Jack And Tire Plug

OPGMC · August 11, 2009

Ok so I went on a camping/fishing trip with a friend and my son to montauk state park and on the way down we had a flat we pulled off and put the jack under the truck and used the wrong jack point and the bottle jack overextended and did not work at all.

Does anyone recomend a new jack, preferably a bottle jack.

Also the tire was a Brand new michelin ltx m/s with less than 5,000 miles and I took it to costco where i bought the tires and they plugged it. Would you guys trust the plug for the lifetime of these tires or would I be better of with a new tire. Im just not looking foward to a 250 replacement tire.

SilveradoWV · August 11, 2009

I've ran plugged tires for the life of the tire, as long as its done right there shouldnt be a problem. My wife's Equinox has been running with a plug for the last 30,000+ miles.

MS3DALE · August 11, 2009

I can't help you on a jack,But I have plugged many (too many in fact ) tires in my life and never had an issue with any of them afterwards.

OPGMC · August 11, 2009

Thanks. glad about the plug and I was just looking at a craftsman 12 ton bottle jack 39.99 good enough

qwk93ta · August 11, 2009

You should plug your own tires....pretty easy to do. You can buy a kit at any local parts place for under $10. I also have an air tank I bought for the track that I take camping just incase I have a flat. I have never had a plug fail.

OPGMC · August 11, 2009

Costco had a warranty so it was free anyway Ill look into buying plugs

Spurshot · August 11, 2009

I'm always suspicious of plugs, but I've had them go the distance. But, have seen a few not do well. Probably an installation issue.

On the jack subject, I bought a Costco aluminum floorjack for the 99 2500 and just put it in the bed behind my bed drawers. No screwing around with bottle jacks for me.

OPGMC · August 11, 2009

I'm always suspicious of plugs, but I've had them go the distance. But, have seen a few not do well. Probably an installation issue.

On the jack subject, I bought a Costco aluminum floorjack for the 99 2500 and just put it in the bed behind my bed drawers. No screwing around with bottle jacks for me.

The floor jacks are appealing but a bottle jack is nice for space. We had a guy stop and he pulled out a huge floor jack from his farm truck, showed us up. The whole thing dented my pride alittle but it wont happen again I can garentee that!

Spurshot · August 11, 2009

The aluminum floorjacks are pretty compact and light. I'm not a fan of bottlejacks. They have a tendancy of slipping off the frame. Most of the off roaders have Hi-Lift jacks as well. Once I get the cab-hi shell for my 08 truck, I'll get another aluminum jack for it as well. I've changed my last tire with those silly factory mechanical bottle screw jacks. Of course, I could just call AAA when in civilized country, since I pay those guys a lot for the premium service. But I just get impatient waiting for someone to come for a flat.

OPGMC · August 11, 2009

Yeah Im open to sugestions. My neighbor that I went with just bought a 09 sierra and he was going on about onstar and AAA but I dont have the patients for that stuff. We were on a two lane missouri county road and would have sat there even longer to wait for them.

brims · August 11, 2009

1 of my tires has 2 plugs and another has 1 plug. They've been holding up fine, the tires themselves are junk which will soon be replaced.

I have one of the aluminum "racing" jacks that everyone sells, got mine from Harbor Freight, which is identical to the ones everyone sells for $200+. I don't yet carry that in the truck, it's for home use, but I'm try to devise a way to put it in my toolbox and not have it slide around.

Coalbunny · August 12, 2009

I have used the plugs for decades myself and never had a problem. Considering the places I used to work, I won't use anything else. I have been to tire shops for repairs, and they're not worth it, IMO. Pay anywhere from $10 to $35 for tire repairs? When a properly inserted plug is just as good? I had Big O for a while until back in '96 when they didn't tighten up the lugs on the driver's side rear tire. The tire came off when I was on North Ave. in Grand Junction Colorado, and it caused a pile up. 6 six cars, 3 injured, and one was a 8 year old boy that spent a couple weeks in the hospital. I was incensed and since vowed that unless there is NOTHING else I can do, I'll fix it myself. (no I don't like Big O after that, that kid could have been killed!). I have a small 12VDC compressor and a 7 gallon air tank. I keep that air tank filled for when I have flats. Fix it & fill it and drive off.

I have heard people complain about how the plugs fail. If done correctly, it will not fail.

My truck is a 2001 GMC Sierra 1500 SLE, and I put a tool box in back for my stuff. I have a Hi Lift (Handy Man) Jack, and a floor jack. If one don't work, the other will.

OPGMC, go buy a 2"x6" board and cut several pieces out of it. You want the to be at least 2"x6"x6" long OR 2"x6"x9" long. I put those under the jacks if there's too much distance. Also, GET JACK STANDS! Whenever possible, have something for backup in case the jack fails. And ANY jack can fail. And when in mud or sand, the boards help stabilize the jack. Remember, the tools are only as good for you and you are for them. The boards help keep the sand, grit and mud off them.