The left rear tire has been losing a bit of air every couple days for several weeks. After the last flat, when the tire repair guy at Les Schwab said they sometimes have chrome issues that cause slow leaks, I thought perhaps that was the problem and simply blew it up when I wanted to go somewhere.

I last took her out on Wednesday when she got to be the Shopping Cart for the week, and I didn't notice anything amiss at that time.

This morning early (in Summer everything starts Early if I want to get anything done) I opened the garage to cool it off, and she was sitting a little low in the back.

No tire will be repaired today, the most sacred of all U.S. holidays, but first thing tomorrow I get to remove that tire and take it to our favorite Schwab store for repair.

It's a good thing I didn't want to take her anywhere today!
(';')

 

Aw...


Agree. Old glory is flying from my porch!!!


Light duty today. Inside chores done. Thinking of fare for food. Hot dogs or steak???


As to Nix. Gee, my Dad was a professional soldier in the old army. Horses and mules in his units. Farrier amongst his talents. But, likely not transferable. And, alas he is with Mom now anyway.


As a propr diagnosis of Nix's wheel tire issue was/is peeling chrome. The cure might be to dismount the tire and peel all the chrome from thje bead surface, leaving only basde alloy. As handy as you are, you just might pull it off at home!!


Carl

 

Thank you, Carl!

I thought about doing that, but the OPIMH (Other-Person-In-My-House) loaned the dedicated Nix trolly jack to the neighbor who wanted to move some stuff around in his garage. Nothing else we have will fit under it especially now the tires is flat.

Neighbor isn't home at the moment and by now it's hot outside anyway so it will wait until tomorrow early.

I know I could jack up the car, done it before, and I could get the tire off the hub, done that before too. But breaking the bead from the rim? That's beyond my experience and ability with the tools currently in the shop.

It's a great idea though, stripping the chrome, and if that's the problem and not simply a nail, I'll certainly look into it seriously.
(';')

 

Best you get it sorted so you can thrash Nix and park her in danger zones whenever you want,......I would,park in danger zones,that is.

 

Thank you, Clarke,
That's at the top of my list today just as soon as I can get over there.
I blew up that tire just now, hopefully it will stay up for the 6 mile journey over to the tire shop.

My best friend said to me when I told her about the shopping cart incident, "Nix seems to bring out the best in people," which is an astounding thing for a mere machine to do! I think she's right! Nix brings a smile everywhere she goes and people treat her with great respect.

Still, I'm thinking it's probably not a good idea to tempt providence and take my good fortune for granted. Eventually it will run out.
(';')

 

I work a 3 day week so I only see the guys who work the other 3 days when someone does overtime or at the Christmas party.
Anyway, one of the other guys worked with me today because one of my guys had a day off, he walked in at 4am today and said "who owns that old ******* out there.(20 something)


I said,"Never seen it before,my wife dropped me off today"..........it will give the other end of the week something to talk about(lol).

 

By the time you read this, you may have gone to the tire shop and all is well.


However, there was a time before trolley jacks. A fairly decent scissors type jack came with Jaguars in a nice vinyl bag. Yours may or not be there. iI've used mine for various tasks other than car hoisting. It worked just fie to hopld the replacment sink didposer in place while I aligned the attaching slots. It lifted a sagging shelf in my garage, whil i reinforced it's attachin points.


The handle to turn the screw is also the wheel nut wrench. It works, sorta. An electric or air impact is better. But, a torque wrench is the thing to reset the lug nuts. I've used a common X wrench a lot. Snug plus a good crack is enough without messing up rotors and making a roadside change impossible.


Never tried the electric impact to run the jack. With a careful; trigger finger, it mnight be possible.


As for bead busting. I had a big old device that someone made to resemble the ones of yore. But, it wasn't quite right and lacked the leverage to squeeze hard.


With care, one can drive another vehicle on to the tire and exeert enough weight to break the bead. OK on common steel wheels. But, a bit touchy for the slick alloys. Perhaps with padding under..... A chunk of plywood or even cardboard would be better than concrete.


Used to do the tires on my early 4x's this way. i was a lot younger......


That initial thing... The companion to SWMBO???




