Biggest thing I've ever pulled from my tire.

"Dr_Watson" (dr_watson) 01/14/2015 at 18:00 • Filed to: tires, puncture

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22

Took the wife to work this morning and on the return trip while going down my street I started hearing a horrible racket from the right rear. Inspected the tire and suspension, everything looked fine until I saw this guy peaking out at me.

Now I've gotten my fair share of nails, screws, staples, and stuff I would refer to as "the Home Depot parking lot special" (that place is littered with all manner of fasteners that fall out of ubiquitous white vans). But this thing put any tread block hitchhiker I've ever seen to complete shame.

Here's the nut and the shaft after removal:

The patch is holding pressure so far, I was worried since I waited until mid-day warmth but it was still 15°F when I put it in... makes me nervous since I would expect rubber repair to like heat to fully goo and plug the hole.

Only need to last a few months though. This is the 4th winter on those Blizzaks, the sipes are pretty well gone and traction has dropped off substantially from years past so they should most likely be replaced next year.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Dr_Watson 01/14/2015 at 18:01

5

Looks like a U-bolt. Somebody may have had a worse day than you.

Dr_Watson > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 01/14/2015 at 18:05

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Busted off someone's suspension? The tip of it looks like it sheared off a larger object.

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > Dr_Watson 01/14/2015 at 18:05

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Huehuehue Nut and shaft huehuehue

Funktheduck > Dr_Watson 01/14/2015 at 18:05

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I've picked up so many nails and screws it's not funny. I had one with the head of the nail puncturing. Like a framing nail with a broad head and not the pointy end.

Biggest thing I picked up was about a year ago. It was a randomly shaped piece of flat metal. About the thickness of a mailbox and a weird shape. Could easily be mistaken for the shape of a state or African country.

Dr_Watson > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen 01/14/2015 at 18:08

2

Yeah, he went nut deep on me.

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > Dr_Watson 01/14/2015 at 18:11

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LMFAO

but still... nut and shaft? Srsly? lol

HammerheadFistpunch > Dr_Watson 01/14/2015 at 18:18

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blizzak ws-70, they look about as worn as mine too.

Dr_Watson > HammerheadFistpunch 01/14/2015 at 18:20

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ws-60... they be old.

HammerheadFistpunch > Dr_Watson 01/14/2015 at 18:21

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wow, I thought my 70's were ancient.

Dr_Watson > HammerheadFistpunch 01/14/2015 at 18:25

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2011 vintage ... might be time to try some hakkipallakonegsegg.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Dr_Watson 01/14/2015 at 18:36

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It's not uncommon for a U-bolt to corrode in the "arch" part like this and then to shear off under shock. I've seen quite a few "narrowed" over the arch like that from sitting against the axle - presumably because it's acting as a galvanic donor.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Funktheduck 01/14/2015 at 18:37

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Biggest and weirdest object around this place was probably my mom, who got a spark plug stuck in a tire...

Dr_Watson > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 01/14/2015 at 18:46

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If this is a common thing for panther platform cars that's probably what it is then. I picked it up outside a cab depot parking lot entrance. So lots of town cars and crown vics (and oddball van things of random breed).

someone else may have picked up the other half too, while I was patching the leak I saw another car limp by with a deconstructing right rear.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Dr_Watson 01/14/2015 at 18:50

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Crown Vics and the like have a different rear suspension - the prime suspect for this one would be something like a Chevy Express van or an import truck.

Dr_Watson > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen 01/14/2015 at 18:50

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I like innuendo with my accident reports. ;)

Funktheduck > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 01/14/2015 at 18:52

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I know how it got there. Here's the story.

There was a man with an old Alfa. True to Alfa form it only works for a short period of time after many hours of diagnosis and fixing followed by sacrificing an animal. When it came time and the car was finally running the man was so excited he forgot the animal sacrifice. He hopped in and drove off. He remembered the sacrifice needed to keep going. The equation is complicated but it's roughly 1 1/2 prairie dogs per 3.56 miles driven. He swerved to hit a couple squirrels and figured it was good enough. He, obviously, being a forgetful man forgets to do the Alfa chant praising the car gods. So a short jaunt down the road and the Alfa car god was angry he didn't get his chant or proper sacrifice. Albino chickadees are acceptable but squirrels not so much. The Alfa god shot a bolt of total engine failure to the little Alfa roadster. One spark plug shot out, along with a collapsed valve spring, and an un diagnosable electrical fault. Your mom found the plug.

JEM > Dr_Watson 01/14/2015 at 18:58

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Whoa. That's impressive!

One of my summer Radial T/As had a roofing nail in it for years, never caused a problem. Never got it fixed since it seemed to seal itself.

Worst thing I ever pulled out was a fist sized block of ice from the wheel. Got on the highway and after a couple minutes I thought my front end was going to shake apart. Now, having a Jeep, the death wobble is not unfamiliar but this was... something else. Got out thinking something serious was wrong and noticed there was a massive chunk of ice rattling around on the inside of the wheel.

Dr_Watson > JEM 01/14/2015 at 19:15

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Yeah I've been in the icy wheel "where is that fucking vibration above 50mph coming from!" boat before. I had a 91 cavalier in highschool that had these odd rotating blade factory alloys that looked a bit like this.

Any time they got near a snow pile they would hoover it all into the interior of the wheel where it would ice up and be a general pain in my ass.

McMike > Dr_Watson 01/14/2015 at 20:44

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That reminds me of the shit I found in Mrs McMike's tire a few years ago.

BJ > Dr_Watson 01/14/2015 at 20:50

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I worked in a tire shop one summer and the jar of "trophies" they kept was pretty impressive. There were all manner of strange big nails, large pieces of wood, bolts with nuts and washers, etc...

Dr_Watson > McMike 01/14/2015 at 21:09

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damn yo, that may be bigger than mine.

Gabriel > Dr_Watson 01/15/2015 at 07:51

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I once have a metal rod through the tire AND rim that grinded my rear brake drum. It was impressive and the sound was loud.