guiding pin is a + ifn ur old like me, worked on the Porsche and on LC.

 

Deleted.

 

Man…. It really doesn’t need to be this complicated. Just get an effing extender.
I change my wheels twice a year. Use scissors jack if I’m too lazy to wheel the pump jack out, the guide pin and extender to the socket and a torque wrench and torque it to 103lb-ft.
Really don’t need to write a ****ing book on how to change a wheel. Even on the LC500!

 

asong 1
thanks for your dynamite write ups, both on this issue, and particularly your essay on the LC sound system; deleting surround sound is wise, as it
attenuates the highs and lows. many audiophiles, as you suggest, start with everything full on, and dial back to suit conditions.
your write ups are what help make this forum interesting; dont hold back, esp after the negativity from the pen*s gallery; funny how some guys just like to bit*h.
keep up the good work,
and remember to always block your wheels when using a jack !

 

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I moved out of run-flats and put together a simple emergency kit containing:
1) Really nice compact air compressor- Fanttik S100 APEX air pump from Costco for $49 (fits in battery compartment).
2) Factory original scissor jack alternative (2007 - 2017 LEXUS LS460 EMERGENCY JACK WITH LUG WRENCH). Purchased on Ebay and seems to have the same compatibility and part number as the LC500 jack but only $65, versus over $200 for the factory LC500 equivalent. Fits perfectly in the foam insert in the trunk. The jack crank was a bit different so that had to go in space near battery, but I could buy original handle from Lexus for less than $20 if I was really fussy.
3) Boulder Tools Tire Repair kit (Nice compact tire plug kit) $27 (also fit in the battery compartment)
4) Tire Slime $11 (put in battery compartment)
5) Noco jump start emergency power pack $99 (strapped in trunk)

I have multiple roadside assist plans to use if I blow out a sidewall (my insurance co, or Lexus warranty) and in the worst case situation where I cannot slime or patch a puncture AND have no cell service, I just have to hope a good Samaritan will pick me up. My car is not a daily driver and I don't generally drive to remote areas that might not have cell service, so I feel pretty well covered with this kit. I also use the jack to lift the car a bit to position the curved rubber tire pads I use to help protect tires from flat spots when car goes to sleep for the winter. Win-Win. The car rides so much nicer on standard tires, they are cheaper to replace when needed and non-runflat tires with a pump/slime kit is the standard configuration on the LC500 starting in 2024, so Lexus seems to be getting onboard using standard tires with emergency kits (like Porsche and other sports cars companies have already done)

 

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All of this write ups made me smile especially all the tools needed in emergency situation when you are on a narrow shoulder of a highway after sun down and you don’t see much and when your tire is flat on a passenger side, and all those semi trucks don’t bother to move on to give you a safe space to work on your wheel.

This is exactly a situation I was, thanks god I was on my GS350 which has a spare wheel donut. I had to unload my trunk take a spare, jack car up and replace the wheel hoping not get hit by flying by trucks. It took me less than 15 minutes to get it done and start driving to get to the safe place on a next exit to a gas station.
to my surprise I managed to puncture tire on a sidewall, non repairable. So crippling on donut get to hotel and next morning got to discount tire shop to replace tire.

So, to make story short. It is nice to have all the tools including torque wrench and tire repair kit, but in some cases it doesn’t matter, all you need is a good jack and simple tool to dismantle you wheel. And obviously a spare if you don’t have a run flat.

 

You make a good point. I don’t mess around with wheels in places where it’s unsafe, and that’s where I usually have issues. I was on a trip where it was ten miles between exits, with semis doing 80mph in the right lane, and had to stop and hook up the pump on the rear driver’s side every mile (jumping into the car while it inflated) before I could get onto a shoulder where it was safe to change a tire. If I’m on an active roadway, there’s zero chance that I’d be properly torquing the wheels on. I got rear ended while sitting in a disabled car, years ago, and some good German engineering forced the car to give its life for mine. It’s game over if you’re just sitting/standing there and get hit by a moving vehicle, and you wouldn’t be the first. The most important thing on this list is the knowledge of where you can change your tire safely and where you can’t, sometimes sacrificing a wheel if you can’t get to the former.

 

OMG... I can't even imagine what that must be like (getting hit in the back like that). I hope you're ok, and wasn't seriosuly injured. You make a great point. I guess doing road-side repair at a safest setting goes without saying but should definitely be emphasized.

 

Alright. I now remember why I left this forum last year. It's time to shut this down. I've lot better things to do than to invest my time and emotional capital on this forum. Sorry for the offensive thread to many. Deleted the posts.

