Jump to content
CaddyInfo Cadillac Forum

A Tyre Odessey


WarrenJ

Recommended Posts

The "Tyre" spelling is simply political correctness as Tony Blair is visiting.

Tuesday evening on the 9:00pm way home from work, I did the usual cruise engaged 67mph eastbound trek on the L.I.E. (Long Island Expressway, aka 495). Close to home, I exited and stopped immediately at the convenience store on the service road and bought my usual 20oz. Coke, pack of cigarettes and whatever,(could be toilet paper, YOU BATCHELORS know!).

Leaving the convenience store I exclaimed, "Oh SHOOT! (I used a different word!)" when I saw my left rear rim on the ground. Attached the donut spare. Went two blocks. Flat. Rode it home on the rim. Destroyed. Bummer! Donut spares need to be outlawed!

Well . . . . Hook-'em-up-truck to the tire place. Tire patched from the inside; got a *free donut spare*. These guys were probable happy to get rid of one of these! Musta been hundreds piled up out back!

My RF tire has required air every 4 days. Two autoshops have failed to find fault with it. At this tire place a 14-15 year old kid found the leak on the RF tire via simple inspection. I gave him a $5.00 tip. Probably close to an hours wage for him (yes, I know he's likely underage). He beemed and shook my hand!

SCOTTY, you're in the area. I can't recommend TRI-TIRES INC. more highly.

The manager stood beside my car and asked how I liked my tires (okay, Tony Blair has left the building). I said they were no-names and noisy on concrete roads, but handled well and were extraordinaly good on wet pavement. Had a Michelin replacement in mind, but couldn't give up the wet pavement security.

He replied that these no-names were a private brand Kelly-Springfield (SP?) and that he wouldn't have anything else on his personal vehicle. Just a thought from a tire guy who doesn't sell K-S.

Some points:

1) There was extroardinary rim corrosion on both wheels. Look into this if you have "slow" leaks. The buildup on my rims was HUGH!

2) Check your donut air pressure regularly. Ohh . . . . Duh!

3) "Tire Guy" said that his experience is that many "sudden" flats happen on highway exit ramps and are due to refuse in the "EXIT" lane wind spewed by trucks etc. Wind brushes them to the side. Watch out for this crud.

Regards,

Warren

Posted Image

There is no means of avoiding the final collapse of a boom brought about by credit expansion. The alternative is only whether the crisis should come sooner as the result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit expansion, or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved. - Ludwig von Mises

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Warren,

I checked my "donut" spare last week. It was at 32 PSI. Correct pressure is 60 PSI.

I believe that I checked it last about 8 months to a year ago. I think that I will shorten the period between checks to 6 months or less.

You need to check to see if your replacement donut has the correct bolt spacing for your Caddy. Hopefully they didn't give you one for a Neon! :huh:

Britt

Britt
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Attached the donut spare. Went two blocks. Flat. Rode it home on the rim. Destroyed. Bummer! Donut spares need to be outlawed!

They don't need to be outlawed, they need to be checked for air regularly...just like any other size spare tire. Donut or not, any tire that doesn't get used for years and years is bound to be flat. I try to check mine every now and then, but I still don't do it often enough probably. The donut has gotten me and my bride home from church one day after a blowout on the way home. I was out there in my Sunday best changing a flat. The donut WAS low when I put it on. The closest gas station had air for a coupla quarters. I drove it probably 100 miles on the donut for the rest of the day and in to the big city the next day to visit Sears to get a new set of Mich's (the old set was starting to get worn anyway).

Donuts save space (you'd lose a LOT of trunk space with a full-sizer) and save weight. As long as they have air, they work great. But a full-size spare wouldn't have helped you out there...a flat spare is a flat spare.

I know you don't need the lecture, but I felt I had to defend the little 16" spare that's gotten me home more than once in my life. :)

Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond)

"When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Had a VW Cabrio once.....with BBS wheels....yes....chick car...hmmmm

Anyway....the wife bent one of the BBS wheels... discontinued wheel from BBS....of course!

