Dear James,
It seems that life can test you in many different ways on how prepared you are for the unexpected. I recently experienced an unexpected flat tire while out purchasing some ammo. The tire went flat just as I was getting onto the freeway, fortunately there was an exit close by which I took and ended up stopping at a nearby convenience store. When I looked to see if I had all the tools for putting on my spare I did not see my jack as it was hidden behind a plastic panel. I went into the convenience store to see if I could find someone who would lend me their car jack. I asked a dozen people in the store, but everyone I asked said they did not have a jack or did not have the time to loan it to me. Furthermore their reactions were rather fearful and distrusting. I found out later I was in a bad neighborhood. It is also a different world today and folks just don’t seem as willing to help out a stranger nowadays, at least where I was stuck. I dug around in my car some more and eventually found the car jack hidden behind a plastic panel and was able to put on my spare. The moral of this story is that even something mundane as getting a flat tire can put you into a difficult position.
I was fortunate in this situation that I was able to stop at a convenience store that had an air station, I also have a brother that was willing to bring me the necessary tools if need be, and it was also during the daytime. Things worked out ok, but it made me realize that I was rather lucky.
I could have easily had the flat tire in the middle of nowhere, perhaps traveling in between cities. It could have been at night, and I could have been in a location where there was no cell phone coverage. It was also raining quite heavily at the time and I did end up getting soaked while changing the tire.
Having a bug out bag (BOB) in the car is great and definitely helps me feel prepared for the unexpected WTSHTF, but I think we take our cars reliability for granted and don’t prepare ourselves for something simple such as a flat tire. I got lucky that my flat happened where and when it did, but I realize I may not be as lucky with the next one. Therefore I have put together a list of tools I think it would be prudent to have in the car at all times. It is nice to be able to call the AAA or a friend or family member to help us but we may not always have that luxury.
So here is a list of tools I have come up with in case you have a flat tire and have to change it yourself.
Breaker bar (in case lug nuts are rusted stuck or you are not strong enough to break them loose with the regular tire iron) Kneepads (in case it is pouring rain, is muddy, or gravelly and you will be kneeling while changing out the tire) Rubber gloves (to keep your hands from getting dirty with brake dust and other contaminants and keeping your hand clean) Poncho or lightweight waterproof jacket and pants (very handy in the northwest but you never know if you have to change a tire in the rain) Extra shirt and pants (in case you get wet) Towel (in case you get wet) Portable air compressor (see below) Air pressure gauge (if you don’t check the air pressure in your spare regularly, I can almost guarantee it will be low and you don’t want to be driving around or at freeway speed in a spare that in underinflated or overinflated, especially the donut sized ones) Spare tire, Car jack, Socket for the lugs nuts (use with breaker bar and or impact wrench) Work light (in case you get a flat at night) Reflective Hazard sign(to warn oncoming drivers of your location so you don’t get run over since people get regularly hit by drivers not paying attention to where their car is going when moving along a 60-80 mph, just watch “Worlds wildest police videos” to see what I mean) Road flares(same as above) Wheel chock(to prevent the car from inadvertently moving in case you are not on a flat surface) Earplugs(Very important if you have to change your tire on the shoulder of a freeway where it is incredibly loud. If you don’t already know how, then watch a YouTube video on how to change a flat tire.
Optional: Torque wrench (doesn’t hurt to be able to tighten your lug nuts to the correct tightness while you are at it) Cordless impact wrench (just makes it easier and quicker to the change the tire which is nice when you have to change the tire in a driving rain storm like I had to)
I imagine some of you may think I am overreacting to a simple flat tire. Even for me, prior to this, it would seem over the top, after all I had never had a flat tire in 22 years, but it only takes one to put you into a difficult or bad situation if you are not prepared and have no one to turn to readily or easily.
Well I hope that everyone who reads this will see the wisdom in the preparation. We never think flat tires are going to happen to us, I certainly didn’t think so for the last 22 years, but it did. I got lucky and was able to take care of it, but it could have easily been much worse. Please take precautions and be prepared. – J.B.
Dear Editor:
When was the last time you removed your spare tire from under your van, SUV, or truck? Can you get it out, if you need it? For any vehicle, what shape is your spare in? Can you get the flat tire off the vehicle with the tools you carry?
Recently I had to call road service twice for this problem. The first time, I had a rear tire blow out on a road trip, and the clip that holds the spare in place would not release when the cable was lowered. We had to be towed. When the worn tire was replaced, I asked the service man to try to get the spare out, which he did, with some effort. He explained the problem, and I wrongly assumed that because the clip was now saturated with WD-40, I could put the spare back in the normal storage area. The thought did cross my mind to leave it in the back of the van.
Less than two weeks later, I picked up a screw with a front tire. I thought I’d just drop the spare and we could soon be on our way. As before, the spare would not drop down, and I needed help to get it out. But I was still stuck. The handy-dandy “lug wrench” that is stored with the jack, started to bend when I tried to loosen the lug nuts. My good lug wrench was safely at home in my garage. Another road service call.
A few lessons learned:
1. The spare now rides in the back of the van, until I can repair the clip so that it will “always” work, or maybe forever.
2. The good lug wrench is also in the van.
3. Check to see that you can loosen all your lug nuts manually, and snug them up again. If not, take your vehicle to a tire shop or service station to get them loosened, and then manually tighten them. (Check again after about 20 miles to make sure they are still snug.)
4. When a “thought crosses your mind,” trust your gut feeling, and act on that thought.
Regards, – R.F. in Michigan