Good luck and take good care everyone. Enjoy your beautiful LCs. I'm out.

 

Please, PLEASE, don’t shut it down — just ignore the noise.
Some of us, or I can speak solely for myself, find this forum and platform VERY helpful and can use experienced advice and knowledge shared by others such as yourself.
I, for one, appreciate what you provide — being such a newbie to Lexus and this forum!!

PLEASE, OP, reconsider your stance as I would like to find out your final thoughts, recommendations for this particular post.

 

​​​OP — So, I saw you deleted all your posts before I got to take down notes, which is unfortunate for me 😟
When complete, Can you please just post your final list and thoughts on “your” recommended emergency roadside kit?
I was planning on buying below kit and just adding to it with some of your recommendations.
I don’t care if it says that kit doesn’t “fit” my MY — as we can all use what’s in there, (we happen to take many road trips along stretches of not being near “help”) so I’d rather be prepared and safe than sorry!!

Again, I for one, appreciate yours and anyone’s sound and helpful advice.

 

For those who have PM'd me, I appreciate your support and encouragement. I am glad what I had previously posted was helpful to you. And sorry I had to delete what I had started / unfinished. This thread for some reason became troll-infested. Usually those who add no value to anything have the loudest negative / expert voices. And many of them just jump from thread to thread and do nothing but criticise others. One particular individual found a post I made regarding audio tuning (which I've now deleted) more than a year ago and made an unsubstantiated, vague comments, while simultanmeously conflating what I was saying. And I found my self defending what I've put together, and asking myself why am I investing my valuable time to put something like this together. While being scruitinized and cursed at. All because I've posted something for those who find these things daunting? Typical non-DIYers don't even know how to use a jack. In this case enbaling people to learn more and do more than just call AAA. And most importantly, help prepare them for an emergency where no cell signal or help is available in a timely manner. I am completely done with this forum.

I'll make one more post on this subject with everything consolidated and a brief explaination as to why I chose them for my use. I am doing this for those who PM'd me with compliments, encouratgement & plea in some cases for me to finish this. Perhaps other will stumble in here and find some useful information for thier own needs. For those of you who may find this useful, here is the list:

Jack: I've ordered 2 to compare and see which would be better.
In case the extended bottom base doesn't fit in the scissor jack slot, I've ordered an LS 460 jack from ebay (notice the off-set slot on the saddle to accomodate the pinch-weld slot for LC. If you are doing this for a non-LC, double check your pinch weld to see which one will work better for you. This one has an off-set pinch weld slot and may work better for the LC
LS460 Scissor Jack from ebay:


Torin 3,000 lbs jack: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C6FL8RC2...sin_title&th=1
I've ordered this before ordering the LS460 version to see which is better, I'll return the Torin if this LS 460 jack meets my needs. Chose this based on weight, and sturdier construction compared to others sold on Amazon. The rubber saddle is slot is there to accomodate the pinch welds, and should work just fine.

Gloves: I keep 4-6 of them (silicone gloves) and keep them under the trunk in a zip-loc bag along with the tire plug kit. Tire plug kits are very sticky, and you will not be able to easily wash them off of your hands. Not to mention how dirty your hands will be after you change a tire.. You wouldn't want to stain your beautiful leather-wrapped steering wheel, or seats would you? This is what I keep in all of my cars. Hopefully you will never have to use them on the road: https://www.amazon.com/TITANflex-Ind...ls%2C75&sr=1-4


Socket:
6" wheel bolt sockets to remove and insall the wheels to clear my rims: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BWTQ57S6...sin_title&th=1
For my wheels, the socket size is 17mm (103 foot pounds of torque). Due to the off-set of some rims, attempting to remove the bolts using standard deep socket will most likely result in damaging your rims, even the body panels of the vehicles. This is a much safer option. Those white plastic sleeves do not allow you to make full solid contact with the bolts. You can just pull it off. In it's place, I've used some electrical tape to wrap around the socket 3 times (including the bulged section- very important as the bulged section will make contact with the rim (my rims). They work beautifully. You can also use normal sized socket with a 3 inch extension. But for me, this is better as the purpose of this is to minimize what I have to carry and shoe-horn into a space confined area. One less thing to carry for tire repairs.

Tire Plug Kit:
Slime Tire Plug Kit: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000ET9SAA...sin_title&th=1

Air Compressor:
Air Compressor: battery & 12 Volt direct powered hybrid compressor: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CZMHJ52G?ref=fed_asin_title - Battery powered, and 12V direct connection back up in case batteries have drained. More peace of mind. Or just use the one supplied by Lexus which is in the rear trunk in a black plastic box along with the tire repair 'goop'.

