Flat tires. Didn't we just do this?

I found it a little disconcerting last night when I got out of the car and shut the door and noticed the sidewall flexing. I pushed the side of the car a little and sure enough the car isn't too firmly connected to the tread. I handles okay, but as soon as the OEM tires are used up I'll look for something stiffer. I've tightened the bikes up from the factory jello, I guess the car is next.

Better than that, I found a local guy with a Ranger the same year as mine. Went yesterday and bought his spare for $20. I also bought both of the front corner (parking?) lights for another $20 as mine were busted. Just got finished puttin those on. Found out that the Ranger had a little winch like deal that pulls the spare up under the bed. My old Chevy truck jack handle worked fine on it, as should the old jack if I have a flat. I have a 4-way lug wrench, but I guess I better check to be sure it will fit the lug nuts. This local guy I got the parts from stripped a gear in his 5 speed, so he plans to put a V-8 and new tranny in it and make a toy out of his truck. His has the same 2.5 liter motor, so I told him to call me when he pulls it as I might buy it. He said it had about 300K miles on it, but never any problem, no knocks or smoking. Said he had put about 3 timing belts on it over the years, a new water pump and alternator. If a man had it, and stick some new rings and bearings, etc. in it and crate it up, he would have one ready to go if he ever needed it, or sell it if that be the case. I dont know what a decent price would be for the motor, maybe $100 ? NB

I used to work for a tire recapper back in the late 80=92s.

We repaired any hole in the tread or sidewall that was not within 2 inches of the bead. Then I worked for another red neck shop that did the same thing with homemade gear. Section repairs on car and truck tires with 2 electric irons hooked to a C clamp to melt the new rubber and reinforcement into the repair. I can repair a hole big enough to stick a pop can threw in either a car or truck tire and have it hold long enough to use up the tread that is left.

They came up with a bunch of regulations regarding what happens to the tires that you take off a car and throw away so we no longer could get as many used tires to work with, so the shop shut down. No pity on the guy running the shop, considering that he was doing the exact crap that got the regulations put into place in the first place.

Now that even a car tire is $100, I may look into getting the gear to go into that again.

I changed vehicles and went from car tyres(LT) costing $66 to stuff that starts at $250 (wide crap). Repair one with a puncture in the tread and replaced another when the hub on the camper trailer broke and it blew out(or the other way around) and shredded the sidewall.

They still sell sidewall repair patches at NAPA, they are big things that look like a 6 x 6 gauze pad mated with a tire patch, with bias reinforcements. And you'll need the big electric-heater vulcanizing clamp to apply them properly - I have to find myself one before it's necessary.

BUT I would only use these on a farm implement tire (10 MPH max), or a light duty around town use - that patched highway tire instantly gets turned into the Spare and you treat it really gently if you ever have to use it on the road.

I have had good luck with the "Mushroom" style plugs on ATV tires in the field - Never had a need to do it on a car.

The big problem is the tire shops and their liability insurance companies - all these problems still could easily be fixed, but the insurers don't want to be on the hook for millions per incident of either outright stupidity or "You knew it was dangerous to use that tire on the road and you did it anyway - And now that you've had the accident, you go looking for deeper pockets to pay you back for your stupid decision."

So the insurers don't allow shops to do those repairs any more.

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