Nissan Patrol 4x4 (Africa)

Thanks guys - it was quite an ordeal! Pete, you don't want anyone to repeat the language I was using with the shifter - my "Troll never came with any wheel spanner, I just bought a standard crossover wheel spanner, not thinking about the jack handle.

I can imagine.

Wonder if Dawid has wheel spanners?

Alternatively, I have seen guys make "bits" they use in a rechargeable drilling machine to drive these type of jacks. It just becomes difficult finding space for that type of thing.

In '98 the jack spanner came in 2 pieces and fitted in these clips under the seat. 2 Parts have a tendency to come apart necessitating climbing under the vehicle. I modded mine into the single longest one that clips in under the seat. That way I can operate the jack without climbing under the car.

As Piet says the bottle jack is brilliant under the axle.

As far as spanners go rather get a decent power bar and extended socket. Prevents the straining of any foofy valve . It also doubles as a useful tool for other jobs with tight nuts/bolts. We where able to loosen the nuts on Alex's trailing arm this morning which would not have been done with a normal spanner or power bar from a socket set.

Tony, a short while after I bought my Patrol, I had a rear tyre blow out on me, and found the jack and the wheel spanner part, but for some reason, never bothered to check under the back seat for the extension arm that makes the Patrol jack such a wonderful piece of equipment. I also used a pair of pliers to crank the jack up.... used all 11 official languages and a bit of sign language too..... I felt like a real tool when I got home and while vacuuming out the car lifted the back seat only to find that extra piece for the jack !!! I'll never make that mistake again....

Pleased you came out of the ordeal safe, pity about the damage man.... that's hardcore. Did you feel any pull on the steering before it failed ( tyre running flat )?

Hey Dave, that wheel jack bar makes so much sense and will definately result in minimum use of bad language! Cedric my biggest issue with these tyres from the day I bought the car, has been wheel balancing it's bad from around 80km to about 110km/h, but when getting to the 120 mark I have managed to get her reasonably smooth. Everything was behaving normally then at one point we heard a noise like something came off - (we dislodged the front little plastic mud guard thingy at Honingklip and screwed it back, but I thought that maybe it had come loose again and come off). 1st mistake, I never stopped to check .... much much later, when we slowed down to go through the Vaal Toll Plaza and pulled off again, that's when the balancing suddenly got a lot worse. Mistake no. 2, I never listened to my wife and stopped to check, instead, I said that it must be the wear and that if we get back up to speed it should smooth out again. I then accelerated to pass a truck, and that's when the shudder got out of control and bits of tyre started flying off - so I braked and eased her onto the shoulder, but I had to fight to keep from going off the edge and down the embankment.
While chatting to David, we were talking about the lousy old BFG KM1's, and that the KM2's are so much better, but when they were first brought out in 2010 there were issues with the first few batches with similar problems like bits of rubber breaking off etc.
Well, these tyres were bought in 2010 - maybe one of those bad batches??

I went past on republic today & saw your truck...

It could have been alot worse & well done for keeping her on the road.

Tony, if these tyres were fitted in 2010, that makes them more than 7 years old!

A tire should in theory be turfed when it's 5 years old. One can maybe push it to 6, but past that you're taking big chances!

Tony wrote: ↑08 Jan 2018 21:49 Everything was behaving normally then at one point we heard a noise like something came off - (we dislodged the front little plastic mud guard thingy at Honingklip and screwed it back, but I thought that maybe it had come loose again and come off). 1st mistake, I never stopped to check ....

TPMS would probably been warning you at this point already as temps would have gone up,