You know, sometimes you just have to laugh - at yourself

[Advtres]

Yah...
So I heard a squeak in the right driver wheel and thought... yup must be the brakes.. Checking my log book, while the last brake job was awhile ago it was under 30k miles, so yah maybe it was time to replace the pads and rotors.. Have some big trips coming up so what the heck...

Take 1
Got all the parts, set up everything in the driveway ( and found the motivation/inspiration) to actually do the job... Go and get the floor jack.. and hmmm.. wait a minute... this is for a regular car, Alice is no longer regular.. or better said, she is abby - normal...

I mean the jack was like... "what do you expect me to do?"... not to mention even the jack stands I have are really no longer up to the task...

Fine - Just Fine...

Off to harbor freight to pick up larger jack stands... and a bigger floor jack...

Take 2
Get Alice jacked up, tire off...( in the back of my mind I am thinking... and if I have a blow out on the trail, do I have enough to get this thing jacked up... oh right, that is what stones are for... we can figure that out)
And -->- pads are fine, rotor is fine...

Why oh Why didn't I take the blue pill...

Hindsight
I should have pulled the tire when I heard the squeak ( before just jumping to assumptions) and checked the pads... I just ASSumed it was the pads or rotor.... Go me.
The lower pin on the caliper was unattached so I did fix that, at least....

 

[KD7WCD]

Sounds like it was still a good learning experience.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[grubworm]

Why oh Why didn't I take the blue pill...

 

[smritte]

Later, your off road and need to pull the tire. Now you find your jack isn't tall enough and the holes in your aftermarket rims are smaller than stock. What you thought would lift the vehicle and take off the tire, now don't work.

You stare at the vehicle wondering why you never thought to check that.

 

[Advtres]

Later, your off road and need to pull the tire. Now you find your jack isn't tall enough and the holes in your aftermarket rims are smaller than stock. What you thought would lift the vehicle and take off the tire, now don't work.

You stare at the vehicle wondering why you never thought to check that.

That is exactly what when through my mind -- it was not a pretty experience...
I have a safe jack (vs the high lift) and it worked fine with my 285s... but now I need to get that gear out and see if it will work with the new set up...
Last thing I want to experience is being out in the boonies with a jack and no suitable rock to support it -- all hat, and no saddle... the shame of it all

 

[Advtres]

Sounds like it was still a good learning experience.

Thanks for sharing.

It was a good experience in not jumping to conclusions... and understanding when you augment your rig, you may need to go through your gear and make sure it is still up to the task...
I was weighed and found woefully wanting...

 

[smritte]

Several years ago, I found out my jack wasn't high enough for my Cruiser with 33's. It was the same tall bottle jack I used with my Jeep and 37's. Between that one and my factory jack, I got the tire changed. I already knew about the rim hole size being smaller. New two stage jack and I'm set.
A while later I came upon a couple of rigs on the side of the road out in the middle of nowhere. They were trying to change a tire and the lug tools didnt fit the smaller hole in the aftermarket rim. They also learned that chrome thin wall sockets can break easily. Would have sucked if he had to drive it flat. Nearest highway was about 30 miles for AAA to help him.

 

[genocache]

I don't know, Lizabeth, I think you made some good decisions. Looked after a squeak, bought the right tools for the job. Ascertained the viability of the same repair offroad. Notified the community not to go out unprepared. Good job!

I like using my floor jack at home, yet never have taken it off road. Mainly cause of weight and size. I have seen the HF offroad jack being used and checked them out. If they were $200 or less I would buy one and figure out how to mount it on my Rover. For now I will stick with bottle jacks.