Hot take: I spent 3 hours trying to fix a flat tire with the wrong jack

My car got a flat on Route 9 near the old diner last Saturday and I grabbed my scissor jack without checking if it fit the frame. After 2 hours of wrestling with it and stripping the handle, I realized it was meant for a smaller car from 2005. Finally called a buddy with a floor jack and we had it swapped in 20 minutes. Has anyone else misjudged their car gear like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

alice3361d ago

Jumping in here because I actually think there is a bigger issue than just learning a lesson. Dylan, I get where you're coming from, but messing around with the wrong jack for two hours on the side of Route 9 could have been really dangerous. If that car had slipped off the jack while he was underneath it, we'd be talking about a trip to the hospital instead of a sore back. The real takeaway here is to always check your gear before you even start, not to just shrug it off as a learning moment. Flat tires happen, but the right jack is a safety thing, not just a convenience thing.

dylan_bell2d ago

Well, I'm not sure I'd call three hours of wrestling with a wrong jack a real crisis. It's more like a Saturday afternoon lesson in what not to do. You learned something, and it only cost you some time and maybe a sore back.

olivia_rivera881h ago

Honestly feel this in my bones. I once spent like an hour trying to fit a tire iron that was clearly not meant for my car's lug nuts. The whole time I'm thinking "why are these things so tight?" and then I look closer and realize the socket was totally the wrong size. Felt like such a dummy. It's scary though because you're stuck on the side of the road and your brain just goes into panic mode instead of thinking things through. At least you got it sorted in the end without getting hurt, that's the main thing.