Unusual problem changing a tire

wet-paint

I've had some metal nail causing a slow puncture for about a week now in one of the wheels there in the Cherokee. Today I caught the wheel in a pothole which somehow removed the nail, and man did the air come whistling out of the tire. Within five minutes it was flat. When I bought it a few weeks back I noticed that it had two jacks in it, the standard jack and a hydraulic 12 tonne bottle jack. No worries I said, and jacked it up with the bottle jack, in the pissing rain of course.

I lifted and lifted until the thing got to the maximum lift of it, which was still far short of the height needed to take the wheel off the ground. I also noticed the jack was crumpling the lift point which already bore the mark of the smaller jack on it, and was pressing drastically into the frame. Fine, I tried the smaller jack, but also to no avail. I had to scrounge around for a wooden block to boost it up about eight inches, and the brother helpfully told me to lift it under the tow bar, which worked, and I got it changed.

It's pretty bad form that the standard jack wouldn't lift it high enough, has anyone else suffered this problem? I'd have been screwed if I didn't have the (still inadequte by itself) bottle jack. I presume it was because of the suspension that it needed to be lifted so high.

peasant

You've probably got (non standard) raised suspension, that's why the jack wouldn't lift high enough.

Also you seem to have a bit of (:D) a rust problem if the jack isn't lifting but boring into the chassis

wet-paint

I've to carry round the wooden block in the boot now in case I get another flat, which is bloody annoying.
Aye, I'd agree with you about the rust but fcuk it, it cost me nothing but registration, so if I get six months out of it I'll be happy. Although if I get two years I'll be happier.

Slidey

wet-paint wrote: »

I've to carry round the wooden block in the boot now in case I get another flat, which is bloody annoying.
Aye, I'd agree with you about the rust but fcuk it, it cost me nothing but registration, so if I get six months out of it I'll be happy. Although if I get two years I'll be happier.

I'd never jack a 4x4 using the chassis.

Its a waste of time, too much travel in the suspension before it starts to lift the wheel.

The point you were using as a jacking point was probably for use in the porduction line.

Put the bottle jack directly under the axle.

If it has independant suspension it can be a bit more ackward.

If you have the room carry a trolley jack, they are cheap enough and streets ahead of the normal scissors effort.