Had a blowout..

[JTK]

I couldn't tell you the last time I had a flat I had to fix on the side of the road. Has to be 30yrs or more. 0330 in the AM on my way to work, about under the peace bridge on the I-190 in Buffalo for those familiar. The truck made a sound just like when your tire picks up a stone and then tosses it. Clunk-TING. Within seconds I felt a vibration and the TPMS warning went off. This was on my 2019 Ram 1500 classic. I was able to get myself to somewhat of a shoulder and found some dirty chunks of wood to use to chock a front wheel. Thank goodness I had a moving blanket to lay on and that factory scissors jack was able to lift the left rear corner OK.

I figured given this factory Goodyear Wrangler SR-A lost all it's air in seconds, it wasn't going to be repairable. The other three have wear, but are really good yet, so I mail ordered a nice used one to match for $60.

I ran on the spare until I could get to the tire shop today. Here's what the tire guy pulled from the blown out tire. A hitch pin of all things! Even this old seasoned dude was amazed. I'm glad it didn't bash the TPMS sensor when it was tumbling around in there.

 

[gfh77665]

Thats has to be one of the largest objects ever found inside a tire. You got away real good, no sensor damage and $60 for a used tire.

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

When I worked in my uncles full service gas station a lady came in wanting a flat tire fixed. It had a spark plug in it. She had to buy a new tire. That's the largest object I have ever seen in a tire.

 

[JTK]

The experience sure gave me a feel for how inadequate the stock tire changing gear is! With my truck being fully fluid filmed and woolwaxed, the full sized spare was like wrestling a greased pig and I looked like an angry coal miner by the time I got to work. Shift mates loved it of course. I was only about 15min late. Not bad for an old dude. I do have AAA, but I figured I try to have at it first at this time of day.

 

[incognito_2u]

That hinge pin punctured and lodged itself inside of your tire? I’m surprised the tire didn’t shred.........consider yourself lucky!

 

[Gimpy1]

Wow, I had something like what happened to you on my way from Mexico City to Dallas but it was a 3x5 square metal plate that completely destroyed the inside of my tire

 

[SZR48207]

Can't get no respect!

 

[JTK]

That hinge pin punctured and lodged itself inside of your tire? I’m surprised the tire didn’t shred.........consider yourself lucky!

I attribute that to the big ol spongy 265/70-17's the truck has. That pin had to have lined up just right and blew through and tore a hole through the tread, about 1.5" from the edge of the tread. Had it gone through the sidewall, things would have been much worse I think. I was doing about ~65-70mph.

 

[ollie]

Main thing is you were not injured and got safely back on the road. Good job Sir!

 

[Rand]

I hit a sparkplug in cleveland a few years back.. it got stuck in the tread.. had to drive on it for about 500ft.. and pulled it out whole from the tread.. tire was still holding air.. was quite bizarre... I thought I was going to get car jacked at the ghetto dollar general I was changing the tire at.. but everything was ok.

The stock jack and lug wrench definitely makes you appreciate even a cheapo HF floor jack and 9$ breaker bar.

 

[Chris Meutsch]

As long as this event gives you and I a Bills victory, I'll take it!
(Grew up in Orchard Park/West Seneca)

 

[Slick3914]

The experience sure gave me a feel for how inadequate the stock tire changing gear is! With my truck being fully fluid filmed and woolwaxed, the full sized spare was like wrestling a greased pig and I looked like an angry coal miner by the time I got to work. Shift mates loved it of course. I was only about 15min late. Not bad for an old dude. I do have AAA, but I figured I try to have at it first at this time of day.

I keep a 24" breaker bar, extension and socket under the back seat.

 

[snarl]

That stinks. Imagine the person who lost the hitch pin.

 

[mrsilv04]

The front tire kicked the pin up in the air and stood it up, and the rear tire ran over it while it was standing up... and right inside the rear tire it went.

 

[JTK]

I keep a 24" breaker bar, extension and socket under the back seat.

That's a good call.

I do keep a 4-way lug wrench, E-pump and cheap o plug kit under the rear seat. The jack and associated hardware are sketchy as they always are I guess. I need to keep a few small sections of 4"x4" or boards of some sort.

 

[jagdriver727]

Hitch pin, that’s a new one. When my ‘06 Explorer was about a week old I somehow got a 9/16” wrench through the RR tire.

 

[dan_erickson]

Dad picked this up in the Fusion last spring.

 

[OVERKILL]

Dad picked this up in the Fusion last spring.

Before I clicked on the picture I thought it was a pushrod, lol

 

[Chris142]

I keep a 24" breaker bar, extension and socket under the back seat.

X2!

 

[CatCam2]

My sister's tire on her SUV got punctured by a file. She told me to quit cursing in front of my niece when I said it was a "Bastard File"......had to explain what that was to her....and my niece!!!