Posted by Verdi on September 19, 02 at 05:21:30:
Sitting out front with Mom and the kids this week and noticed something stuck to the rear tire on the Sub. Closer inspection reveals about 1 inch of a 2 inch NAIL sticking out of my SIDEWALL (Arghh!) 2 inches to the right, and it would have hit tread and I could've patched it.
Anyway, now I'm a little flustered because there's about 15 minutes worth of daylight left and I've got to get Mom to the airport next morning. Easy enough to pop on a spare, but in my rush I'm not paying too much attention to detail.
So, with a little hindsight, here's a list of things to not do (or do) in addition to the usual tasks (chocking the wheels, etc.):
1. DO NOT yank the nail out with pliers until the truck is jacked.
2. DO NOT yank the nail out with pliers while the tire is still at 70 psi.
3. When using a hydraulic jack, DO make sure the little screw thing at the bottom is closed before pumping the jack 100 or so times. The piston works better with the valve closed.
4. After pulling the jack stand out from under the axle, DON'T leave it under the truck, especially under the gas tank. Didn't happen, but I can see how easy it would be to leave it and forget it until it was too late.
5. DON'T lower the vehicle until your sure the spare HAS AIR, especially if you're under the truck to get to the jack. Little bit of adrenaline spurt when the truck kept going DOWN after the tire hit ground. (Still plenty of clearance, but instinct kicks in at the unexpected...)
Tasks on my to do list: extension for the jack handle, new work light, work on vocabulary in front of Mom. (sent the kids inside while working on vehicle.)