So...sent the BBS wheel to be repaired by Wheels America. Excellent service BTW.

In the mean time...had that crappy VW spare on the car. She bent that one too! Women....but in addition.....that darn spare leaked.....I could hammer back the flange where she bent it.....and it would hold.....but the leaks would show up all over other parts of the wheel..

I think...that after a time....the rubber compounds harden or change....that causes the leaks....

Dont trust the spare!

Someone mentioned before about the '6 year rule' on tires. The spare in this case was about 10 years old.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Warren. What exit do you get off? I get my tires from Costco and they do free lifetime rotating and balancing and repairing (other than the tip that I force on them)... I drop off the car, shop and its done when I come out, I am due to rotate

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They don't need to be outlawed, they need to be checked for air regularly...just like any other size spare tire.  Donut or not, any tire that doesn't get used for years and years is bound to be flat.

I know you don't need the lecture, but I felt I had to defend the little 16" spare that's gotten me home more than once in my life.  :)

jadcock,

Understood. In this case, however, the donut WAS slightly flat. I backed up to the air pump and filled it as best I could (maybe 45+ lbs?). It was almost "primo" before I left the place. Two blocks later, it plotzed! (sorry, my Yiddish spelling leaves something to be desired).

Yes, the spare WAS ten years old (and recently checked for air pressure). I guess a person can't expect too much of it. Just the same, "Mr. Tire" didn't have too many kind words to say about the donuts either (likely because he had a pile of 'em stacked up in the backyard that will cost him money to get rid of . . . . :D:D:P .

You'll find me in his camp.

Scotty,

Exit 57.

navion,

Yes, let's check them more often. I made CERTAIN, BTW, I got the correct wheel. :D

Regards,

Warren

P.S. Thought I was in for a lotta bucks. $40 bucks for the hook-em-up-truck; $22 for the rear tire repair. Front slow leak was a freebee (plugged it). They gave me a new donut N/C also. They'll have my business in the future.

Posted Image

There is no means of avoiding the final collapse of a boom brought about by credit expansion. The alternative is only whether the crisis should come sooner as the result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit expansion, or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved. - Ludwig von Mises

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He replied that these no-names were a private brand Kelly-Springfield (SP?) and that he wouldn't have anything else on his personal vehicle. Just a thought from a tire guy who doesn't sell K-S.

I've got Kelly Charger's on my Mustang. Kelly-Springfield has been around quite a while. I wouldn't really call them a no-name brand, since they are now offiliated with Goodyear, but they are definitely the tire less traveled I guess you could say. I beat the crap out of these tires (lot's of burnouts, flying around corners,...ect) and they have held up very well, to all that punishment. Still lot's of tread left on those back tires. I might have to take car of that pretty soon though, as I need a new set....hehe.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I beat the crap out of these tires (lot's of burnouts, flying around corners,...ect) and they have held up very well, to all that punishment. Still lot's of tread left on those back tires.

Back tires?!? You have back tires? Here?!? WE HAVE FRONT TIRES HERE!!

Regards,

Warren :D:D:D

Posted Image

There is no means of avoiding the final collapse of a boom brought about by credit expansion. The alternative is only whether the crisis should come sooner as the result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit expansion, or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved. - Ludwig von Mises

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've got Kelly Charger's on my Mustang. Kelly-Springfield has been around quite a while. I wouldn't really call them a no-name brand, since they are now offiliated with Goodyear, but they are definitely the tire less traveled I guess you could say.

There's a large Kelly-Springfield plant here in Fayetteville. Yes, they're owned by Goodyear. I've had KS tires once before on another car, but didn't really care for them. They were Kelly Chargers, and they were okay. I expected more. The rubber compound was hard as a rock. They replaced BFGoodrich Radial T/As, which I ended up being much happier with AFTER they were gone. :)

Kellys are popular here because the plant is local, but I never cared much for them after my experience with their Chargers. Perhaps one of their premium tires would have been better.

Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond)

"When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...