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We had some wet slushy snow today that I managed to drive through all day with other customer’s cars on my regular test drive route without incident until that last car. I found out the tires were bald when the car understeered that first corner straight into the snow bank. It wasn’t even a sharp corner. I was panicky so when I hit the bank, it sounded like I tattooed the entire passenger side. I got lucky and the worst I did was mess up the bumper a little.
But just before I hit that snowbank, this popped into my head:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0Z1ZAbSMlI
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I have some Yokohamas on my Ford truck. They are getting worn down, terrible tires, don’t recommend. Anyway, the other day I was going down the highway about 70 mph, and I hit a piece of hardware in the road, it was actually a threaded sleeve with ears that holds a bolt, like a construction fastener, so when the object protruded the tire (sleeve straight through treads and cords, of course), the air basically gained a new valve stem minus shrader valve and I actually heard the air escape in sorta of a rhythmic tone for a few seconds, the speed I was going the air could only escape when the object wasn’t on the pavement, it a melody of sorts…damndest thing. I hate bald tires.
I had a woman come in one time when I was working at Hyundai. She was getting a free oil change, front coil spring protector re-call (free to of course). Had about 200k on her vehicle. I recommended new tires because the rear had metal wear bars showing, the front tires were at a 3/32. Brakes all around were at 3mm.
Service writer said she turned everything down. So I went to get a cup of coffee, and this woman stops me out of no where. “Hey, you working on the Santa Fe?” I replied “possibly”. She says “Ok, hows it look? That car is my baby!!” I said “it looks just fine”.
The other techs wrote down her license plate so they could avoid her on the highway. Three months later I bet she got some used tires, and slightly used pads from catfish in the trailerpark. And of course another free oil change from us.
We wont road test a vehicle with tyres under 1.6mm and we always check a car out on the ramp before a road test, to many people driving death traps Like to know what i’m dealing with before getting out on the road.
You know, sometimes I can never understand while people turn down tires and brakes. Also how some people peel their tires in such a short time. Guess people think their tires will last them for eternity.
I had one like that a few months back. Friend called me because he got stuck on a neighbor’s car. He tries to take on small repairs but is generally clueless. Gets really old
Truck was an 02 Ram and the brakes went to the floor. Tires bald with cords sticking out, ball joints and tie rod ends ready to separate any minute. Surprise surprise this was in a trailer park, owned by some dumpy woman with a few kids and no daddy around. Welfare rat. One of her daughters is about 11 or 12, comes down and watches me a lot when I work on stuff over there. Nice kid, certainly didn’t get it from her mother.
Pulled front wheels to find caliper blown and was staring at the cooling fins of the rotor. Just all beyond shot. Pulled the rear wheels and the rotor was snapped in two, with the hub center still on the hub and friction area stuck in the metal on metal pads. Bleeders were stuck. Truck needed everything for brakes new. I told Ms. Foodstamp this and showed her the parts. Asked her why she had been driving like that. She claimed she never heard anything. I call bullshit, even though the muffler is rotted clean through and the stereo cranked up all the time there is just no way you could not know something is very wrong.
[IMG]http://i62.tinypic.com/10yfmlg.jpg[/IMG]
rear rotor pic[IMG]http://i59.tinypic.com/5pn1hu.jpg[/IMG]
front rotor picMs. Foodstamp tried giving me a sob story that she couldn’t afford it fixed because her ex chose drugs over his family and left. I asked how long ago and she said …..wait for it….. SEVEN YEARS! Lazy bitch could’ve nearly had a fucking MASTER’s degree by now and stepped up for her kids. She asked me to just get it to stop leaking brake fluid and put it back together. I told her flat out the only way I would make the truck able to move is with all new parts. If it doesn’t stop it doesn’t go. Seems I took Ms. Foodstamp’s bar budget for the month, but she realized I was serious. I asked her if she could afford a coffin for her daughter, and she looked very pissed at that. I don’t care if I get any Christmas cards. I’m going to say what I have to say and I didn’t feel she deserved an ounce of pity.
I looked under the hood when it was time to bleed brakes and saw some mighty fine trailer park engineering at work. The truck has never been in a crash (surprisingly) but the radiator had gone out. Instead of putting a new one or even one from a boneyard into it, they rigged in what looks like a late 80’s or early 90’s front wheel drive GM car one in. Hacked the hell out of the fan shroud to do it. Heater hose and overflow hoses dry-rotted and plugged off with a bolt and clamp. Both leak. No mounting at all on the bottom, top held with some wire and a bracket made of aluminum angle and self tap screws. Radiator starting to leak at tank to core seam.
