Flat tire and impatience

[wetcat007]

Originally posted by: Elstupido
I sometimes use my hazard lights when someone is tailgating me in a snowstorm, these assholes drive entirely too fast for the conditions, and usually see them in the ditch a few miles down the road

And always 4wd trucks or SUV's

My favorite time seeing someone in a 4WD truck driving WAY too fast during a snowstorm was seeing him 5 minutes later after he rear ended a state trooper on the highway...

 

[rezinn]

Driving slow is fine if you're not impeding the flow of traffic. If you've got a flat tire and don't want to drive fast put your hazards on and people will understand.

I DO have a problem with slow drivers because they make people tailgate me, make my commute longer, and generally are annoying. It is dangerous to go too slow just as it is to go too fast.

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: Qacer

Originally posted by: QED
When I've been in similiar situations in the past (driving on a POS donut, or carrying some cargo that can't handle high speedS), I've used my hazards to at least let other drivers know that I know I'm going slow-- it seems to cut down on the adverse reactions you'd get otherwise.

I was thinking of doing that, but a few years ago, police officers ask the kind citizens to not use their hazard lights unless it is a real emergency. I guess that if they see hazard lights they are required to assess the situation, which translates to wasted time for non-emergencies. They even ticketed people for using their hazard lights during a nasty afternoon downpour.

That's incredibly stupid. Hazard lights ARE the way to go in your situation. Even the stupidest people seem to understand them. Where are you located?

 

[Chiropteran]

Drive slow in the RIGHT lane.

What kills me is on my commute home every night, I take the HOV lanes (HOV not required at the time I drive). The HOV lanes speed limit is 65mph, the normal lanes are 55mph. The HOV lanes are separated from the regular lanes by a median, and only have 2 lanes.

Invariably, some idiot decides to drive 60mph in left HOV lane. This isn't an occasional thing, this is almost every night. It could be excusable if he was driving 5mph below the limit in the normal lanes, but why the hell does the guy even get into the HOV section if he isn't going to follow the increased speed limit? Typical speed otherwise is 80mph, and half the time I am stuck behind a 60mph idiot the normal lanes are moving faster at ~80mph.

If you want to drive slow, stay in the slow lanes.

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
I carry a plug kit and cans of "Fix a Flat". I plug the hole, air up with the fix a flat and get it fixed right when I have the time.

Ha! I do exactly the same, even though mechanics HATE fix-a-flat gunk when they have to dismount that tire.

 

[destrekor]

Originally posted by: LordMorpheus
Full size spare FTW!

yep. Have only had one flat on my truck, and it has a full size spare. Makes sense of course, considering its a truck. Although, it is kind of a baby truck... a Dakota. But if mine truck's a baby, what should I call an S10 or Ranger? I wonder if either of those have full size spares or donuts?

+

 

[JohnCU]

i swear i read this as fat tired and impotent

 

[potato28]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: xSauronx

Originally posted by: pyonir
i never drive 50mph on the spare. *shrug* im still alive and my car is fine.

i talked to a mechanic once when they came to change my tire.... (for whatever reason, i had a donut, and no jack)

he said you go go faster on a donut than 50, and drive quite a bit further than 20 miles or whatever was on the damn thing.

not that id do it for the long-term, but i did 65 on it, and maybe 200 miles over the weekend

changed it when i got home

This is supported by the lovely residents of Detroit. I see a car driving on more than 2 spares at least every third time i am driving near the city.

Yea... it's Detroit.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: Perknose

Originally posted by: Qacer

Originally posted by: QED
When I've been in similiar situations in the past (driving on a POS donut, or carrying some cargo that can't handle high speedS), I've used my hazards to at least let other drivers know that I know I'm going slow-- it seems to cut down on the adverse reactions you'd get otherwise.

I was thinking of doing that, but a few years ago, police officers ask the kind citizens to not use their hazard lights unless it is a real emergency. I guess that if they see hazard lights they are required to assess the situation, which translates to wasted time for non-emergencies. They even ticketed people for using their hazard lights during a nasty afternoon downpour.

That's incredibly stupid. Hazard lights ARE the way to go in your situation. Even the stupidest people seem to understand them. Where are you located?

hazard lights aren't meant for moving vehicles.

 

[shocksyde]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

hazard lights aren't meant for moving vehicles.

