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

[Proxy]

My design worked great.

Sponsored

 

[Mark_AZR1T]

Big fail to lift the rear tire with the 3T scissor Jack for me. I have the original Rivian Style Jack Puck.

Oh no! That's horrible. Hope all is okay. Its definitely YMMV.

 

[ElGuano]

My design worked great.

That's what my CAT 4-ton looked like lifting the rear wheel. That bend scares the daylights out of me, much moreso when the wheel is actually off.

 

[Proxy]

I am building my emergency kit now. How high does a jack need to extend to be able to change a tire?

In my opinion 19” with a standard Jack puck.

Edit: remeasured

 

[True Brit]

You can jack the side of the truck with these rock sliders.

 

[Proxy]

The 3T scissor jack and Jack puck works on the front BTW.
Hint: Include a small flathead screwdriver in your kit to help remove the covers.

 

[FinalJump]

My legs work fine and I'm not in a hurry. The car was always more of a "nice to have".

I am a big fan of alternative transportation. Streetcars, trolleys, busses, trains, etc., but in many parts of the US rural west, your legs aren't enough to keep you alive during certain times of the year unless you're a near a city or major highway. Even in certain areas of some cities you could be in big trouble. I wish you continued lucky travels, though.

 

[FinalJump]

A Big Red 10 ton bottle jack and a set of Jack Pucks were among the first things I picked up, as well as a 1/2" long arm socket wrench, a 22mm deep well socket, and a tire repair kit. Later, I picked up a quad tire inflation kit and a full size spare. Now I've got a (mostly) full recovery kit including a tow strap, kinetic rope, soft shackles, etc.


Once a boy scout, always a boy scout I guess.

This is the way. I think people underestimate the weight factor here. I've done pivot loader tires on 16000 lb units off road where my service truck couldn't make it. Large bottle jacks with bases got it done along with wood cribbing. I wouldn't carry all that for a Riv, but your kit list looks solid. I'm shopping now for this and will be ordering a T max pack with the A/T's in April. Gonna celebrate my last tank of gas purchase that day. Edit; changed would to wouldn't.

 

[ElGuano]

What's the reason why you need to be in "highest" before tire change mode?

What happens if you do tire change mode in regular or low height?

 

[Proxy]

I tried bolting on a couple 6” long 1-1/2” square tubes to the 3T Jack base but it didn’t work. Looks like I’m going to need more like 2 or 2-1/2” square tubing. Keep in mind the 18.3” height specification on the 3T scissor jack includes the rubber puck that comes with it. The max height of the place where the jack puck meets the metal is 17”

 

[usulio]

What's the reason why you need to be in "highest" before tire change mode?

What happens if you do tire change mode in regular or low height?

With the standard methods you are lifting up the frame of the vehicle. The wheel is attached by the suspension. After you lift up 4 inches with the jack, you have just put that corner into Highest ride height but the tire is still drooping and resting on the ground. Then you keep lifting the frame until it finally pulls the drooping tire up off the ground. Better to put the vehicle into Highest first.

 

[Time2Roll]

I carry nine items in the Rivian at all times to deal with tire troubles:

1. Boulder Tools heavy duty tire repair kit
2. Rivian compact spare tire
3. Rivian aux air compressor kit
4. ARB heavy duty jack base
5. Big Red 10-ton bottle jack
6. Jack Pucks magnetic puck kit
7. Craftsman 1/2" drive 22mm deep impact socket
8. Neiko 1/2" drive 24-inch breaker bar
9. MORRFlate Quad 125” tire hose kit

And whenever I go off-roading, I strap down my full-size spare Pirelli Scorpion A/T on Rivian 20" A/T dark wheel in the cargo area.

I also recommend a heavy pair of leather gloves. Those latex gloves might keep hands clean but no match to exposed steel belts and other hazards.

 

[Time2Roll]

I tried bolting on a couple 6” long 1-1/2” square tubes to the 3T Jack base but it didn’t work. Looks like I’m going to need more like 2 or 2-1/2” square tubing. Keep in mind the 18.3” height specification on the 3T scissor jack includes the rubber puck that comes with it. The max height of the place where the jack puck meets the metal is 17”

I carry a few pieces of wood to place under the jack. These can provide additional lift, even out some uneven terrain or provide a more stable base on soft ground. Any road shoulder can present additional issues.

 

[Mark_AZR1T]

I tried bolting on a couple 6” long 1-1/2” square tubes to the 3T Jack base but it didn’t work. Looks like I’m going to need more like 2 or 2-1/2” square tubing. Keep in mind the 18.3” height specification on the 3T scissor jack includes the rubber puck that comes with it. The max height of the place where the jack puck meets the metal is 17”

Double‑Pump Method for Lifting the Rear of a Rivian R1
When lifting the rear of a Rivian R1, you’ll notice the jack naturally tilts as the vehicle rises (see above photo). This happens because the rear suspension has significant droop, as the truck lifts, the rear control arms swing inward and slightly rearward. That movement shifts the jack point, which causes the jack to lean.

To keep the jack aligned, you’ll use what we call the double‑pump method. The vehicle retains quite a bit of the height you lifted, even when the jack is removed.

How the Double‑Pump Method Works

1. Begin lifting normally until you see the jack start to tilt.
2. Stop, lower the jack completely (scissor or bottle) so you can physically slide the jack and its base inward and to the right to re-align the jack (toward the direction the suspension has moved). It should now be perpendicular.
3. Re‑pump the jack and continue lifting.
4. As the suspension continues to droop, the jack point will shift again, so you may need to repeat this raise/lower/realign cycle 2–3 times.
5. After a few iterations, the suspension will remain extended, and the rear tire will lift cleanly off the ground.

Why This Is Normal
This behavior isn’t unique to scissor jacks, any jack (bottle jack, scissor jack, or even a floor jack) must follow the vehicle’s suspension arc. The double‑pump method simply keeps the jack centered under the puck as the geometry changes.

Definition
We call this raise–lower–realign sequence the double‑pump method.

 

[Mousetrap]

tire sidewall patches

I've looked into these before but haven't pulled the trigger yet. Which ones do you have, and have you had an opportunity to use them before?

Sponsored