Changing a flat tire, could not use the included jack

[Warp Asylum]

I ended up with a flat on my way home from work last week. I first attempted to use the included emergency jack, but I could not get it to lift the truck. It just kept moving on the ground rather than lifting.

Two different roadside assistance drivers only had floor jacks that could lift up to about 18" (which is standard), and they wanted to jack the control arms on the inside of the rear wheels. I refused and was adamant that they use the prescribed jack points on the side of the vehicle (the frame). The standard 18" lift height jack probably could have lifted it enough to get the flat tire off, but it would not have lifted it high enough to get the spare on.

I ended up having it towed home on a flatbed, and the next morning I bought a 3.5 ton jack that can lift up to 23" (~$300 at AutoZone). That was sufficient to get the spare on, and I'm getting a new set of tires today.

Due to this, for future road trips I am going to bring the 23" jack, tire inflator, and impact driver.

Just an FYI for anyone in a similar position. I may have missed it, but I didn't find anything in the manual about how much lift height is required, and most roadside assistance drivers will not have a jack that can lift that high.

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[TaxmanHog]

It just kept moving on the ground rather than lifting.

Did you set the parking brake? That might have helped with the rolling about and instability.

I think I'm going to pack a couple of wheel chocks to assist with this problem.

Points taken from you real life experience with this inadequate jack.

 

[Warp Asylum]

Did you set the parking brake? That might have helped with the rolling about and instability.

I think I'm going to pack a couple of wheel chocks to assist with this problem.

Points taken from you real life experience with this inadequate jack.

Yep, parking brake was set and the included (also inadequate) tire chock was on the front left tire (right rear was flat). The truck wasn't moving that I could see. I think that the jack just doesn't have a stable enough base to lift the vehicle in roadside conditions.

Now that you mention it, I did also purchase higher quality tire chocks and will bring those on road trips as well.

Maybe it works in ideal conditions such as a perfectly flat concrete driveway, but that will never be the case when you actually need to use it.

 

[MTBAZ]

maybe a couplet of these will help support the jock on dirt. There are other metal plates that look like they will support butter, but cost a lot more.

https://a.co/d/esORuRF

 

[Warp Asylum]

maybe a couplet of these will help support the jock on dirt. There are other metal plates that look like they will support butter, but cost a lot more.

https://a.co/d/esORuRF

That might work. If you or anyone decides to go that route, I would practice using it with the included jack.

I know a real high lift floor jack is pricey and heavy to cart around, but it is a million times easier than using the included jack.

 

[Warp Asylum]

Also, link to a similar thread from early 2023:

https://www.f150lightningforum.com/forum/threads/warning-re-flat-tire-replacement.13914/

 

[vvgogh]

Maybe it works in ideal conditions such as a perfectly flat concrete driveway, but that will never be the case when you actually need to use it.

The vehicle's included jack worked great for me on a rough dirt forest road.

 

[Pioneer74]

I ended up with a flat on my way home from work last week. I first attempted to use the included emergency jack, but I could not get it to lift the truck. It just kept moving on the ground rather than lifting.

Two different roadside assistance drivers only had floor jacks that could lift up to about 18" (which is standard), and they wanted to jack the control arms on the inside of the rear wheels. I refused and was adamant that they use the prescribed jack points on the side of the vehicle (the frame). The standard 18" lift height jack probably could have lifted it enough to get the flat tire off, but it would not have lifted it high enough to get the spare on.

I ended up having it towed home on a flatbed, and the next morning I bought a 3.5 ton jack that can lift up to 23" (~$300 at AutoZone). That was sufficient to get the spare on, and I'm getting a new set of tires today.

Due to this, for future road trips I am going to bring the 23" jack, tire inflator, and impact driver.

Just an FYI for anyone in a similar position. I may have missed it, but I didn't find anything in the manual about how much lift height is required, and most roadside assistance drivers will not have a jack that can lift that high.

I feel your pain. I didn't trust the jack. Roadside assistance had the correct jack for me this morning.

 

[RickKeen]

On a truck, when just changing a tire, its often going to be easier to jack up the axle/suspension. You only have to lift it an inch or two and its easy enough to get under there. But the included emergency jack is not suitable for this usage - it doesn't have a cup on the top that can cradle the shock knuckle for example. Accordingly, the manual guides you to lift the truck only from the frame.

Jacking it up by the frame is going to require lifting the half the truck half the suspension travel distance to get the tire off the ground.

If you have over-sized wheels and tires or a lift kit on the truck, or are parked on uneven ground, the included jack may fall short.

 

[RickLightning]

Just to point out, we get free Roadside Assistance for 5 years / 60,000 miles.

 

[Warp Asylum]

I feel your pain. I didn't trust the jack. Roadside assistance had the correct jack for me this morning.

Glad that worked out for you.

I tried to request a roadside assistance driver with a higher lift jack, but after two of them had only a standard jack, I gave up and had it towed.

 

[Zprime29]

I was able to use the jack to put the spare on, on the side of I10, about 10-15 miles west of Benson, AZ. I was partially off the shoulder with the flat wheel on the dirt (wanted to give myself extra space from the traffic). Wife was also concerned about the jack so she called AAA. I took what felt like a million rotations but it did manage to life the truck with the jack on the dirt next to the paved shoulder. Truck felt stable while I pulled off the flat and put on the spare. Got it all done before AAA could even locate us. Dunno why it doesn't work for other people.

 

[Pioneer74]

I was able to use the jack to put the spare on, on the side of I10, about 10-15 miles west of Benson, AZ. I was partially off the shoulder with the flat wheel on the dirt (wanted to give myself extra space from the traffic). Wife was also concerned about the jack so she called AAA. I took what felt like a million rotations but it did manage to life the truck with the jack on the dirt next to the paved shoulder. Truck felt stable while I pulled off the flat and put on the spare. Got it all done before AAA could even locate us. Dunno why it doesn't work for other people.

It probably would have worked for me. I was on stable ground and in a parking lot. I just didn't want to do it. I had the spare down and the lugs loose when the driver showed up. Took 5 minutes.

It also helps I was on the clock the whole time. No rush in my case.

 

[Warp Asylum]

Maybe I did something wrong. I was on asphalt that seemed like it was flat, at least to my eye. Every time I cranked on the handle, the jack moved on the pavement rather than lifting the truck. Each time, I had to reposition it back to the jack point. After about 30 minutes of that, I gave up on it.

Maybe softer ground allows it to sink a little bit and bite into the ground, and thus stay in place?

I don't know, but I have the high lift jack now anyway so I'll just use that if needed.

 

[21st Century Truck]

... I was on asphalt that seemed like it was flat, at least to my eye. Every time I cranked on the handle, the jack moved on the pavement rather than lifting the truck. Each time, I had to reposition it back to the jack point. After about 30 minutes of that, I gave up on it.

Maybe softer ground allows it to sink a little bit and bite into the ground, and thus stay in place?

An old, old pickup truck trick = keeping a 2 x 2 square of 3/4 inch plywood in the bed, as a wide slip-resistant base for just this type of use. The plywood could well be scrap plywood that many of us have. It spreads the weight of even a loaded truck bed very well over soft ground, even sand, and usually prevents the jack's base from shifting. It's either a pretty cheap or a completely free solution, depending on what scraps are lying behind the garage .

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