? I have a small floor jack as well as the original jack furnished by GMC in my Blazer...it has come in handy many times.
i keep the bottle jack that came with my truck and a hi-lift in my truck.
Slime works very well. Your buddy that says he can not fix a tire that has been "slimed" is wrong. You un-mount the tire copmpletely instead of just taking the one bead off and you wash it with a hose inside, dry it with a couple shop rags and let it dry for 5 min... and you apply your patch to the inside like normall. That is how he must be patching tires, but also realize that the better way is a plug gun. It streatches a tire plug (shapped like a mushroom with a head on it) and you insert the "head" of the plug through the hole and the gun releases and allows the plug to expand. Combines with the vulcanizing rubber cement, this is the best and most permanent way to seal a hole.
Slime is the best roadside/emergency fix. I use it on ATV tires, Bobcat tires, farm ttractor tires. It works in amazing ways. Yes, it is a mess to clean out when you replace the tires, you need to clean the rim and everything with water. But when you dont have a tire machine, slime is the GO-TO tool!
Nathan_Bell
03-25-09, 10:18
Here is a big thing... tire changing drills. When was the last time you looked at your nuts? :). It is a good idea to take em off and clean them, and put some lube on em so that they are easier to get off quickly. It sucks to have a stuck wheel nut at 0300 at night with zombies slowly approaching.
Two people should be able to change a flat within 5 minutes, 2 is better.
Be aware of your vehicle's idiotic spare location, and plan accordingly.
I have seen "SUV"s that have the spare tire stored under the rear cargo area. So inorder to get to it, you have to unass all of your sh!t.
LittleRedToyota
03-25-09, 10:42
Slime works very well. Your buddy that says he can not fix a tire that has been "slimed" is wrong. You un-mount the tire copmpletely instead of just taking the one bead off and you wash it with a hose inside, dry it with a couple shop rags and let it dry for 5 min... and you apply your patch to the inside like normall. That is how he must be patching tires,
yeah, that's how he does it. he says you cannot get the patch to seal well if the tire has been slimed. maybe he really just doesn't want to take the extra time and effort to clean the slime out, though.
but also realize that the better way is a plug gun. It streatches a tire plug (shapped like a mushroom with a head on it) and you insert the "head" of the plug through the hole and the gun releases and allows the plug to expand. Combines with the vulcanizing rubber cement, this is the best and most permanent way to seal a hole.
interesting. i've never had a patched-from-the-inside patch fail, but this sounds intriguing.
sounds like you might be able to use the plug gun without taking the tire off the rim. is that so? that would be cool.
Excellent point about the tire-changing bit. I know that is a weak spot for me wrt my vehicle plan.
Personally, I try to drive around using the 1/2 mark on my van's fuel gauge as my bingo fuel indicator. In the even of a worst case scenario, I pretty much know that I've always got enough juice to get a fair distance.
yeah, that's how he does it. he says you cannot get the patch to seal well if the tire has been slimed. maybe he really just doesn't want to take the extra time and effort to clean the slime out, though.
interesting. i've never had a patched-from-the-inside patch fail, but this sounds intriguing.
sounds like you might be able to use the plug gun without taking the tire off the rim. is that so? that would be cool.
Yea, if you are fixing a "slimed" tire and dont clean it well, the patch will not adhere to the ineer casing. It would be like trying to stick tape to something with grease or oil on it. He is most likely not into the idea of needing to break both beads off of the wheel and wash out and dry the tire. Most shops would always prefer to pop a bead and reach inside and apply the patch in just a couple minuts time and be done. It's understandable, he's trying to be as profitable as he can be doing the job, he does not want a 20 minute project that he charges 12 bucks for! I understand his point of view. But to say it can not be done is not true and accurate.
The plug gun is typically not recomended for radial tires, it is for low speed tires such as ATV/Lawn tractor or similar. I think Snap-On may have a plug gun kit for radials, I would need to remember to ask about it the next time the Snap-On dude pulls in.
For an example of the plug gun kit you can google "Tire Plug Gun Kit" and you'll find many places offering them.
