I got SCREWED!! …A summer lesson learned

[PICTUP]

Well I guess it had to happen at some point, I had a flat tire on my way to last Tuesday's meeting. Now if it was just a flat and I had a proper spare it would have been an everyday occurrence that I had to cope with. Unfortunately I was woefully prepared and a tad embarrassing, to say nothing of maddening!!





The story went that I was in the Ludlow car wash in my Riviera when I noticed that my rear tire on the Riviera was really low. So low I didn't want to drive it further. I looked for my scissor or bottle jack, or any jack that wasn't the stock one. Well there was nothing to be found! So I was forced into phoning my wife and have her pick me up from where I figured I could walk to by the time she could get there. From there we drove home where I retrieved a bottle jack and my trusty piece of wood I have used since I first became a VW driver. Figuring that would work I got back and set to it. The jack worked just fine to get the wheel off, but turned out the old Continental spare tire's diameter was too big and the jack was at its limit. In my desperation I got out the stock jack. But wait! One of the corners was ever so slightly bent on the jackpoint so as to not allow the jack's insertion. ARG! So, almost defeated I went back home to get the scissor jack and finally was able to raise the Bus up high enough to change out the wheel. The whole fiasco was not pretty and I hate being caught unprepared but it really did turn into a lesson for summer driving after a long winter's storage

[busaddict]

I added one of these to my spares box some time ago. I haven't had to use it, but it could get you out of a pinch if you end up having issues with tire removal. It's basically what shops do when they repair a punctured tubeless tire.

Slime T-Handle Tire Plug Kit ($10.97)
www.walmart.ca/en/ip/slime-t-handle-tire-plug-kit/6000016943234

[PICTUP]

I have used those before, but that was in the Arctic on ATV tires. They used to use them at shops, I wasn't aware that they still used them. I think they put a patch on the inside in addition. Notice how I said "I think"

[busaddict]

Here's a review of the tire plug kit. You're not supposed to use it on sidewalls. The example here is right on the edge.
Slime Smart Spair Emergency Flat Repair & Deluxe Tire Plug Kit Tutorial/Review

[Wongai]

At least it was a Robertson screw. Flat head would have been a pain to get out. :-)

I just added a scissor jack to my road kit also. I shudder to think what would happen if I tried the stock jack.

PEACE!