Says who?

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: PlasmaBomb

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: xSauronx

Originally posted by: pyonir
i never drive 50mph on the spare. *shrug* im still alive and my car is fine.

i talked to a mechanic once when they came to change my tire.... (for whatever reason, i had a donut, and no jack)

he said you go go faster on a donut than 50, and drive quite a bit further than 20 miles or whatever was on the damn thing.

not that id do it for the long-term, but i did 65 on it, and maybe 200 miles over the weekend

changed it when i got home

This is supported by the lovely residents of Detroit. I see a car driving on more than 2 spares at least every third time i am driving near the city.

howzatwork?

Imagine 4 tiny wheels/tires.

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: Perknose

Originally posted by: Qacer

Originally posted by: QED
When I've been in similiar situations in the past (driving on a POS donut, or carrying some cargo that can't handle high speedS), I've used my hazards to at least let other drivers know that I know I'm going slow-- it seems to cut down on the adverse reactions you'd get otherwise.

I was thinking of doing that, but a few years ago, police officers ask the kind citizens to not use their hazard lights unless it is a real emergency. I guess that if they see hazard lights they are required to assess the situation, which translates to wasted time for non-emergencies. They even ticketed people for using their hazard lights during a nasty afternoon downpour.

That's incredibly stupid. Hazard lights ARE the way to go in your situation. Even the stupidest people seem to understand them. Where are you located?

hazard lights aren't meant for moving vehicles.

Yet they WORK. How 'bout that?

 

[Leros]

I was always understanding, but I became much more understanding this summer when I was transporting really heavy steel parts. We had a 2 ton truck and we often put up to 3 tons of stuff on it. The wheel wells were cut away so we could load more, but it still rode kinda low and you had to drive pretty slow. Sometimes I would have only 1" between the cut away steel and the tire. Hit a bump and it would grind the tire. Its a wonder nobody has died driving that truck yet.

 

[mrSHEiK124]

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: Kelvrick
I prefer you go 50 on a donut. When I see an early 90's econobox going 75 on the freeway on a donut, I'd wish they'd crash already and learn their lesson.

Wanna REALLY go nuts? I read a journal article that claimed that most semi tires are rated for 60. That's right, 60.

Ever see semis going faster than that?

Seeing semis pass each other at a maybe 0.5 MPH speed difference always gets me :laugh:ing. Then I want to kill them both because it takes about 5 minutes for one to pass the other.

 

[olds]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
I carry a plug kit and cans of "Fix a Flat". I plug the hole, air up with the fix a flat and get it fixed right when I have the time.

Why plug and fix a flat?

Fix a flat makes a fucking mess in the wheel. If you have a plug then just get a 12V compressor.
....

I have a 12v compressor. Have you ever tried to fill a truck tire with one? I'd die from old age before it filled the tire if it didn't overheat and break down first.
The tire shop (not me) gets to mess with the fix a flat when they patch the tire.

 

[Qacer]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
I carry a plug kit and cans of "Fix a Flat". I plug the hole, air up with the fix a flat and get it fixed right when I have the time.

My tires weren't exactly flat. The whole rubber was ripped into shreds, so I should have said shredded tires instead of flat.

It's the second time it happened. The last time was about 5 years ago when I was still a TA at the university. I was going home back from school at around 10PM. I just got on the interstate when my tires got ripped into pieces. I didn't have any lights with me, and the highway was dark. I decided to ditched my car and walked to the nearest Denny's to call my brother. A 30 minute drive turned into 3 hours.

 

[Qacer]

Originally posted by: shocksyde

Originally posted by: alkemyst

hazard lights aren't meant for moving vehicles.

Says who?

It's illegal in the state of Florida to have hazard lights on while the vehicle is moving. Article Link

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: Qacer

Originally posted by: shocksyde

Originally posted by: alkemyst

hazard lights aren't meant for moving vehicles.

Says who?

It's illegal in the state of Florida to have hazard lights on while the vehicle is moving. Article Link

Thanks...also even if LEGAL in your area, most traffic experts will agree they are confusing to many motorists and should only be used until you can get to the side of the road and parked safely.

People have a very hard time timing traffic when it's moving slower than they are, and even telling when someone is totally stopped at times (one of the reasons car's have a third brake light).

With your hazards going, you are sending brake light signals. When you need to use them chances are the person behind you will initially think you are not stopping.

