Friday afternoon I got in my car to head to a rehearsal with a trombonist before my Hairspray rehearsal. As I started to back up, it felt like something was wrong. Indeed, something was wrong. The front driver’s side tire was flat. It had worn through to those metal wires. I just hadn’t been paying attention, not even sure how long ago they were put on the car. Well, I got out the spare, and didn’t see a jack. I’d never actually had to change a tire on this car before; I bought it new 7½ years ago. I assumed there’d be a jack, but I didn’t see one.
I contacted the trombonist, and said I wouldn’t make it to the rehearsal, we’d have to reschedule. And I told the Hairspray director that I had a flat, wasn’t sure how long it’d take and I’d let her know. I spent a little time trying to see if I could get hold of a jack: knocked on a few neighbors’ doors, with no luck. I called a garage, and they told me there ought to be a jack in there somewhere. I looked again. There was. It had just been sort of hiding. (Also, they told me that they don’t carry tires, and would have to order one...they wouldn’t be able to do much that day.)
So, I got the jack out, and started trying to change the tire. The lug nuts were very unwilling to come loose. As I said, I’d never changed a tire on this car; it had been many years since I’d changed any tire, and I’m not exactly what you’d call a strongman. So I kept at it, and they finally started to come loose. It basically required my standing on the tire iron. I realize now that it shouldn’t take that drastic a measure to change a tire, but at the time I was focused on getting it done so I could maybe make it to my second rehearsal.
The first lug nut finally came off, rather suddenly. In fact, it broke off.
I’d never seen this before and wasn’t 100% sure that’s what it was, so I tried to take off a second one, to compare. It also snapped off. I called another auto place (one with “tire” in the name).
I described the situation; they said it sounds like I did break them and sent their tow truck. The tow truck guy briefly checked the other tires and said they’re all like that. It’s likely this thing called “lock tight”. I looked it up. Loctite is basically a thread-locking super glue.
The tow truck guy said that you might see this sort of thing in a situation where a car owner gets into an argument with a mechanic, so the mechanic puts Loctite onto the lug nuts so that later when you need to change the tires, you won’t be able to without breaking the lug nuts. I don’t recall ever getting into an argument or disagreement with, or even being rude to, anyone working on my car. I don’t know how to fix my car, and I certainly wouldn’t want to piss off the person who was fixing it. Anyway, who would do that to your car? That’s a shitty thing to do, even if you are pissed off.
Apparently it’s not a simple thing to fix. At the garage they had to call around to get the parts and go pick them up. I’m not sure how they actually got the bolts out once the part that a wrench fits around was broken off, but I was there for about 3½ hours. Eventually I’ll need to get all the lug nuts replaced so it’s not an issue in the future. But the front passenger side tire is pretty thin, and I really need to replace that one right away.
The problem is, whatever the parts were that they needed (was it just new lug nuts or other parts too? I don’t know what they had to do to get the damn things off) they got from the KIA dealer (my car’s a KIA), and that’s not something they keep a lot of in stock. The dealer has no more, and they won’t be in until sometime Wednesday.
Now... Today through Thursday I’m supposed to go to Jamestown for Hairspray rehearsal, about 20 minutes away, in town driving, and then go to Burlington for Guys & Dolls, about 40 minutes in the other direction, mostly interstate, and then back home, 35-40 minutes interstate. I don’t know if my thin front passenger side tire can make it to Thursday. I don’t want a blow-out on the interstate, and I don’t want to miss rehearsal. Is it safer to take a slower route? Should I rent a car?
Ug.
Advice?
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