TOPIMH


Carl

 

They found a nail.
Now that she's got the thorn removed from her paw she isn't limping. In fact, she feels So much better.

They also told me there was a stud missing! Never had that tire off before but I'm not surprised. It's just one more thing the PO didn't bother to inform us about that it would have been nice to be told.

He HAD to know! He bragged abut the Brand New Michelins when we were looking at it! It's probably been gone for 20 years but I don't drive her like the old woman who drove her last. Not Even!

And actually, I've been driving her with enormous panache (thanks Ken) since September '13 and nothing has happened. But now that I'm aware, I'll have to tone it down a bit until those are fixed.

Husband already ordered up new longer studs for the front, so when we change out those we'll just put a stock stud in the back.

And here I was just thinking this morning I can stop adding items to the list of things that were wrong with the car when she came to live with us. The missing stud brings the total to 81.
(';')

 

I'm sorry, Carl, I thought I explained the OPIMH thing. It means, Other Person In My House. It's not a derogatory term, merely a statement of fact. I take pride in NOT being She Who Must Be Obeyed.

We're not much for the Obedience thing around here. Mostly, whoever is closest to the problem or whosever project it is, is in charge. We can and do ask the other one for help and advice if/when we get stuck and aren't sure how to proceed. I often yield to his deeper experience, especially in electrical matters.

I work alone much better than he does, but I work alone a lot more than he does because of the nature of our individual employment. When I'm on a job I have to figure out for myself what to do in any given situation. I might have to think on it for a while, but eventually I figure out how to get the project done and the customer is pleased.

There have been times I simply Can't do it alone because it might take 3 hands or another whole body. In those situations I schedule a specific time to do the job (Saturday or perhaps an evening) and take him along as Grunt. Even in those rare situations it's not a matter of Obedience, it's just that I know what I need done and I explain that to him so he can properly help me.

If he needs my help it's usually because his hands are too big to get into a tiny space, or he might need me to put my 'finger in his shoestring' as it were.

Jack and lug wrench didn't come with the car (as we discovered on our way to the show in May) and they weren't in the junker I stripped last Fall. I have no idea what they might look like, but my husband has a scissor jack like you describe and it Just fits under the jacking points. It doesn't have a hole for the jacking stud but he plans to cut one and reinforce it. It's in the trunk.

For a lug wrench I prefer a breaker bar and 7/8" socket with 6" extension so I don't bash a fender. I haven't had to use any of these yet, and I'm not especially looking forward to the day I might be forced to. So far, So good.
(';')

 

LnrB:


Just joking. And, I think that most that use the SWMBO are as well. Lotsa terms for it and ways of saying it, but, again,. most in jest or at least with tongue in cheek.


Yes, no question, a breaker bar beats one of those "primitive" X wrnches, but, they do work.


The teeny handled one that pair with the scissor are not quite useless, but close.


But, still a far cry from the ones that came with domestic cars. Many twisted like a strand of spaghetti.


Should you want a proper Jaguar jack and it's neat vinyl bag, I am sure David Boger has more than a couple.


One of the jack studs of my Jaguar is busted clean off!!! I usually lifdt it off the front or rear cross member anyway.


Way back when, I carried a small trolley jack in my Chrysler Cordoba. Got to use it on a SF street. Luckily a relatively quiet one. Pre cell phone or car phone days. Used coin phones then. Once there were a lot of them!!


And, one mid day, way back when, my 59 Ford Galaxie had a flat, out in the country. Imperial valley, 120 F. or so. I plotted the drill, jumped out, did it. Threw the gear into the trunk/boot ands scooted. Ah... nice cool air again. Bumper jack and pretzel wrench, but luckily, they worked. Not always the case.


And, once as kids we went rabbit hunting in the desert in my 34 Chevrolet. rear tire went flat. Luckily had a wrench and a spare. But, what happened with the jack????


Oh well, propped some rocks under the axle, dug out some caliche from under the flat. Replaced the wheel. Pushed it off the rocks. resumed the hunt....


And, coming home from Ruidoso in my T, a rear wheel went flat. Ugh,. already used the spare tube!!! Oh, well, a couple of kids leaned out the opposite side and lifted the flat enough to keep trucking. Actually, because of the differential, that should not have worked, but it did???


Rant over.


Carl