 

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: Qacer

Originally posted by: QED
When I've been in similiar situations in the past (driving on a POS donut, or carrying some cargo that can't handle high speedS), I've used my hazards to at least let other drivers know that I know I'm going slow-- it seems to cut down on the adverse reactions you'd get otherwise.

I was thinking of doing that, but a few years ago, police officers ask the kind citizens to not use their hazard lights unless it is a real emergency. I guess that if they see hazard lights they are required to assess the situation, which translates to wasted time for non-emergencies. They even ticketed people for using their hazard lights during a nasty afternoon downpour.

Bad rain is definitely NOT an appropriate time to use hazard lights. You use them when you come around a blind corner at 60 MPH and there's an accident blocking the road and there's people behind you, or traffic ahead on the freeway suddenly grinds to a halt and drivers are diving for the shoulder and you're going to be jamming your brakes, too. On twisty highways, drivers use them to warn on-coming traffic that they are approaching something unsafe. In general, you use it to warn other drivers of an important situation that they probably haven't noticed yet. Something tells me everyone knows its raining.

 

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: alkemyst
With your hazards going, you are sending brake light signals. When you need to use them chances are the person behind you will initially think you are not stopping.

Well, yeah, but only if you drive some ancient crappy POS that doesn't have rear turn signals that are separate from the brake lights.

 

[Black88GTA]

Originally posted by: thomsbrain

Originally posted by: alkemyst
With your hazards going, you are sending brake light signals. When you need to use them chances are the person behind you will initially think you are not stopping.

Well, yeah, but only if you drive some ancient crappy POS that doesn't have rear turn signals that are separate from the brake lights.

When I was on REALLY bad control arm bushings I drove the whole way to the mechanic (~15 miles) with my hazards on, as my car couldn't be driven beyond 42 mph...and I was on roads where traffic speed was regularly 65 - 70. Mine are ambers though. I always use the hazards as a courtesy to others if I have to drive slower than the normal flow of traffic for whatever reason. I think if I didn't have them on to let people know there was something wrong, I would have probably been run off the road or shot. At least it was a 2-lane road so people could go around me.

I think the manufacturers slap a 50 mph rating on the donut for a couple reasons. First, to prevent people who know nothing about cars from damaging their transmission / differential by driving on it at higher speeds. People who don't know crap about cars (most) often won't realize that putting a wheel with a smaller overall diameter than the one on the other side on the drive wheels can screw things up. It's easier and safer for the manufacturers to say "Do not drive over 50 mph" than to say "Do not drive over 50 mph if spare is on drive wheels" since many people don't even realize which ones they are. I bet the tire itself is actually capable of running much higher than 50mph without problems.

The low rating also encourages people to replace the tire ASAP. The small diameter and skinny tire may be OK at freeway speeds, but it definitely has a negative impact on handling and load capacity.

I recently had to replace a front tire on my Prelude, so I swapped one of the rear tires to the front, and put the 20 year old never-been-used donut on the back. I was going 70+ on it without any problems. I guess I probably put 50 miles on it before getting the tire replaced, and it didn't show any signs of wear at all.

 

[ICRS]

I hate asshats that go under the speed limit or even the speed limit in the left most lane. It is a fast lane, and you can't impede the flow of traffic for that lane. This is true for at least California.

 

[soydios]

full-size spare convenience FTW, but efficiency FTL.

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: xSauronx

Originally posted by: pyonir
i never drive 50mph on the spare. *shrug* im still alive and my car is fine.

i talked to a mechanic once when they came to change my tire.... (for whatever reason, i had a donut, and no jack)

he said you go go faster on a donut than 50, and drive quite a bit further than 20 miles or whatever was on the damn thing.

not that id do it for the long-term, but i did 65 on it, and maybe 200 miles over the weekend

changed it when i got home

True. Most ratings are ultra conservative. I rode on a temp spare for a week or so (150-200 miles) and the thing was showing it's bands when I chucked it. I had gone 65-75 a few times just forgetting I was on the spare.

I wouldn't recommend this for everyone. I am sure not all temp. spares are equal.

i don't think they are. i think they are accounting for the fact that most people almost never check the pressure on their donut..or spare in general. the thing needs like 60? psi? most people probably got half that in their donut by the time they need it lol