Flat Tire on a 7,000+ lb EV: What’s Your Plan and Tools?

[usulio]

Solid thread. Thought I’d share what we carry in my wife’s R1S frunk. I carry a bit more in my truck, but everything below fits neatly in the lower frunk compartment with plenty of room to spare.

For longer trips we’ll also toss in a 1/2" drive battery impact. It will spin up the scissor jack as well. The scissor jack is a newer addition. It’s rated at 3 tons and has worked perfectly. Even some of our 9,000 lb Hummer EV owners using our GMX jack pucks have tested it without issue.

Here’s the standard kit we keep with us:

Big Red 10T bottle jack (the jack we originally designed our pucks around)
Full set of JackPucks (our magnetic ones of course)
XL JackPuck
3-ton scissor jack with tools, extensions, and sockets
Two tire plug kits (old-school plug kit and screw-type kit)
Fluorescent safety cone
Gloves
RV jack pad

All of it lives in the bottom section of the frunk and keeps us prepared for just about anything on the road. Charging cables and adapters as well.

3 questions: (1) any issues with storing the bottle jack on its side? (2) why a scissor jack and also a bottle jack? (3) do you keep the compact spare in the R1S as well?

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[Mark_AZR1T]

3 questions: (1) any issues with storing the bottle jack on its side? (2) why a scissor jack and also a bottle jack? (3) do you keep the compact spare in the R1S as well?

• I’ve never had an issue with a bottle jack leaking while stored on its side. Mine has been stored that way for about four years in my truck and about two and a half years in the R1S. I still keep the jack in a bag just in case, simply to prevent any mess if it ever did leak.
• The bottle jack is the original tool I’ve carried, mostly out of habit.
• The scissor jack is a newer addition. The main reason for adding it is that if a tire is completely flat, it may be difficult or impossible to position a bottle jack under the jack point. Until recently, I couldn’t find a compact scissor jack that I trusted to handle the weight of these vehicles. This one is rated for three tons and has worked well so far.
• We do not carry a spare tire. Our approach is plug-only using the tires already on the vehicle

This is the scissor jack I currently use and it's also the one my Hummer EV and GM EV Truck owners use with our GMX pucks. 3T Scissors Jack

 

[Proxy]

 

[Proxy]

@Mark_AZR1T Will the 3T scissor jack lift it high enough and be stable enough to change a tire? I’m thinking weld a steel plate on the foot of the jack and that’s all I would need (with a JackPuck of course).

 

[Mark_AZR1T]

@Mark_AZR1T Will the 3T scissor jack lift it high enough and be stable enough to change a tire? I’m thinking weld a steel plate on the foot of the jack and that’s all I would need (with a JackPuck of course).

Anything you can do to improve lift height and stability is a plus. A scissor jack is really the only affordable and compact option that can lift a fully flat Rivian off the ground for a repair using a jack puck.

 

[usulio]

Thanks Mark for the details. I would just add that with rock sliders, some things get easier. You're not limited to lifting at the jacking points. You can use a bottle jack to lift partway, place a jack stand right next to it, then add lifting under the bottle jack to get more height. Of course the other option is lifting at the control arms, which I'm not brave enough for.

 

[Magicbus]

Even though I carry a spare, I also carry the same thing as Volvo delivers with their new EVs and Hybrids. A bottle of Green Slime (Volvo's is white) and a compressor. It's a lifesaver.

 

[KBabione]

LOL, I neglected to mention that my Jack Puck set also includes an XL, and, yes, I've got a torque wrench in there too. I really should toss in a decent set of gloves and a multitool though... Good catch!

@Mark_AZR1T reminded me of a new addition - a bright yellow safety vest that I brought home from my last manufacturing site go-live...It can't hurt, especially if the tire is on the traffic side of the car.

 

[therealcmj]

Push button, wait for the person to say "Hello roadside assistance. How can I assist you?"

 

[Eury]

I've got a spare in the back that I bought used for $200, along with jack, jack pucks, and lug wrench. I used those tools when I swapped to my snows on one wheel to be sure everything worked well.

First plan of attack is I carry a Nealy tire repair plug kit. I've plugged tires before and it's a lot easier and quicker than changing a wheel. If that doesn't work I'll swap the spare on.

 

[sgrinavi]

Mine came with a Jack and a full sized spare. If I get a flat somewhere that I can't do a change myself I'll call AAA, if it happens in the driveway I'll probably plug it and take it to the tire shop ASAP

 

[TJM]

Pay extra for the spare tire kit.
Get a AAA membership.

And a set of jack pucks

 

[Grognard79]

I carry a spare, and the Rivian jack works just fine. I've used it with no issues. That being said, my frunk is full of recovery gear, including a plug kit and I have a Hi-lift jack.

 

[Joe schmoe]

I haven't had a spare tire in the last 5-6 cars I've had. And no flats in the last ~15 years [knocks on wood].

I do worry sometimes on longer trips or if I venture off road. On road, I have AAA and off road, well I try to keep it to areas I can manage (I don't rock crawl) and where there are others around. I can always go home and bring another wheel/tire and change it.

This has been my plan as well, but I'll throw a cautionary note--AAA isn't what it used to be. I've called them twice in the last 6 years, neither time did they show up. To their credit, they reimbursed me for the tows later after submitting paperwork, but I no longer trust that they will be a viable option, especially when traveling.

Once was a sidewall tear in my Tesla on an urban interstate loop. After 4 hours sitting on the side of the road in a sketchy industrial area (and watching probably a dozen empty rollbacks pass me) I arranged my own tow. When the guy showed up he said "yeah we pull for AAA, but they never reached out." He showed up less than 10 minutes after I called him directly.

Second time was a transmission failure in an ICE vehicle in a fairly rural part of the Florida panhandle. I wound up leaving the car where it was, arranging a tow the next day on my own, and getting reimbursed. AAA was completely useless where I was.

I've had two other flats on trips in the last few years--each on rural interstates (one in south Mississippi, the other in east Texas. Those I just plugged on the side of the road and was on my way in less than 10 minutes.

 

[JM.]

My plan? The free towing/roadside on my credit card.

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