Recent content by Metcalf

I love the can do attitude and ingenuity! I carry one of these for breaking beads down. For the size, it is the best system I have found. They make a larger version that will break larger beads down in a single shot. With this size, I typically have to do 3-4 positions on the tire to fully...

Great post, thanks for sharing! Did you change what you carry after that? More spare tires? More tire repair gear?

Why not? I'd stick it on an non-driven corner and drive with some prudence.....

The spirit of that post went right over your head. No tech. Typical. My rather extensive tire repair kits including a debeading tool, 3 spoon bars, tube, patches, plugs, and my air compressor still take up less weight and space than any spare tire. Because all those things don't have to live...

Since we have devolved into more of just making fun of people, instead of talking about actual tech. This is how most people that preach about carrying a spare tire look to me, and why they do it.... 1- They think a single spare tire is going to fix all the possible issues with 4+ tires. 2-...

The pin isn't that strong in bending. It is a fairly low likelihood of the pin becoming a bullet. When it bends, there is a risk that one end is pulled in causing a quick release of the energy of the strap. It's like a trigger. Bending the pin and have it get trapped in the hitch is another...

Any pics of the unrepairable tire failure?

My mistype. I was looking up the guidelines for all 3 configurations of strap use. I meant to type 'choker' not 'basket'. This would be only a small loss in length....but comes with a 20% decrease in performance as mentioned. I'll edit the original to make it more clear and have the numbers...

The receiver hitch assembly is one of the most well engineered structures on a vehicle. It typically has a known 'rating', which is better than 90% of other devices I see bolted to vehicles. We typically don't know what the FoS was when it was designed unfortunately, but it was intended to last...

Another 'safe' option, if you get caught without the proper gear, is running the strap in a Choker (edit) configuration around the main crossover tube of the hitch assembly. This is generally a large diameter tube with soft corner radius. By the book, you give up 20% of the strap capacity...

My SSRA, Soft Shackle Reciever Adapter, 'SaRAh' Device. This is what I use to provide the safest possible connection when rigging to a receiver hitch. This device removes an extra connection point while providing proper support for the hitch pin and safe working radii for the soft shackle which...

Condolences to the family. That is a LOT of leverage on that tube, roughly a 5:1 mechanical advantage. It looks like the failure happened right in the heat effected zone at the toe of the weld for the gusset. It also looks like the material is a 'clean' tear with no real evidence of an old...

A spare tire has it's own weight, space, and visibility compromises. You have 4 tires, why only carry one spare? Why not 2? Why not 4? Everyone is going to have their own line in the sand and push different boundaries. Most motorcycle travelers, even some that do a LOT of rough international...

In general, I believe most of the WLL 'ratings' are seeing in the market are just CYA marketing with little actual value. Anything WLL rated, should also have a FOS ( Factor of Safety ) available and listed. This IS available for most metal shackles used in overhead lifting at places like...

Good to hear. With my smaller V10 air pump, the filter will probably outlast the rest of the vehicle! I have had VERY good performance out of these filters in my old Flatty and the #LX45. A little tap-tap to remove any big chunks is all they have needed for a long long time. I think the one in...