Scisor vs bottle jacks, and what else should I get before my next flat.
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Depends on the type of bottle jack. It's a broad term that can mean both the hydraulic kind and the mechanical screw driven kind, which used to be more common in older american cars (lots of fords had them).
Both do have the issue of getting under low cars, but they are safer and more stable than scissor jacks. Scissor jacks fold and crumple extremely easily if the load shifts perpendicular to the arm direction. Bottle jacks will tilt but not collapse until they fall over center.I agree a hydraulic jack should not be kept as the emergency spare. When they sit the seals dry out and if they tip over they can empty all their hydraulic oil out into your trunk. Plus they are not safe to be under a vehicle with as hydraulics can fail and drop the vehicle without warning.
TIL about screw driven bottle jacks, thanks
And, yeah, I’d only use any jack to change a tire and would never get under a car without using high quality jack stands.
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Just hit a pot hole and the wall of my tire is fucked. Popped the trunk to replace it but I forgot the scisor jack that came with my car doesn't work. Long story short, I had family who lived near by pick up my floor jack and ratchet kit. Now I am looking into tire replacement, but also how I can just solve this on my own the next time.
Are bottle jacks good for emergency tire replacement, or should I just look for a scisor jack? I feel like bottles are easier, but theres always a few people saying they are junk when I look into them.
I have a tire iron but had them grab my ratchet set just in case since it was next to the jack.I just feel like a dumbass now and want to make sure I'm not a dumbass in the future
You may consider keeping a 12"x12" square of 3/4 plywood or something with your kit to create a somewhat sturdy footing for any jack you choose. Can also come in handy if stuck in snow or mud
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TIL about screw driven bottle jacks, thanks
And, yeah, I’d only use any jack to change a tire and would never get under a car without using high quality jack stands.
If you go the bottle jack route it wouldn't hurt to keep a jack stand as well, so if the bottle fails for some reason the jack stand is a backup.
Having a jack stand is essential anyways for any under-car work, like changing your oil.
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Just hit a pot hole and the wall of my tire is fucked. Popped the trunk to replace it but I forgot the scisor jack that came with my car doesn't work. Long story short, I had family who lived near by pick up my floor jack and ratchet kit. Now I am looking into tire replacement, but also how I can just solve this on my own the next time.
Are bottle jacks good for emergency tire replacement, or should I just look for a scisor jack? I feel like bottles are easier, but theres always a few people saying they are junk when I look into them.
I have a tire iron but had them grab my ratchet set just in case since it was next to the jack.I just feel like a dumbass now and want to make sure I'm not a dumbass in the future
Personally I'd get the oem that came originally with your car. The lift points usually have a lip for scissor jacks to "mount" to for a little more stability. Also it was made for that car, most guaranteed to work outside a larger floor jack.
Replace what it came with and it should fit in it's slot in the trunk also.
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Just hit a pot hole and the wall of my tire is fucked. Popped the trunk to replace it but I forgot the scisor jack that came with my car doesn't work. Long story short, I had family who lived near by pick up my floor jack and ratchet kit. Now I am looking into tire replacement, but also how I can just solve this on my own the next time.
Are bottle jacks good for emergency tire replacement, or should I just look for a scisor jack? I feel like bottles are easier, but theres always a few people saying they are junk when I look into them.
I have a tire iron but had them grab my ratchet set just in case since it was next to the jack.I just feel like a dumbass now and want to make sure I'm not a dumbass in the future
Find a jack from a salvage yard that has the same model car as yours. Same make would probably also work.
Get a 12v inflator.
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Just hit a pot hole and the wall of my tire is fucked. Popped the trunk to replace it but I forgot the scisor jack that came with my car doesn't work. Long story short, I had family who lived near by pick up my floor jack and ratchet kit. Now I am looking into tire replacement, but also how I can just solve this on my own the next time.
Are bottle jacks good for emergency tire replacement, or should I just look for a scisor jack? I feel like bottles are easier, but theres always a few people saying they are junk when I look into them.
I have a tire iron but had them grab my ratchet set just in case since it was next to the jack.I just feel like a dumbass now and want to make sure I'm not a dumbass in the future
Bottle jacks are awful. Scissor jacks are weak and can crumple sideways. Get a hydraulic jack.
Other essential items:
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Jug of water in case you overheat
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Simple tool kit; adjustable wrench, multipurpose screwdriver, hammer, and so on.
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Jumper cables
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12v tire pump
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BT computer reader and a phone app
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Socket set
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4-way tire iron for use on any vehicle
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Jug of engine oil
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You may consider keeping a 12"x12" square of 3/4 plywood or something with your kit to create a somewhat sturdy footing for any jack you choose. Can also come in handy if stuck in snow or mud
Good one! New trick to me.