Here is a picture of one, It's just the first link I mashed from google...
http://www.gemplers.com/img/tubeless-tire-plug-150996.jpg
Here is another from JC whitney:
http://www.jcwhitney.com/wcsstore/jcwhitney/images/imagecache/G_14016G_CL_1.jpg
anyone seen these?
http://www.airjack.at/
LittleRedToyota
03-25-09, 15:56
anyone seen these?
http://www.airjack.at/
very interesting.
i would have a couple of questions/concerns, though.
1. they seem to not be using the jack points of those cars. theoretically, that could be a problem on unibody vehicles (pretty much any car and many minivans these days). but, maybe the contact area is large enough that it spreads the force out over a big enough area that it doesn't risk breaking the unibody like jacking it up at a random point might?
2. i'd want to make sure not to get any part of my body under any part of the car in case the thing failed. of course, that rule should also be followed when using a jack without jackstands, so i guess not much difference there.
EzGoingKev
03-26-09, 00:48
Couple things about changing your tire yourself.
Brake the nuts free BEFORE jacking the vehicle up. Not only does this keep the wheel from turning while attempting to loosen the lug nuts but it also keeps you from knocking it off the jack.
Learn the proper location and method to jack the vehicle up.
Someone already mentioned marking the correct socket to use on the 4 way and the never seize. Another thing to do is to coat the hub and the rim's center. Steel wheels can rust onto the hub, aluminum rims can corrode on the hub.
If the wheel will not come off the vehicle once you have removed all the lug nuts, install one lug nut back onto the stud hand tight then try to get it off. This way the rim doesn't go flying off somewhere.
Buy some extra lug nuts so in case some get lost or damaged you have replacements right there.
LEARN THE PROPER LOCATION AND METHOD TO JACK THE VEHICLE.
This stuff might sound basic or stupid to some, but trust me they are all valid. I worked as a mechanic for years, doing road service and towing. I also worked at one of the motor clubs handling their damage claims.
The most popular tire change related damage claims were from cars coming off the jacks due to improper jacking. We would get damaged or lost lug nut claims all the time.
Certain vehicles have peculiarities when changing a tire on the side of the road.
VW/Audi have jacking points that work with their jack. In the majority of cases where the vehicle was jacked up off the frame the vehicle would fall off the jack.
Land Rover puts the air ride compressor next to the frame in front of the left rear tire. They put a black plastic cover over it and it looks like it is the frame. People jack the vehicle up off that location all the time and damage the air ride compressor. In the worst case it is about a $1300 fix.
Some Mercedes use different length wheel bolts (they use bolts instead of studs & nuts) so if you have a Mercedes make sure you read the instructions on the spare tire compartment. The aluminum wheel has a thick flange so it uses a long bolt. The spare is a steel rim with a thin flange and uses a short bolt. The short bolts are in the spare tire compartment. If you install the steel wheel with the long bolts the vehicle will not move. The bolts hit the parking brake and hub in the rear and wipe everything out back there. The big thing is that they damage the threads on the bolts and when you remove the bolts you strip every hole out in the flange. This can cost about $1200 to fix, can be more if driving a high end vehicle. If done to the front it is less money as there are less parts to damage up there.
If your vehicle has its spare up underneath the rear of the vehicle, learn how to remove it and replace it. These things fail all the time. They are junk right from the factory and then they sit there for 100k miles and rust up. Drop the tire down so you know how to do it. Lube everything up so it will not seize up. DO NOT USE A POWER WRENCH ON THIS AND DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN!!!
While you have the spare down, make sure it is good to go. Not only properly inflated but also the condition. It is extremely common for these spare tire to get all dry rotted on the sidewall. The tread is brand new but when you put the vehicle's weight on the tire the cracks open up and the tire loses all the air. While it is down, spray up the tire with some type of rubber protection.
If you were just driving the vehicle, the brake rotors/drums can be hot. Burn your hands hot so be careful.
Also, keep a spare drive belt in the vehicle in case yours fails. If your repair facility changes yours out for maintenance tell them to throw the old one in the trunk. Keep it in the spare tire compartment. Also if they change your hoses for maintenance then keep them too. Get some spare hose clamps, they can be very handy to have.
If you get a hole in a hose and do not have a replacement but have tools you can always cut the hose in half at the failure, insert a socket (preferably deep) that fits inside the hose into both sides to join the hose back together and then install the hose clamps I advised you to get.
It wouldn't be a bad idea to keep a thermostat and some type of sealant around also.
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