Breaker Bar:
16" breaker bar (compact), extendable to 24" when needed: https://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-...bar-58627.html

1/2" Breaker Bar adaptor for the Scissor Jack:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...9GYH9QYUV&th=1
- The idea is to affix to onto the scissor jack so that you don't have to carry the awkward, long, multi-piece scissor jack tool for lifting and lowering. Once attached you won't need to take it. You can use the breaker bar to operate the scissor jack now (even easier with the ratchet adaptor explained below). This will save a lot of space.

Ratchet adaptor for the Breaker Bar:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...KJ97TE1O&psc=1
For those non-DIYers out there who don't know the difference, Breaker-Bars are designed to withstand much stronger force tightening and loosening bolts. And it is designed for one thing: To break free 'hard to loosen' bolts. Do this before you lift the vehicle**Very Important**

Digital Torque Adaptor:
https://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-...ter-58706.html

Wheel Hanger Pins for the LC for easier / safer tire remove + install
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0FGQC9?ref=fed_asin_title Allows you to more easily and 'safely' remove and install the wheels. This only applies to models that use 'Wheel Bolts'. Earlier models that use wheel nuts, don't apply here.

Recommended procedure for removing and installing the tire using the tool above:
1. Break loosen the bolts with the vehicle on flat / even surface (as much as possible), but leave the bolts in it's place semi-tightened.

2. Using the 6" socket and the breaker bar only (do not use the ratchet adapter here), but leave all the bolts in place, semi-tightened (so the wheels don't fall off while lifting the vehicle)

3. Once the bolts and loosened, and semi-tightened, attach the ratchet adaptor onto the breaker bar.

4. Jack up the vehicle using the scissor jack. There are 4 locations to jack from for simple tire repair. 2 behind the front wheels, and 2 in front of the rear wheels. There are 2 more spots in the middle of the car, but for this purpose, they will not be used. If you don't know what the jacking points look like, it is clearly marked with a triangle in the at the jacking points as I mentioned above. This is what you're looking for:


Using the breaker bar with the ratchet adaptor installed, turn the scissor jack's **** clock-side to lift. Do this slowly while keeping an eye on good solid contact with the jack saddle & the car's pinch weld / jacking point. For a simple tire repair, there is no need to jack up the vehicle too high. Jack it up only up to the point where the tire is no longer making contact with the ground. Once the car is jacked up, "GENTLY" rock the vehicle front to back, and left to right to confirm the car is stable. Double check the jack to make sure it's made a good solid contact with the pinch weld, and also make sure that base of the jack is flat against the ground, and not tilted in any way.

** For those using this guide to attempt a DIY repair / oil changes at home, the 2 center lifting points are meant for floor jacks to lift the entire front, or entire back so that you can place some jack stands to the pinch weld jack points. 2 center jacking points are illustrated within the owner's manual.

supplied tools, or using the modified adaptor +

5. Now that the car is safely lifted, and if you are using the wheel hanger pins mentioned above, only completely remove 2 of the 5 bolts for now, and leave other 3 bolts in it's place. Since you've already broken all 5 of the bolts 'loose', ther bolts should be very easy to remove safely without the risk of rocking the vehicle while lifted. In the hole where you just removed the 2 bolts, thread in the 2 hanger pins. Doesn't need to be too tight. Just hand tighten both of the pins into the holes where the bolts used to be. Once the 2 pins are threaded in, you can now proceed to remove the remaining 3 bolts.

The idea is to keep the wheel suspended onto the pins so that it doesn't accidentally drop and cause damages to your rotors, brake calipers & your rims while you attempt to remove all of the bolts. This is not an easy thing to do on the road side trying to remove these 'very heavy' wheels install back while trying to keep the wheels suspended with your arms or even your feet / legs all the while trying to align the holes correctly + trying to thread in the wheel bolt during the re-install process. Before the 24 models (and many other cars), the wheel hub had the bolts sticking out, which keeps the wheels suspended. Those cars use wheel 'nuts' / 'lugs' which IMO is much easier to use. But in our LCs(model year 24 or above / some European Cars) moved to a Wheel Bolt assembly. There are no extruding bolts on the hub where you can hang the wheel onto. Only threaded holes where you have to place and align the rim's 5 holes onto the 5 holes on the hub, and use the 'Wheel Bolts' to fasten the wheel. I hope this explains the impact of wheel bolts when we try to remove these ourselves. This is why I HIGHLY recommend you get a pair for either DIY or emergency use-cases.