[IMG]http://i59.tinypic.com/rwndvn.jpg[/IMG]
plugged off hoses[IMG]http://i61.tinypic.com/vp7wqc.jpg[/IMG]
“mounting” and fan shroud hack job[IMG]http://i62.tinypic.com/33nx6q0.jpg[/IMG]
Isn’t it so pretty? For the hell of it I pull the dipstick. Barely reads on the bottom and reeks of gasoline. Plug wires appear to be stock, doubt it has ever seen a change and the oil is vintage too. I kept my mouth shut about it and bled the brakes. Got it stopping properly.
Now some of you may wonder why I didn’t say a word about the oil and some are probably following my train of thought. Ms Foodstamp will obviously not put one dime into this truck yet it is for all intents and purposes totalled just from the amount of money it would take to get it safe and reliable. But so long as it can start she will drive it with her kids in it down the same roads my kids are on. That is unacceptable, and while I would find it unethical to sabotage this truck I certainly don’t need to tell her how to intervene to keep the motor from hammering apart.
My friend lives in that trailer park and called the other day to tell me he heard the truck driving past his place and it has developed a pronounced bearing knock. Only a matter of time now, and she deserves it. I wish this was the only person I could think of driving death traps like this on the road, but it isn’t. I wish vehicle inspections were mandatory because it would force these people off the road. I’d put my old 1990 Bronco up on any of your racks and let you look at it, you wouldn’t be able to call it unsafe. Pathetic that so many others flagrantly drive known death traps and think they have the right to do so.
Vehicle Inspection doesn’t help much too many lick it and stick it places. I am serious about that I lived in PA and now live in VA. All it does is make the state money. If it was properly checked up on and the state tested each facility for bad practices as well as inspecting cars multiple times a year maybe.
As for that taking a crap well some people work 3 jobs to support their kids others sit back and let everyone else pay the way. I understand and been on both sides of that and in all honesty if she didn’t want to give up the money to fix the brakes right she definitely isnt going to care about the engine. TBH unless I really knew the person well I wouldn’t have worked on it and if I did know the person I would have looked it over and told them flat out to buy a diff vehicle.
Had a car in today 2012 reg car with 113,000 miles on the clock was a ticking time bomb flat down refused to let the owner drive it away the tyres were all so bald the cords where exposed across almost all the tyre front pads where down to the metal car was on original cambelt and not serviced in about 80,000 miles
Was just in for an Adblue Top up I did the top up but informed the service advisor’s it wasn’t road legal and would have to be towed away Owner kicked up a fuss ofc but I Walked him round the car and informed him if he drove the car off the site We would be forced to call the police and give his name/address.
It’s a harsh move but Somebody has to do it Cars like that need to be off the road before they kill someone.
Had to post on this thread. Bad/Bald tires are a huge pet peeve of mine and driving on them longer than necessary is perhaps one of the stupidest, unsafe things you can have wrong with your car (of course we all know this).
Had a neighbor who’s daughter’s boyfriend wanted me to fix his brakes and when he brought it by you would have thought he had Sticky Mickies on them…. Since he is not the sharpest tool in the shed I had to reach him the only way he could understand.. (one of those 27 year old manchildren) I reamed his ass verbally for about 3 minutes non stop in a terse and slightly elevated voice. Considering he drives 3 children under the age of 5 in this car; it really got to me…. STUPID, STUPID, STUPID… Stupid people…. even used tires for $35 each would be better.
A habit I have gotten into is whenever there is a family get together, I will just walk by and look over everyone’s tires and let them know if they have an issue…. Trying to be nice.
JMHO
-Karl
It amazes me how many people drive on bald tires. Maybe police should do tire wear check if you are below a state mandated minimum you get a ticket and a tow truck. If you dknt habe insurance you cant move a vehicle. If you have a headlight or tail light out you get pulled over for safety reasons.
If you are in an accident, a garage checks your brakes. Below a state minimum and found to be the cause of the accident you are held financially responsible.
I live in an outlying small town in farm country and surrounded by farmers. Money is not an issue for those farmers and it’s appalling how many old trucks, trailers, haybale haulers, etc are being run around on public roads with 20 year old rotted tires, bald tires, etc.
The post with the picture of the shredded brake rotor reminds me of the one at a local tire store about a dozen years ago. The rotors wore so thin the caliper piston pushed into the cooling fins and locked the wheel up.
Not to be slowed, the lady drove it 8 blocks to the tire store; skidding the tire the entire way and leaving an 8 block long tire mark with a smoke trail.As she entered the store parking lot the tire gave up with a loud bang and blew out. When asked she stated that “no, the brakes have never made any noise…..”.
And the state issues these people a drivers license, voter ID card, and so on…….
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