Saturday - November 02, 2013

Double Whammy After Dark

You know it, blow-out. I haven’t had a flat in ages, and I don’t think I’ve had an actual blow-out since about 1983. But I had to get home.

So I’m milking it, rolling along at 38mph, trying to find a flat place that isn’t pitch dark to pull over and have a look.

Meanwhile, I’m racking my brain trying to remember if - or when - I put air in the micro-spare. Pretty sure I did it less than half a year ago.

So I rode about 4 miles on it, and got to a gas station and pulled in. There was the wheel, and two flat disks of sidewall on it. No tire left at all, anywhere. Although the side of the car seems to be rubber plated at this point.

So I pull everything out of the trunk, and dig out the spare. And the jack.

Yeeha, the spare has air!

Boo-hiss, the jack is rusted solid.

Yay me, I have a hefty screwdriver and a hammer in the back, so I can whack the jack open and get it going. A couple drops of motor oil on the screw and on the lug socket handle hinge thingy, and I can get the car up and the old tire off.

Ach Crivens!!! The fash scunner bastige spare tire has air in it, aye, but the tread has lifted off on an area the size of my hand, exposing the cords.  Summuna beach! Dat fargin ice-a-hole!!

Grr ... this is turning into one of those Fortunately / Unfortunately stories from grade school. But it’s real!

So I put the nearly dead micro-spare on, and set off at a sedate pace to try and make it the last 3 miles home. Fortunately, it wasn’t snowing or raining. For once.

I made it 2 miles.  Then the spare blew out. On the highway, just before my exit. But hey, there wasn’t much traffic, and with the flashers on I was only going 40mph anyway.

So I said to hell with it, and I limped home the last mile on the shreds of the spare. Those things suck.

Or do they? It’s the tire that came with the car, from the fall of 1996. And I’ve used it a couple times before, although only for 50 or so miles. I don’t think they’re supposed to last forever.

So Monday I guess I’ll be walking into the tire store with my smoked rim. Whereupon they’ll tell me they don’t have anything in stock that will fit, I’m sure. Unfortunately.

I think it’s time for a drink.

I’d have pictures, but it’s dark. Maybe I’ll take some tomorrow. OTOH, once you’ve seen one blow-out, you’ve seen them all.

Posted by Drew458     on 11/02/2013 at 07:05 PM   
Filed Under: • Daily Life • planes, trains, tanks, ships, machines, automobiles •  
• Comments (7) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

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