Once all of the bolts our removed, and the wheel is 'hanging' on the wheel hanger pins, you can now carefully 'slide' the wheel off.

6. Using the tire plug kit (or any other method of your choice), plug / repair the wheel.

7. Once the repair is made, use the air compressor to add air to the tire. I'd recommend you do this while the wheel is off the car. With the tire re-inflated, if you have a bottle of water, pour some water directly onto the spot where the repair was made. If you repaired it correctly there shouldn't be any bubbles form. If for any reason if you see bubble coming out, this means that the tire wasn't repaired / sealed correctly. At this point you have 2 choices. Find a way to get help, or if the air isn't gushing out, you may be able to slowly drive the car to the nearest tire shop, and keep adding air as you go along. But this is your call.

8. Re-install the wheels. Since you have the wheel hanger pins already placed, all you have to do now, is just pick up the wheel slightly, and align the 2 holes on the wheel with the pins and slide the wheel back on. From this point, while the wheel is hanging on the pins, fasten the 3 bolts (snug). Once the 3 bolts are in place, remove the wheel hanger pins, and fasten the 2 remaining bolts.

9. If you are using only the breaker bar, you can tighten the bolts to the point where you feel comfortable. Since everyone is different, there is no way I can tell you if you've tightened it enough. When tightening the bolts, tighten them using a star pattern. top, bottom left, bottom right, top left, top right, and back to top. As for me, I will be using the digital torque meter / adaptor + ratchet adaptor for the breaker bar. Order of installation: Breaker Bar - Ratchet adaptor - Digital Torque adaptor - Wheel Bolt. Set the digital torque adaptor to correct torque value, mine is 103 ft/lbs. Tighten each bolt slowly until you hear a beep, indicating the set torque limit has been reached. This do for all bolts using the star pattern. And for good measure, do it once more to reconfirm.

10. Lower the car using the scissor jack and stow everything back in the trunk.

Typically, when re-tightening the bolts, we normally use a torque wrench which has a built in ratcheting action. The issue with the torque wrench is that you are not supposed to use it as a breaker-bar (which is in reverse direction - may or may not be true). This means, one would have to carry both the bulky breaker bar for wheel bolt removal & the bulky torque wrench for wheel re-installation. For our space & weight saving purposes, I chose to carry just the (compact, extendable) breaker bar w/ ratchet adaptor, and use the more accurate & compact digital torque meter. Simply attach the torque meter to the breaker bar, set the torque limit (103 foot pounds for my wheels. Double check your owner's manual for your torque specs).

Battery related tools:
You should experiment on your own what will work best for you. If you want something reliable, and don't mind the loss of space in your trunk, there are many battery jump start, flash light & air compressor combo devices.

Jumper Cables:
If you happen to be at a public place, and you suffer battery drain. Sometimes, this is all you need. As for me, I already have a CTEK battery charger wire harness installed on my LC. My LC is garage kept, and I only use it on certain occasions when the weather is nice outside. When the LC is not in use, it is always being trickle-charged. My LC has charging harness installed and tucked away inside the engine bay at all times. When the car is not in use, I simply open the hood and connect the charger to the harness, and the device will keep my battery in ideal / optimal charge state.

There are many cheaper options available, but one that I use is CTEK Multi 7002 (for Lead Acid & AGM Batteries). https://www.amazon.com/CTEK-56-353-1...ps%2C77&sr=8-1

I am using this unit because I have already upgraded mine battery an AGM battery. If you are planning on using the existing Lead-Acid type and stick with lead-acid, then there are many cheaper options available to you such as this: https://www.amazon.com/Vemote-Mainta...ve%2C69&sr=1-5

But if you are planning to upgrade your battery to a Lithium Ion unit, make sure you purchase the correct battery charger made for Lithium Ion Batteries. They are not compatible. So in my case, since the harness is always connected and under the hood, in case I need a jump, I just carry the supplied alligator clip adaptor. It's very small and short, so you will have to purchase a extension adaptor cable for jump starting from another vehicle. Clip the alligator clips to the good Samaritan's car batteries, then connect the other end to your charging harness. I've done this a couple of times on other vehicles, and works just fine. But I understand that this route may not be for you. Which is OK. In that case, I'd highly recommend carrying a portable jump starter devices.
This is what I carry in my LC. Bought it at Costco: https://www.costco.com/type-s-portab...000036606.html

