On my last trip I had a tire issue, and was very lucky about how it happened.
I had stopped for lunch in a small town. Walked around to check on things before getting back on the road. And, my tire valve stem was puffed up like a balloon. I sent a pic to a friend who had never seen it, then was writing a text to a mechanic I know.. and while doing it, PPFFFFFFSSSSSSsssssss it ruptured and let the air out of my tire.
I'm well prepared.. Have a good jack, tools, spare. Start taking the lugs off.. Tight. I have to stand on the tire wrench. It finally starts turning, and.. the lug stud spins off. Try the next, and it happens again.
I gave up, looked up a local tire shop, and they came and got my remaining lugs off w/ an impact wrench so we could get the spare on and drive to the shop.
They fixed the studs, valve stem, and loosened and re-torqued all my lug nuts. (Total cost.... $60!)
What could I do if this happened 100 miles out in the desert or something? I'm prepared for a lot of things, but don't know what I could have done in this situation. I found emergency valve stems you can install from the outside. But what about the lug studs? Being able to change a tire is a basic task everyone needs to be able to do out on the trail. And I couldn't do it.
I had stopped for lunch in a small town. Walked around to check on things before getting back on the road. And, my tire valve stem was puffed up like a balloon. I sent a pic to a friend who had never seen it, then was writing a text to a mechanic I know.. and while doing it, PPFFFFFFSSSSSSsssssss it ruptured and let the air out of my tire.
I'm well prepared.. Have a good jack, tools, spare. Start taking the lugs off.. Tight. I have to stand on the tire wrench. It finally starts turning, and.. the lug stud spins off. Try the next, and it happens again.
I gave up, looked up a local tire shop, and they came and got my remaining lugs off w/ an impact wrench so we could get the spare on and drive to the shop.
They fixed the studs, valve stem, and loosened and re-torqued all my lug nuts. (Total cost.... $60!)
What could I do if this happened 100 miles out in the desert or something? I'm prepared for a lot of things, but don't know what I could have done in this situation. I found emergency valve stems you can install from the outside. But what about the lug studs? Being able to change a tire is a basic task everyone needs to be able to do out on the trail. And I couldn't do it.