Originally Posted by Jetboy

Bottle jack works just fine in a number of places. It makes no difference whether you're stock or lifted. (not counting long travel here). The suspension doesn't change when you put a 3" lift on. You have to lift it the same height off the ground as a stock one.



Also RTFM... Toyota 4Runner: If you have a flat tire - Steps to take in an emergency - Owners Manual


Also - I would remove the A-arm skids because they're pointless. But not for changing a tire.

Originally Posted by MAST4R

I can totally see how the crowd made the situation worse due to actual or perceived pressure to act fast.

A few comments:
--What pressures were you running for that to happen? What rating do your tires have? If you are running P or LT-C you should not have to air down as a standard procedure. Too much pressure can get you a tread puncture by a sharp rock, but what you experienced is far more likely. Plus, it is debatable if lower pressures add traction in snow. If you have E-rated tires, then, yes, traction at street pressures won't be great.

--I understand that some enjoy clubs, etc, but I am not personally a fan of big groups of any kind. Having different types of vehicles in the group makes things even worse.

--One of the advantages of the air jack over the HiLift is that it can be easily used on uneven ground. I have a Chinese version off Ebay that I have only used in testing but I re-tested it recently and it still works. It has been wasting space on trail for years, but you never know.... That said, the rig can easily move after the air jack lifts it off the ground, so I would not call it a safe solution. Just different, a lighter tool that is easier to store.

--If we are to critique the skid plate package, the unprotected rear LCA brackets are #1 issue to address for any ledges, followed by the stock rear LCAs themselves, then the aluminum package, then the weak design of the front lip of the RCI tank skid. I don't want A-arm skids, but once there.... Also, after a lift the rear differential is quite exposed. Won't be damaged easily as a whole but the drain plug can.

Take or throw any of the above comments/suggestions at will, just my opinion based on what I do. I am not saying I know better what is good for you.

Overall, my best guess is that the entire situation was caused by unnecessarily low tire pressures. Or you really messed up on that spot, which is okay, we all have those moments!

Originally Posted by GogDog

I was running about 15 psi on snow/ice. Have C-rated ridge grapplers (285/70/r17). Felt a lot of pressure from the group where everyone was airing down, though another 4nr didn't and did fine, though he did use chains on a certain section.

And...yeah, I think more than anything it was caused by driver error. I probably should have tried to slow down more on that section but it was icy.I went out to get experience and....got some!

I do have rear LCA bracket skids...I wasn't aware of a problem with the front lip of the RCI fuel tank skid. Is there a mod or fix for that?

Originally Posted by honda250xtitan

But i'm the ******* for saying a arm skids are pointless

Originally Posted by honda250xtitan

But i'm the ******* for saying a arm skids are pointless

Originally Posted by GogDog

If I'm putting the jack in the center of the engine skid and lifting the entire front...that sounds more dangerous than just trying to lift one side? It seems like its much more likely to possibly fall to a side.

Originally Posted by Jetboy

They're actually worse than pointless. They make the LCA worse by tapping mud, creating unnecessary galvanic corrosion, adding weight and have no benefit. And apparently they also make it harder to use the jack


My beef is with the sellers. Not everyone is an experienced fabricator or offroader. They're relying on the "expert". But no one in the history of 5th gens has ever damaged an LCA in a way that a skid like that could help. Ever. Not once. And it never will happen. People who buy them do so because they don't know the difference and rely on sellers pushing a phony product. That's not cool.

Originally Posted by Jetboy

They're actually worse than pointless. They make the LCA worse by tapping mud, creating unnecessary galvanic corrosion, adding weight and have no benefit. And apparently they also make it harder to use the jack


My beef is with the sellers. Not everyone is an experienced fabricator or offroader. They're relying on the "expert". But no one in the history of 5th gens has ever damaged an LCA in a way that a skid like that could help. Ever. Not once. And it never will happen. People who buy them do so because they don't know the difference and rely on sellers pushing a phony product. That's not cool.