Organization:
Space is extremely constrained in the trunk and under the trunk for that matter. I am going to place the scissor jack into the existing scissor jack holder slot under your trunk (empty slot made for the jack is there if you open the trunk floor panel). I will not be placing these tools into a bag as they will take up more space in a space limited area. To save space, and eliminate bumps and vibration / rattling, I will gather all of the small tools (wheel bolt socket, wheel hanger + 15" breaker bar) and tightly wrap them using typical saran wrap. After that wrap it once more in a bubble wrap (or even a towel) to eliminate the rattle and securely place it under the trunk. Keeping in mind that these tools will only be accessed when in emergency. And most of us will likely never have to use this. So there is no need to organize this in a nice bag which will take up more space. You may also find some places under the driver and passenger seats where you can store these smaller tools (divide them up)

Same thing applies to the compressor, battery jump starter & digital torque meter if you can find someplace to fit them under the trunk floor panel and tuck them out of he way. ***HOWEVER*** do not use saran wrap or use zip-loc bags with anything that has lithium-ion batteries in them. If you must, poke some holes onto the wrap. Keeping lithium ion batteries in an airtight environment is not advisable due to safety reasons. They need to be able to vent. They should be ok in your trunk but if you are really concerned about lithium ion batteries and the potential for thermal-runaway related fires. This is highly unlikely unless you find a way to stress out the batteries enough at high temps. If you are still worried, then I'd suggest you find the smallest metal storage box to keep them inside just to be extra safe.

Safety:

- Carry a flash light. There are many nice ones out there that will keep in the glove compartment nicely for various uses.

-Always make sure your parking brakes are engaged, and your hazard lights are on. If you have some space, pack a light/thin reflective jacket, even some foldable reflective cones if you can fit them.

-Before you jack up the car, make sure the car is flat & leveled and park the vehicle as far away from the main road as you can, and loosen the wheel bolts using the breaker bar BEFORE you lift the vehicle.

-Be sure to chock the wheel on the opposite side (front to back wheels) of where you will be lifting. As an example, if you are lifting your driver side 'rear', then place either a wheel chock or find the biggest rock that will fit and place it in 'front' of the wheel, so that the car won't accidentally roll forward as you are trying to pick up the rear of the vehicle. If you can find 2 rocks to block both the front wheels, that would be much more secure. If you are lifting the front of the vehicle, the opposite applies (chock the rear wheels). If you don't mind the extra space in your trunk, here is a set that works great with low clearance vehicles such the LC. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D78BBR9D...sin_title&th=1
I'm taking the 'rock' route. I use these at home for some DIY work when needed, but I don't carry them in the trunk.

Option 2 *** This does not require a jack *****

This option does not require a jack, or need to remove the tire at all. Simply patch it if you can find the hole. These are usually caused by nails and bolts on the road. Just rotate the tire by moving the car forward or backwards to inspect and find area of puncture. One caveat: You need to be able to see the puncture area without remvoing the wheel.

1. Take a plier, and remove the nail (or whater that caused it)
2. Get yourself one of these stubby mini-ratchet that allows you to enlarge the puncture area at a 90 degree angle (not enough clearance otherwise)
https://www.amazon.com/Wera-Square-D...C56&amp&sr=1-6
3. Get small set fo 1/4 drill bit (stubby) https://www.amazon.com/NordWolf-5-Pi...1T0&gQT=1&th=1
and attach it to the mini ratchet.
4. At a 90 degree angle, slowly drill the hole (enlarge the hole to fit the rubber nail below)
5. Get some rubber nails. Use a phillips bit to with the mini ratchet and turn slowly until the nail is fully threaded into the hole. Apply some glue onto the rubber nail prior to threading it in. https://www.amazon.com/Slime-1051-Ru...ve%2C80&sr=1-6 and thread this into the hole

This method (as long as you can find the puncture and remove the object) requires no jack, no wheel pins and no breaker bar / torque wrench. If you don't like the rubber nails, mushroom type plug will work as well, but you will have to angle the puncture area towards the ground, since the tools required to install the mushroom type requires lot more clearance. https://www.amazon.com/GRAND-PITSTOP...71&sr=8-3&th=1


I wish you all good luck, and I hope you will never have the need to do this. Enjoy your lovely LCs and drive it in good health.

 

One potential addition that can be considered
"Airman Tire Repair sealant Unibottle"
you need a compressor to use it, its a temporary "repair" for leaks that are sealable and may get you quite a few miles to the tire repair shop.