From happy to miserable in just 15 minutes

[SST]

Well, what a day. After 2-1/2 weeks waiting for my boat to be repaired I went and picked it up later this afternoon. Hitched it up, paid my bill and off to the marina.

While on the way, I hit a bump. Never saw it. But it caused the boat and trailer to rock up and down on the leaf springs. I looked out both windows and didn’t see anything. But while on the expressway, a terrible rumble shook the truck. Instruments looked ok. Looked in the mirrors and I see smoke coming out if the trailer. Shit, the tires. There is no place to pull over so I kept going and managed to get the boat to the West Marine parking lot. The rear tire is destroyed and the front tire is holding its air even though the fender is cutting into it.

I tried to change the bad tire but the lug nuts are so cranked, I’m not strong enough to loosen them. Unfortunately the boat will likely sit until Monday morning. I will try again tomorrow morning (Saturday) to find a contractor via boatUS. Here are a couple of pics.

That’s my license plate.

 

[Doc]

Man, so sorry. That is horrible.
Hindsight is 20/20 but I will suggest Triple A, or having roadside assistance added to your vehicle insurance. I believe either could have helped you get on your way the same day.

 

[SST]

By the time I made the call it was around 7:30. They did find one person but I declined because he wanted my CC and charge it $250 before I even get back to the boat. Plus I didn’t know if the front tire was going flat which would have canceled everything and he walks away with 250. The boat is safe in a large parking lot at a marina, West Marine and the Sheriffs marine office. No rush……this time.

This picture shows the fender cutting into the front tire.

 

[SST]

I have to say these tires are pretty good. The destroyed tire never stopped turning. There are no skid marks anywhere on the expressway (I found the chunk of tread), off ramp or parking area. Rim still looks good even with the balance tabs.

Hopefully a happy update tomorrow.

 

[Denny]

Sorry to hear about your day. Your boat ins should cover your cost.
I torque my trailer lugs to 90 lbs, because I lack the strength too. At 90lbs, I can break them loose.

 

[SST]

On my car I can remove my lugs that are torqued to 125lbs. But the trailer and my truck are torqued waay beyond that. Thank goodness I have never needed a tire change on the truck. I simply couldn’t do it.

 

[SST]

Problem being solved as I write this. Over the weekend I got my nephew [younger and stronger] to help me out. But even he couldn't get that last lug nut off. We just kept scratching our heads trying to figure it out. I walked back to my truck to dig out the tools to change a tire on my truck and discovered that the single point lug wrench for the truck matched the lugs on the trailer. We then applied the breaker bar to the wrench and the lug nut finally gave way. Then put the spare on.

With the spare on now, the trailer fender is now above the tires. Due to the slicing of the front tire, I had my nephew follow me to the marina and we launched. After cruising around, I then towed the trailer to the repair shop. New tires, and updated suspension. At the DMV for a new license plate today...we are about good to go.

 

[Doc]

Congrats. Back in business.

I recently had lug nut problems. A slow leak on my Kubota RTV side by side so I needed to take the tire to a repair shop. I could not loosen the lugs. None of them. Got the breaker bar. Still no go. Put a pipe over the breaker bar to extend it by 8 or 10 inches. Still no joy.
I was going to wait on my son to come by and help but then got to thinking. What if I put the breaker bar on the lug nut and then pull forward till the handle hit the concrete. I then inched forward a tad. Checked the lug, sure nuff it was loose. Had to do the same with all 4 lugs. Just enough to break the seal, then I loosened them a bit more with the 4 way lug wrench. Jacked up the RTV and removed the wheel. Worked like a charm.

 

[Denny]

That is what happens when some with an impact wrench and 150 lbs hammers on the lugs. 30 yrs and 90 lbs with a torque wrench. Never had to change one on the road, but if I have to, I want to be able to. I am familiar with a 4 ft length of pipe however.

 

[SST]

Probably back in 2009 or so when I was a lot stronger, I had my first boat trailer flat tire. Not like the shredding this time.....just a flat. Anyways, those lug nuts were on so tight I spun the wheel. I'm kinda laughing, how in the hell am I supposed to get the lugs nuts off it the tire is going to spin. Eventually, AAA came and he took care of it.

Slightly off topic: What is the strongest glue in the world? In my opinion, "tire glue." My shredded tire is still completely glued to the rim. Another viewpoint is watching planes land in extreme crosswinds and watch those tire take abuse....check out this video and watch for the 2nd plane arriving, a Q400. Would not want to be in the last row on this arrival....

 

[SST]

Just picked up the trailer. New leaf spring suspension. 4 new tires. Up graded from c to d (stronger sidewalls) and a Freon charge to the truck. $1650. Now just waiting for a good stretch of calm weather and start towing into Canada.

 

[SST]

 

[Denny]

There should not have been any glue that rim. That tire was healed to the rim from age and pressure. When you trailer boat there more maintenance than just the boat. you were probable do, that can just moved everything along a little sooner. Look at it as some kind of wake up call.

 

[SST]

I was maybe 10 years old when I saw a tire change onto a rim. I saw him swab some kinda liquid onto the tires beads and then watched him mount it. I just assumed it was some kind of adhesive, not a lubricant. Never thought a tire would hold under such extreme conditions without it.

 

[Denny]

I was maybe 10 years old when I saw a tire change onto a rim. I saw him swab some kinda liquid onto the tires beads and then watched him mount it. I just assumed it was some kind of adhesive, not a lubricant. Never thought a tire would hold under such extreme conditions without it.

The only ones that don't are drag cars with the real wide tires, they run screws thru the rims to hold them in place because of the extreme torque.