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Just hit a pot hole and the wall of my tire is fucked. Popped the trunk to replace it but I forgot the scisor jack that came with my car doesn't work. Long story short, I had family who lived near by pick up my floor jack and ratchet kit. Now I am looking into tire replacement, but also how I can just solve this on my own the next time.
Are bottle jacks good for emergency tire replacement, or should I just look for a scisor jack? I feel like bottles are easier, but theres always a few people saying they are junk when I look into them.
I have a tire iron but had them grab my ratchet set just in case since it was next to the jack.I just feel like a dumbass now and want to make sure I'm not a dumbass in the future
*scissor. See that red underline? That means you don't know how to spell; it also means you don't know how to correct either.
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You may consider keeping a 12"x12" square of 3/4 plywood or something with your kit to create a somewhat sturdy footing for any jack you choose. Can also come in handy if stuck in snow or mud
This is a good one! I have a piece of virgin wheel tread used to re-tread heavy duty truck tires. Afraid of losing it, it's quite the treasure
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You may consider keeping a 12"x12" square of 3/4 plywood or something with your kit to create a somewhat sturdy footing for any jack you choose. Can also come in handy if stuck in snow or mud
If you keep a few around, check them over periodically and before use in case they start rotting from moisture in the environment. Don't want to find a soft spot when it gives way under the weight of a vehicle.
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Just hit a pot hole and the wall of my tire is fucked. Popped the trunk to replace it but I forgot the scisor jack that came with my car doesn't work. Long story short, I had family who lived near by pick up my floor jack and ratchet kit. Now I am looking into tire replacement, but also how I can just solve this on my own the next time.
Are bottle jacks good for emergency tire replacement, or should I just look for a scisor jack? I feel like bottles are easier, but theres always a few people saying they are junk when I look into them.
I have a tire iron but had them grab my ratchet set just in case since it was next to the jack.I just feel like a dumbass now and want to make sure I'm not a dumbass in the future
I would get a scissor jack. They work fine and will fit into the space the car has to hold the jack.
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If you keep a few around, check them over periodically and before use in case they start rotting from moisture in the environment. Don't want to find a soft spot when it gives way under the weight of a vehicle.
Its a footing not a table. The weight is still on the earth underneath. How moist is ur emergency roadside kit that its got rotting plywood?
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If you keep a few around, check them over periodically and before use in case they start rotting from moisture in the environment. Don't want to find a soft spot when it gives way under the weight of a vehicle.
That's why I recommend a 12x12x1 block of stainless steel.
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Just hit a pot hole and the wall of my tire is fucked. Popped the trunk to replace it but I forgot the scisor jack that came with my car doesn't work. Long story short, I had family who lived near by pick up my floor jack and ratchet kit. Now I am looking into tire replacement, but also how I can just solve this on my own the next time.
Are bottle jacks good for emergency tire replacement, or should I just look for a scisor jack? I feel like bottles are easier, but theres always a few people saying they are junk when I look into them.
I have a tire iron but had them grab my ratchet set just in case since it was next to the jack.I just feel like a dumbass now and want to make sure I'm not a dumbass in the future
There is a lot of great advice in this thread.
Humble_boatsman (plywood panel) and EmpireofLove2 (screw bottle jack) in particular.
I would add two more things that I don't see on here and that is a set of chocks and a piece of iron pipe.
The chocks are optional and can take up a lot of room in a small trunk, but they do add an additional level of safety.
The iron pipe, that can go over the handle of the tire iron, provides leverage to LOOSEN the lug nuts. Just don't use it to tighten them as you could easily twist off the studs.Granted you do not really need additional leverage to get lug nuts off, but I've had to change a tire with an injured arm and it made my life a lot easier.
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Its a footing not a table. The weight is still on the earth underneath. How moist is ur emergency roadside kit that its got rotting plywood?
My car's kinda shit and I live in a place that gets a decent amount of rain and/or snow through different parts of the year. There are times when it'll get damp and stay damp for extended periods of time. Could probably do something to help it resist the climate a little better or run the AC to dehumidify but I haven't and likely won't because the overall impact is minor. Anyway, I had some wood stashed away for car-being-kinda-shit reasons and, while cleaning out some road trip junk, noticed that it was growing new life and warping a little. Might have been the conditions, might have just been the wrong kind of wood. Not much of a story but it's another item on the list of things I check once in a while.
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That's why I recommend a 12x12x1 block of stainless steel.
My tungsten cube has something to say to your inferior metal.
