8 degrees + flat tire = no fun at all

[Heisenberg]

Grrr. Pulled into my driveway, got out of the car, and heard a loud rushing of air from the tire. Of course the spare is low on pressure since it hasn't been used in forever, so I load it up into the trunk of the other car and air it up at the gas station (I'm buying an air compressor tomorrow). Finally get the tire changed after nearly giving myself a hernia trying to get the lugnuts off. Took me 90 minutes total. I'm going to have a :beer: now as I believe I've earned it.

/bitching and moaning

 

[isekii]

:beer:/:beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer:

 

[Black88GTA]

I had two flat tires last week. One on Monday, one on Wednesday. It's the only car I have available right now, and the donut was low on air, so I had to limp on it to a gas station to fill it up after the first flat. Then, after the 2nd one, I had to call a friend of mine (who also has a Mustang) to let me borrow his spare. I was driving around for a week on 1 donut, 1 14" factory wheel, and 2 15" aftermarket wheels. The car drove every way but straight, and braking was fun cause the full size tire in the front gripped a lot better than the 12 year old donut. As a result, the car pulled hard to the left every time the brakes were applied.

I finally got everything worked out. I had to pay $120 for a new Michelin Pilot (to match the other tires) and repair for the other flat.

I feel your pain.

 

[Fausto]

I can relate: I was out on a bike ride with a mess of other local riders on Sunday. We get just past the halfway point of the ride (almost exactly the furthest point from my house, of course) and my rear tire goes flat. I stop, figure out what caused the flat (a very tiny piece of wire had worked its way into the tube), remove the wire bit, replace the tube, and inflate the new tube.

**psssssssssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhh**

The new tube has a manufacturing flaw and won't hold air. F*cking super. :|

A few minutes later, two guys roll up who've gotten dropped out of the main pack of riders. They stop and one of them offers up a spare tube. I take it, get his cell so I can reimburse him for the tube, and they ride off. I put the third tube in and inflate it.

**pssssssssssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhh**

Tube has been patched and the patch is coming off. It won't hold air. :|

So now, I'm freezing my ass off (it's about 38 and the wind is blowing 15-20 right in my face) so I finally break down and call up my wife to come get my sorry ass. I gave her directions and rode north (heading home) on the original tube since the leak was slow enough I could reinflate it every few miles and keep riding so I didn't freeze.

That was a very annoying day.

 

[rh71]

I can never get the nuts off my tires... other cars at other times, yes... but on mine... they must've used some mighty guns at the shop I went to.

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

BRRRRR!

 

[Viper GTS]

Originally posted by: Heisenberg
after nearly giving myself a hernia trying to get the lugnuts off.

Either you weren't using your feet or you weigh 87 lbs, it shouldn't be that hard.

Viper GTS

 

[Eli]

damn..

I'm surprised tire companies don't have more puncture resistant tires marketed...

With all this technology, we can't even make a self-healing tire?!?!?

 

[virtueixi]

Originally posted by: Eli
damn..

I'm surprised tire companies don't have more puncture resistant tires marketed...

With all this technology, we can't even make a self-healing tire?!?!?

They have cars the like the Hummer with a built-in air compressor so even if your tires goes flat, you can still drive for quite a while anyway. I hate changing flats too, the trick to removing lugs is not too only push as hard as you can, but kind of putting your body weight on it, move up and down a little to increase momentum and the lug should slowly loosen.

 

[Quixfire]

I can relate too

 

[thomsbrain]

what's the matter, getting mud all over yourself while you try to manuver heavy objects using only two frozen logs which were once your arms and hands isn't your idea of fun?

 

[Black88GTA]

Lugs on mine were really easy to change. A while back, I went to a hardware store and got 2 lengths of pipe, each 1 foot long, and a coupler to keep in my tools. When massive torque is needed, join the pipes together w/coupler and slip them over an ordinary wrench with deep socket. No lug is a match for the leverage you can get with 2 foot long "wrench" . Was very glad to have this available, as I did NOT want to be fighting with stuck lugnuts in 3 degree weather in a busy, unplowed parking lot.

This works great for any nut/bolt that's stuck on btw, provided you have the clearance for the long pipe. Still can't get it with only 2 feet? No problem, keep adding couplers/pipe lengths until it comes off. Or breaks.

 

[Heisenberg]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS

Originally posted by: Heisenberg
after nearly giving myself a hernia trying to get the lugnuts off.

Either you weren't using your feet or you weigh 87 lbs, it shouldn't be that hard.

Viper GTS

Normally it's not (I've changed a fair number of tires), but whoever put the tires on the last time got carried away with the impact wrench. I've never seen a tire iron bend that much before.

Anyway, after looking at it today the tire split right where the sidewall becomes tread. So I decided to get two new tires (the front got new ones a few weeks ago). $237 later I'm once again ready to give mother nature the finger the next time it snows (it's a Jeep).

 

[Viperoni]

Originally posted by: Black88GTA
Michelin Pilot

:heart: :beer:

 

[Wallydraigle]

A buddy of mine says he saw some freak driving around in a Geo Tracker with only three tires. He said the front passenger rim was there, but no tire at all :Q He said he wasn't taking it easy either, he passed him on the highway. I wish I had a picture of that.