Tuesday, June 27, 2006

FLAT!

Dickidoo woke me up at o'dark hundred as he so does on most mornings, and as I so often like to do when he does that... I ignored everything he said, until it was my time to wake up.

At 8:30 I sat straight up in bed.  Did he say 'flat' ?

A quick dash out to the driveway was confirmation enough.

Yep, he said 'flat'.  Big Red's rear tire was flatter than a popped balloon, thanks no doubt to the wood screw burrowed flush against the rubber.

No problem, I have a full sized spare mounted under the truck and I know how to change a tire.  That should be a 20 minute job max.

Problem.... I have a full sized spare mounted under the truck... but I don't know how to get unmounted.  Grrrrr!

I vaguely remember Dickidoo mentioning a Plan B.  That would be the tire plugs.  I must have snored when he mentioned where to find them so I tore the garage apart, inventoried the 4 tool boxes... and nothing!  I finally found the sticky plug strips in one vehicle and the applicators in another.

Thread the plug strip through the eye of the applicator...

Huh?  Said plug strip is wider than the eye of said applicator, and its sticky!  It doesn't fit through the eye... it sticks to the eye!

Grrrr again!

I finally shoved the sticky glob through the hole in the applicator and tried to insert it into the hole left by the screw.  Hahahaha!  Those guys who make this stuff are real comedians!  That plug strip wasn't 'inserting' anywhere, because it was sticking to everything!  I tried pushing harder but was afraid of puncturing the inner tube.

Wait... the tire is already flat, and lets face it, its not getting any flatter so what could it hurt?   I shoved the dang thing in and instant success!

So the 20 minute job ended up taking 90 minutes but Iwas only 15 minutes late for work, thanks to an electric air compressor, and the plug held up for the trip home although the tire looks like it has a big black wart on it.

But I think I will meet Dickidoo at the door when he gets home, with an ice cold beer, and a wrench so he can help me get that stupid spare tire off the bottom of my truck truck and replace the punctured tire.

Grrrrrr!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

i hate when that happens hope you get it fixed

Deb

Anonymous said...

wow great job! you are woman hear you roar...lol

Anonymous said...

Oh no!  What a way to start a day!  I hope that tonite's extrication of the full spare tire is uneventful!

be well,
Dawn

Anonymous said...

Good job!  You're a lot more resourceful--and courageous (to drive all that way on a plugged tire) than I would have been.  I would have just called AAA. custom made for cowardly dummies like me.

Anonymous said...

Good luck and hope it's fixed by now. I'm a weakling and depend on others for changing tires. LOL I bet I couldn't even jack one up.

Anonymous said...

You go girl....you are my hero...I couldnt change a tire if my life depended onit. The lug nuts would win before I even started.  Maybe its a good thing that I never learned to drive.....I do call a mean TAXI though....and with the cost of gas these days its probably cheaper.....Sandi

Anonymous said...

You were pretty safe ramming it in there. A pick up truck tire doesn't have an inner tube.
-Paul
http://journals.aol.ca/plittle/AuroraWalkingVacation/

Anonymous said...

good for you for fixing that flat and only being 15 min. late for work. I think I would have called in. LOL.

Anonymous said...

Knock on wood, Dorn, but "Dear Ole Dad"  isn't even sure where his spare tire is located.  I think it's under the rear of my '99 Ranger, but having never had the opportunity or necessity to find out, it's still a mystery.  I do know where the jack is though, so I'm half way there????
Now you watch, tomorrow morning...................................................

Dad

Anonymous said...

Went through this a few weeks ago.  Only I didn't have to go anywhere.  I waited for hubby to fix it!  I'm bad I know.
Traci