AgentDSS

I was heading into downtown DC tonite, fully aware of a screw in my back left Toyo tire! It had held the air in pretty well, though it was saggin. I noticed I had a total flat at a stop light. I thought I would "make it" two blocks to a gas station and fill up the tire to last me the night. Stupid gas stations with "air" signs but no air hookup!

I went another mile down by Embassy Row and POP! What's that smell. I pull over and there is a bullet-sized hole in my tire (no, I was not in South-East and got shot at) with smoke piping out of it.



A strip of the side wall graphics was missing. My dumb ass was stuck there in front of the embassys getting the attention of Park Police, Secret Service, and MPD. I waved over a cop (turns out its Secret Service) for help to find a gas station but suprise me yelling "step out of your vehicle" over the loudspeaker. When they find out whats up they say to just turn on a side street and change your tire. He assured me "I would not get shot in this neighborhood, it's safe"

The cops offered to call me a tow-truck but I said I had it covered until i realized that the stupid security lugnuts are on and I just left that key piece at home! The cop said "you're fucked then, so call AAA"

I had a family member come by with the key lug. During the wait, I was approached by every type of law enforcement in the area. lol. I'm gonna have these Toyos replaced by my shitty old, but working stock OEMs w/ several patched areas.

Red-CL

How did you blow out the sidewall?

Was the screw in the sidewall?

EricL

Once you carve through the tire with the “right” object, you can end up compromising the structure of the tire.

Also, if it was sagging and you were driving on it with low pressure, you could easily build up some heat it in it -- and kaboom.

Depending on where you get the puncture, the tire can be shot or it can be fixed. I've had both happen.

Man, your lucky you weren't on the freeway at high speed. That could have been deadly...

einsatz

I'd rather that happen in embassy row in the middle of DC than around 270 going 75-80mph like EricL said.

That's a pretty big f'ing hole man!

GreenMonster

That sucks...

I'm have troubles with the oems, but mostly from hitting potholes...

ferizzo

Yeah, a punctured tire is no joke. I have a nail in my wife's stock tire (while I wait for her new wheels) and it is holding up pretty well. The nail is in not on the sidewall but the treads. For now I am stuck driving the car because I work 3 miles from home and its backroads.

LiQiCE

When you have nails in the tire why don't you just try buying a plug for it? ... You take the tire off of the car, pull out the nail, stick the plug into the hole and then glue it closed ...

The tire shouldn't leak and the plug isn't going to damage the tire anymore like a nail could.

Its pretty easy to put the plug in and its not very expensive. I've done it myself on my old car and the tire was as good as new afterwards.

Mr Hyde

Look at that pics, that nail was in the sidewall.

Sidewall damage cannot be repaired. That was a really stupid thing to do. You knew you had a nail sticking out of it, and drove around anyway?? Lucky it didnt blow during a turn at speed, could have caused an accident.

2003type-s6

How do you get a nail in the sidewall??? It was dumb to drive on it like that, you got real lucky.

Zippee

Now let me see if I understand.....

The tire has a nail in it but you keep on driving. The tire goes low on pressure but you keep on driving. The tire goes totally flat and you keep on driving. The tire fails and you blame Toyo.

darrinb

omg thats crazy, i actually never seen one in the sidewall like that

AgentDSS

Hey guys, I should make a note that the SCREW was no where near that hole. The screw was on the edge where the sidewall meets the tread. If you look carefully in the pic above, you can see the screw (kinda blurry) in the upper right (diagonal from blowout). I have a feeling that there was a bubble in the tire (very small) and that it blew up from the heat/friction of the flat. I'm trying to not blame Toyos, but I do have nails in all the tires, and I don't live near construction sites Also, these son of a guns got bald in under 15k.

evilone

wtf dss where are you drivin to get all of those screws... just be glad you wernt close to dream thats a shity area of dc.. i would never drive my car there..

Red Rider

Very true, especially in the sidewall !! What were you thinking ??

AgentDSS

Considering I was driving to South East @ 4AM to pick up my stupid wandering cousin just a few days ago, I am lucky. I actually was scheduled to have my tires replaced this Wednesday, so it was in mind

evilone

well this time d dont go anywhere near screws and or nails.... avoid them at all costs..

AgentDSS

I wish I could be so lucky evilone! I've gotten about 10 nails in the past 2 years in two sets of tires, some delibrate (that fucking whore!) and others from the endless construction in Montgomery County everywhere. Good thing I'm heading up to Boston for school so I can have a little break from driving

evilone

damm d where you going harvard???

AgentDSS

LOL, no....Emerson College in the Theater District

BTW guys, when I was cleaning my car today (including the rim of the "dead" tire) I found more of those "bullet sized" holes on the other side of the tire. At least with my replacements (used OEMs I had stored) I'll be able to show off more by spinning them crazy zero-grip tires!

For those familar w/ tire storage, is it safe to say that some OEM stocks left on a garage floor (no floor protection but no rims to weigh them down) for a year still good ?

Scrib

Thankfully you're OK!!!