Popped a Bead. Couldn't change tire because of A-arm Skid.

[atchcraft]

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

It usually does work pretty well.

I hear you, I’m cursed by autocorrect.

I like that method a lot better than starter fluid. It’s fun, but only if no one looses an eye!

 

[MAST4R]

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.

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

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.

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.

 

[Jetboy]

I don't carry starter fluid or brake cleaner in my tool kit. I can't really think of any reason I'd carry it. WD40 doesn't really work... so the propellant method isn't usually an option for me whether I'd want to do it or not.

 

[Jetboy]

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.

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.

 

[MAST4R]

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.

Are you using "if you want" in place of "if one wants?" Because I have no A-arm skids. I also argued that they make no functional sense. The difference from your post is that I don't want to judge people for their tastes. If one wants A-arms because they look "cool" that's fine with me. I can as well live with a tiny little bit of what the aftermarket has to offer but a bigger market helps me, too.

 

[GogDog]

Well...I guess I messed up getting the a-arm skids for $100 (bought from other forum member). At least it seems my other skid plates weren't a waste. Not the end of the world.

 

[Sparman]

It's like putting some thornbirds on.

Oh damn! Heavy, bias ply, oval tires aren't cool anymore?

Just a minute, I need to go cancel an order..........

 

[Agent_Outside]

I’m just here to point out the irony of popping the bead while running wheels with fake bead locks.


That’s it.

Carry on everyone.

 

[DannyLlama]

I'm just here to comment on your avatar pic... love it.. they look like they are having a blast

 

[cbielat]

I don’t trust my oem bottle jack at all....has anyone used it to change out a tire on a lifted rig?

Plenty of times.