Flat Tire Today

[easysurfer]

Thought I'd go through my entire life without having a flat tire while driving.

No so. Ran over a giant pothole. Heard a loud bang, then hiss of air leaking. Busted the sidewall. Good thing my car had a spare.

Weather was warm enough so I tried out all the emergency tools and managed to change to tire myself before going to a shop for a new tire.

 

[omni550]

Bummer! Glad you had a spare and were able to safely install it.

Remember the "good old days" when folks used to strap an extra spare tire or two (either on the roof or on the trunk lid) for long trips? That's how common tire failures used to be.

omni

 

[Souschef]

Thought I'd go through my entire life without having a flat tire while driving.

Good thing my car had a spare.

Weather was warm enough so I tried out all the emergency tools and managed to change to tire myself before going to a shop for a new tire.

You are lucky you have a spare. I bought a Hyundai and had a flat in my driveway. I looked for the spare and there was none! I found out they give you a tire inflator and a box of sealant. BUT it doesn't work with a sidewall rupture!
I went on line and bought the spare package which consisted of the spare tire. jack and lug wrench!

 

[easysurfer]

I was able to pull into a strip mall and find a couple of open parking spaces to do the tire change. I already knew just the car tire was a sidewall burst. Had a chance to put all my emergency tools to use (Impact wrench to easily remove lug nuts, digital torque wrench to put the doughnut on so I could go to a car shop and get a new tire).

 

[Jerry1]

Wow, I’m impressed. You just happened to have a torque wrench with you? Were you an Eagle Scout?

 

[YVRRocketSurgery]

I don't know where we're picking them up but every few years we get a slow leak caused by a nail or screw that's large enough to go through the tread.

 

[easysurfer]

Wow, I’m impressed. You just happened to have a torque wrench with you? Were you an Eagle Scout?

I have an in case get stranded emergency toolbox that I keep in my car's cago area. No Eagle Scout. But do believe in the right tool for the job. The emergency bottle of water did come in handy too

 

[NW-Bound]

I was able to pull into a strip mall and find a couple of open parking spaces to do the tire change. I already knew just the car tire was a sidewall burst. Had a chance to put all my emergency tools to use (Impact wrench to easily remove lug nuts, digital torque wrench to put the doughnut on so I could go to a car shop and get a new tire).

Hmmm... Wonder if I should get an electric impact wrench to keep with my RV. The lug nuts are torqued a lot higher than those of normal passenger cars.

I can run the wrench with the installed 2kW inverter. That's easier than carrying my existing pneumatic impact wrench, which needs a compressor.

Or I can take along a small air tank, which can be filled up using the 12V emergency compressor. This small compressor is powerful enough to pump RV tires, but the air tank is needed as an accumulator to supply the air volume to work the wrench.

I have seen many class A owners carrying a mid-sized 115V compressor in the storage bay. My class C does not have much storage room.

 

[NW-Bound]

One should also have a pair of cheap work gloves in the emergency kit. Keeps one's hands from getting all dirty handling the tires.

 

[RetiredAt55.5]

I carry a gorilla wrench or a breaker bar in all my cars, since the manufacturer supplied wrench typically is about useless to loosen lug nuts put on by shops. I also carry a 12 volt compressor and a tire gauge.

I also carry triangle reflectors. Really handy if you break down on the highway at night.

 

[Bamaman]

So many cars today, including econoboxes, have low profile, high performance tires. Unfortunately potholes eat such tires, and replacement tires are very expensive.

2 of our family cars with low profile tires don't hold air well, and I have to air them up every 10 days. And the tire life is very short.

My new hybrid has normal sidewall tires, and my tire problems appear solved.

 

[Dtail]

So many cars today, including econoboxes, have low profile, high performance tires. Unfortunately potholes eat such tires, and replacement tires are very expensive.

2 of our family cars with low profile tires don't hold air well, and I have to air them up every 10 days. And the tire life is very short.

My new hybrid has normal sidewall tires, and my tire problems appear solved.

+1
Have low profile, run flat, high performance tires with no spares in the car.
The run flat concept has not been tested yet in 6 years.

 

[Dawg52]

Haven't changed a tire in years. I could do it if I had to but would probably call AAA if not in a hurry. Just bought some new tires last week btw....

 

[NW-Bound]

Another choice for my RV is a torque multiplier. I am seriously considering getting one.

 

[Rustic23]

DW blew both tires on the left side of the car. Only thing I can figure is she was on a freeway under repair and drove almost 30 min on a section that had a warning groove. I figured that weakend the tires on the left and an hour later the tires blew.

 

[easysurfer]

Haven't changed a tire in years. I could do it if I had to but would probably call AAA if not in a hurry. Just bought some new tires last week btw....

