The Pirelli Editon: 75% the car it used to be.

dub envy · Post by **dub envy** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 5:29 pm

I've bent a rim.

Bugger.

Had a blow out on the way to UVD. Driving along a nice new smooth bit of tarmac. It sounded like I'd driven over something and it had flicked up into my rear arch causing a loud banging noise, looked in the mirror and saw something bouncing along the road... The car drove fine afterwards and didnt make any more noise so I just put it down to running debris over..... Turned out it was actually a 10cm long chunk of tyre had decided to depart from the inner sidewall of my rear left tyre!! About five miles down the road going at a steady 70mph it felt like the road was bumpy. I know there are sections of M25 that make you think your loosing all 4 wheels!! I decided to change lanes to see if it was the road or my car, and as I changed lanes the car wobbled all over the place from the rear!

So, the chunk of tyre left the wheel, and all I can presume is the sidewall stayed up for the next 5 miles. It was untill the tyre tore itself off the rim all the way round the inside that I actually noticed anything!! I'm still trying to figure out if that's a good thing or not..

Who knows what would of happened if it was a front tyre that did it!!

But. The really bad news it that the wheel is now slightly bent. There is a small flat spot on the outer rim on the P side, and the inner rim has a slight twist on it when span. The tyre shop seem to think it will be ok to put on the back as the buckle is so slight.

So the Pirelli's are coming off. I need to replace a coupl eof tyres on my steelies, and will drive on them til after the winter. All 4 Pirellis will be stripped of tyres and then fully repolished ready to go in my loft.

My 14in P's are currently donating their 185/50x14' to my new 14in wheels that I will be using until the weather gets really bad, as they are currently fitted with 185/55x14 tyres. The buggers wouldn't fit under my arches!!

I'm picking up new wheel snext week too. My mum hates me. I've had 4 wheels in the living room for the last month!

Krupa · Post by **Krupa** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 5:39 pm

Ouch, sounds painful, but I'm glad to hear you came off reasonably lightly!

That's the problem with really low profile tyres, my mate's Focus did the same thing and it knackered a wheel in the process.

dub envy · Post by **dub envy** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 5:42 pm

Oh, and the tyre monkey scratched my wheel in the process of removing both bits of tyre. Nothing that the repolish won't sort out though..

He had a bastard of a job trying to get the 1cm of sidewall of the rim!!

SpikeyG40 · Post by **SpikeyG40** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 6:06 pm

sorry to hear about the wheel mate, at least ur ok though!

my deepest sympathy!

Tahrey1043 · Post by **Tahrey1043** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 10:42 pm

freaky! the dub hand of jah being with you there i think. mon. or just real stiff low profile tyres, that you had trouble recognising the lack of height from?

keep an eye on your rubbers people, its bad if they break whether you be on paper, the road, or the pull...

now what you want is an oldskool fiat panda... an entire front wheel losing its bolts will still leave you mostly upright (albeit powerless of course and lopsided in the braking dept) and able to coast to a brown trousered halt on the shoulder. so i've been told.

dub envy · Post by **dub envy** » Sat Dec 04, 2004 11:21 am

A mate of mine got overtaken by his rear wheel on his old orion... He managed to getthe car to the layby without touching the car on the floor!!