I have this need to tell on myself. Most people would not admit to doing something stupid like this but maybe someone will learn from my mistake.
Yesterday I took my sons out to lunch and afterwards we were going to walk the trail at one of the parks. On the way there my oldest son saw a Rally's across the street he wanted to go to so I moved over to the turn lane and made a quick U-turn. I was more concerned about avoiding the oncoming traffic than where the Sienna was headed and ended up hitting the curb with the front right wheel pretty hard.
My nearly new tire blew out instantly and I pulled into the parking lot while cursing myself under my breath. I got out and saw the sidewall ripped open and the steel wheel mangled on its lip. Fortunately I have a full-size spare under the van so this wasn't going to ruin the entire day.
I ran back to the street to pick up the wheel cover that was laying in the road. I waited for the traffic to clear before I stepped out there but just as it was clearing a motorcycle drove right over it and smashed it before my eyes.
Needless to say this is when the real frustration began. Going back to the van, I began the process of changing the flat. As much as I cranked the mechanism to lower the tire it would only drop 2-3 inches. I couldn't get the damn thing to lower anymore! I got my older son to try lowering it while I got under the van and pulled on the tire in the hopes of it unbinding. No such luck.
Needing a temporary time-out, we walked over to the fast-food joint and I ordered some food for them. They sat in the van and ate while I contemplated the situation. I called a friend who has a tow truck but he didn't answer. I looked for my insurance card to get the insurance people to call a tow truck but it wasn't in the van. I called 911 but they wouldn't help since I wasn't in the middle of the street.
At my wit's end I went back to the crank and raised it back up to the top, said a prayer and began lowering it again. The resistance was no different than earlier but when I dared look to see if it had lowered it was all the way on the ground! Thank you God!
I got the spare on the car in a jiffy but noticed the tread separating and the dry rot. I limped home and promptly got on the phone to Tire Rack hoping they would give me a break. Alas I had no road hazard warranty and no manufacturer warranty against stupidity. I had to order the replacement and had them send me a new steel wheel also. The good news is mounting and balancing was free. Total cost from Tire Rack is $132 for the Yokohama Aegis and the wheel. A Toyota wheel cover from Ebay is $25. A replacement spare tire from my tow truck friend may be free.
Once I get the new wheel and drive around I hope I won't notice any other suspension/steering parts I damaged. Anything in particular I should look for?