Tag Archive for: run flat tyres

Flat Tyres on the Motorway

Flat Tyres on the motorway

So, in the past years, I have written many times. Of course, about how to change your punctured wheel. Although not all punctures occur on the motorway system. Importantly, this is what I am going to write about ! British motorways, as we all know, are always extremely busy. So, as many of my readers know. Hence, I delivered some of our battery sales to all over the UK. Inclusively, from Devon to Aberdeen. Covering all of the UK . When delivering very large truck batteries or even leisure batteries.

Many times I will set of at 4.30. Of course, depending on where I am going. So, for a short while in mid-summer, it will be light at this time. Happily and a pleasure to drive, with wonderful sunrises that only the early risers would see. However, the particular morning that caused me to write this article was dark. It was raining heavily and extremely windy. In fact, it was a terrible morning to be driving on the motorways !

Two miles on and a loud bang ! Flat Tyres on the Motorway

So, this particular day, I was heading for the Bristol area with about ten deliveries of different batteries. My usual motorway entry junction is the Barnsley entry/exit just south of the “Woolley Edge” service area on the M1 motorway. As I have said, it was a stinking morning with a gale blowing and raining heavily ! No problem; I thought it could only get better. However, I could not have been more wrong ! So, about two miles on, I remember running over something in the dark . A juddering sound followed this, which was frightening.

This was to be my first punctured tyre  at any time in my life !

probably one of the reasons for this. It is because, as the owner of a tyre centre, I have always had new tyres on any of my vehicles. Thus protecting me against any imminent tyre problem, including flat tyres on the highway. My van started to drift about ! So at first, I thought it could be the strong winds that were blowing. Even at that time of the morning, the M1 motorway is very busy with trucks and other vehicles alike.

Realising that I had a flat tyre, I pulled over onto the hard shoulder of the motorway. The wind was howling ! Rain was pouring down, and I was totally miffed, to say the least. Adrenaline was beginning to kick in ! Frightened at the prospect of changing the wheel with trucks whizzing by only four feet away. So, the first thing that came to mind was “where is the spare wheel?” and jack and “wheel l brace Disappointingly, then, I did not practise what I had been preaching for all these years.

I finally found all the tools and spare wheel-Flat Tyres on the Motorway

I was scrambling about in the dark, then I shifted the batteries and finally found the wheel brace and tool kit. Jacking points were no problem, and luckily, I managed to lower the spare wheel without any problems. So, this is where my 40 years experience came in. As the trucks were hurtling by, I managed the job pretty quickly. My only snag was that I had put the spare back into the carrier the wrong way around.

So, it was sort of dangling about a bit. However, I was able to limp along to the next service and fit the spare correctly and safely. As daylight approached, I began to think about my bad experience. Proudly, I had applied myself and done the wheel change safely and speedily. So I was back on my way down the M1 just an hour later.

However, my experience had made me think about what could have been !

Including what if the driver had been a lady driver !  Or even an elderly driver. So much so, in fact, that I have now completely changed my stance. especially over changing a wheel on the motorway or any other busy road.

My new advice from now on would be that drivers should join one of the breakdown services. Recently, I have noticed that the breakdown services have been changing their customers wheels. Admittedly, I  did snigger a little ! Of course, but not now !

Having ! experienced this with all the elements against me ! So I do now know that many people would not have been able to cope with this bad experience. Also, if you are capable of physically changing your own wheel, you should check out all the tools that you will require.

Also, there are now different spare wheel systems. Flat Tyres on the Motorway

1. Many vehicles still carry a standard type of spare wheel. Just the same as the ones that will be on the vehicle. This was the case in the van that I was driving on that torturous rainy night. Flat Tyres on the Motorway
2. Vehicles will also have a spare wheel. However, it will be a “temporary spare” wheel. The wheel has the same overall diameter as your vehicle’s tyres. However, it will be much thinner, usually a steel wheel. Most vehicles have alloy wheels, and this spare will look much thinner than the ones on the vehicle.
3. Subsequently, these wheels do do the job and enable you to carry on with your journey. Importantly, though there is a limit to driving at 50 mph for a distance of 70 miles with one of these spares fitted.
4. Many cars are fitted with run-flat tyres. At first, I did not agree with these run-flat tyres ! Primarily because they were more expensive to replace than a standard tubeless tyre. However, I have changed my mind ? Because of the tyres’ safety features.
5. So if I had runflat fitted to my feet, then I would have been able to limp on. Albeit, at 50 mph. So the cars fitted with the run-flat system will not have a spare wheel, but the system will get most drivers out of trouble. So my opinion this is the worst system !
6. car makers lower the weight of their vehicles by not fitting a spare wheel at all. A can of repair sealant replaces the spare. This sealant only works if the tyre has a small nail or screw embedded in it. So, anything larger, such as a small cut or large hole, can not be sealed.
7. So, leaving you no better off and still stuck at the side of the road. The “no spare system” was to lower the cars overall weight to cut back on the cars emissions ! In my opinion then membership f one of the breakdown services is a must. Incidentally, when this repair sealant is used then the tyre has to be replaced as the cant be repaired.
8. Flat Tyres on the Motorway

I hope that this article informs drivers enough to check and see what spare wheel system is used on their car. Importantly, because of the high volume of traffic on our roads, we should perhaps join one of the breakdown companies. Ensuring that your wheel will be changed in safety, whatever your cars spare wheel system. Flat Tyres on the motorway.

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