Oh, I thought about calling AAA. But figured, I could use the practice and had all the tools with me.

Plus, was a nice day (though did get a bit warm with the noon sun shining down).

My strategy is if safe area (out of traffic, decent neighborhood) and not too crappy weather, I change tire. Otherwise, AAA. Don't know what was faster, as took me over 2 hrs. Longest time was fiddling with the scissors jack and I need a better air inflator.

 

[brett]

I ruined a tire last week. Hit a pothole. Michelin tire from Costco.

Changed the tire (first time in years). Took the damaged tire/rim to Costco.
The replaced the tire overnight. Their road hazard warranty meant that I had I only paid $35 for the $215. tire. Fortunately they had a replacement. We only buy tires from Costco.

 

[NW-Bound]

I have not had to replace tires on the road for many years. But with the RV, waiting for help on the Alcan highway may take a while.

It is dangerous to jack up even a class C, depending on the ground support. So, I may not do it even if I have the tools.

 

[Texas Proud]

Some here who have not replaced a tire must not have a trailer....

My boat tires were crap.... when I first bought the boat used I lost a tire going to the lake... but had a spare... then lost another time coming back from the lake .... no spare... we are talking about the tire blowing up, not just having a puncture...


SOO, bought two new tires... a few years later have another blown tire.... with LOTS of tread...

Finally bought some more expensive tires that have a higher load range which can be driven at a higher speed...

 

[Music Lover]

My new (used) car doesn't have a spare or a jack...it just has a compressor and a can of sealant, so I use the winter tire as a spare and bought an inexpensive scissor jack.

As to changing tires...I have plenty of experience as I swap winter and summer tires on 5 or 6 vehicles twice a year.

 

[MRG]

Last time I hit a pothole I flattened two rims. Tires were fine, but a winter warmup created a monster pothole overnight. I saw a guy do the same thing last year.

Last time I tried to change a tire on a pickup 911 had to be summoned. The safety mechanism on my Chevy trapped my finger in a huge spring. If I'd had pulled any harder my finger would have been severely injured. I had no choice but to wait. There was a lot of pain involved, not as bad if the truck had fallen on me. Based on the FD's response they were worried about that. There was no shortage of people or equipment!

 

[Scrapr]

My newish Volvo didn't come with a spare. But did have a jack & a can of sealant. As I traverse a mountain pass many weeks (areas of no cell service) I bought a spare that "just fits" in the space under the rear floor. I feel much better as I have flatted on that road. I guess we'll call that belts and suspenders approach

Last year i was walking out of the grocery store and i hear a car running on a flat tire on a busy street. Car pulls in and it's a woman. Sky was dark and rain was coming soon! I made an executive decision and asked her if she needed help. I had her pull over to a couple spare parking spaces and assessed the state of the spare. The trunk was a mess. Stuff scattered everywhere. My heart dropped. Very high likelyhood that there wasn't going to all the parts needed in that space. I dig around and find a few things so with an eye on the sky I start in. I got it changed with only one lug nut missing. (the spare lug nuts were different than the regular lug nuts) Finished up, told her to go to a tire shop "soon" to fix the original tire. Then the rain shower poured! Talk about performance pressure!

 

[NW-Bound]

As to changing tires...I have plenty of experience as I swap winter and summer tires on 5 or 6 vehicles twice a year.

When I need to remove a tire at home to work on the brake, it's a breeze and safely done with multiple floor jacks and stands, and on flat concrete floor.

Pneumatic impact wrench to remove lug nuts and a 2-ft long torque wrench to tighten makes it so easy.

On the road, it's more hazardous. And jacking up a heavy vehicle like an RV, even a class C, is a bit scary even on concrete.

 

[Music Lover]

When I need to remove a tire at home to work on the brake, it's a breeze and safely done with multiple floor jacks and stands, and on flat concrete floor.

Pneumatic impact wrench to remove lug nuts and a 2-ft long torque wrench to tighten makes it so easy.

On the road, it's more hazardous. And jacking up a heavy vehicle like an RV, even a class C, is a bit scary even on concrete.

The last time I changed a flat was at least 20 years ago.

I have quick lift floor jack and a pneumatic impact wrench, so swapping tires on a flat concrete floor only takes 20 minutes...but for years I used to do it the hard way with the vehicle's scissor jack and lug wrench powered by muscle.

 

[Omalley]

Just a reminder to use caution with any jack, but especially a scissor jack. I had a scissor jack incident a few month ago while changing a flat on a dark roadside. The jack tipped over as I was taking the flat tire off, but luckily I had placed the spare under the frame as I was lifting the car. The spare caught the car and prevented any damage to the hub or me.