Originally Posted by Jetboy

I generally lift one side for safety also. But it's not bad to go right in the middle. In my shop I just put the jack under the center with the floor jack. Mostly because it's fast and easy. In the field go for the most stable option you can. Also use the spare as a safety in case it falls. It'll also make it easier to get a jack under again if it falls and lands on the spare vs the ground. Finally once it's up in the air. Give it a good shake. See if you can push or shake the vehicle off the jack. Make sure it's stable before you start taking lugnuts off.

It's easy to feel rushed with a group. They should recognize you're new and help you sort it out so you have more experience. I would not use a high lift to change a tire unless it was all I had. They're not very stable. But they are handy and fast.

Also one other tip. To reseat a bead without a big compressor, wrap a tie down strap around the tread pin the tire and as you tighten it down it'll push the beads out to the wheel so you can refill and reseat them. But take it off as soon as it starts to fill up. Otherwise it will break the strap.

Originally Posted by atchcraft

This is sage advice, OP.

Originally Posted by Jetboy

Except the typos. "tread pin" = "tread of"

It usually does work pretty well.

Originally Posted by Jetboy

I generally lift one side for safety also. But it's not bad to go right in the middle. In my shop I just put the jack under the center with the floor jack. Mostly because it's fast and easy. In the field go for the most stable option you can. Also use the spare as a safety in case it falls. It'll also make it easier to get a jack under again if it falls and lands on the spare vs the ground. Finally once it's up in the air. Give it a good shake. See if you can push or shake the vehicle off the jack. Make sure it's stable before you start taking lugnuts off.

It's easy to feel rushed with a group. They should recognize you're new and help you sort it out so you have more experience. I would not use a high lift to change a tire unless it was all I had. They're not very stable. But they are handy and fast.

Also one other tip. To reseat a bead without a big compressor, wrap a tie down strap around the tread pin the tire and as you tighten it down it'll push the beads out to the wheel so you can refill and reseat them. But take it off as soon as it starts to fill up. Otherwise it will break the strap.

Originally Posted by YellowSnow

Lighten up Francis or switch to decaf....we’re talking about $100 bucks in sheet metal.

Originally Posted by mrblah

I wanted to add, if you manage to destroy an A-arm, you probably destroyed everything else connected to it.

I'm going to admit, I bought mine cuz it looked cool....lol.

Originally Posted by MAST4R

I use the skid plates for two things: protection of the parts and protection of the appearance if I ever want to sell the rig. I did manage a scratch in the front stock plate and a small dent in the gas tank stock plate before the stronger skids arrived, but they are all stored and look pretty nice enough should I ever sell.

But what will happen to the A-arm itself more than rock rash? And that is rare enough. I sprayed it over. I agree that if you destroy the metal itself, you will also destroy a bunch of other things, so even if the A-arm skid protects the appearance of the arm here in dry climates, it won't make a functional difference. Plus, as always, by losing some clearance, you get more contact. The A-arms are 600 total so spending 150 to protect the paint of 600 worth of easy-to-replace parts is a lot. Black paint is my answer.

I don't feel like blaming the aftermarket for this. So long as the product is a quality one, it is up to the consumer to make up their mind. If the part itself is junk or is solid per se but causes issues with other parts, that's different.

As for buying for looks, it is a personal preference, helps the aftermarket thrive, and it makes the prices better for all of us.

Originally Posted by Jetboy

For me it's just hard to understand why would someone would want to put a weak aluminum skid plate over a strong steel part. Toyota spent a lot of time/money engineering a lower control arm that is both strong and light. Every pound shed from those arms cost a million+ dollars of engineering and tooling. Then pay money to add more weight without any utility. That just doesn't make sense.

If you want them to look pretty - that's cool. As long as you recognize they're not functional. My problem with the aftermarket is that they're misleading people who don't know the difference into thinking that they need to have a skid there. The people who know wouldn't buy them. It's like putting some thornbirds on.