I know we have run flats, but I still don't trust that. So, I've stored away a tire pump from HF and a patch kit that I used to keep in my truck.

Today, My wife and I headed out to Troy, Ohio for my youngest granddaughter's 1rst birthday. I get about 40 miles away, and my wife and I hear an odd sound. We both look at each other. She says you have a flat, I turned the gauge to the tire monitor screen and say, no I don't when the warning went off! sure enough, instant flat.

I work my way to the shoulder and stop on the side of 71 N. We were around Sparta, the the road is three lanes there, thankfully. I asked my wife to get into the drivers seat, man the brakes, as I rolled the car forward looking for the damage. I found a dime size hole right in the middle of the tire. I'm guessing I kicked something up with the front tire, it hit the bottom of car (which must have been the sound we heard) and then it took out the rear tire. It was a hole! I managed to stuff two plugs in it and was able to fill the tire to limp home.

We missed the b-day party. I feel awful. I chose to drive the vette. Now my wife really hates this car. she stated it's the most impractical car we have ever owned.

Insult to injury, is I have to buy a new tire, barely had 3k miles on this one (replaced all four last August).

Third time I've had a flat in this car, but first time it went instantly flat! I'm glad I had the patch kit and HF air pump, otherwise we'd been sitting there awaiting a rollback!

Thanks for listening! Gotta check in on my Karma, have a track day coming up.

 

You have run-flats?
You could have made the party and come home. It was a rear, you would barely know it was flat. A little squirmish, but the car will still make the destination.

 

I agree. Once you knew the hole was too large to patch properly you should have just continued on your trip at a reduced speed. If the tire is repairable (yours wasn't) you can drive 50 miles at 50 mph and still repair the tire. In your case you could drive until the tire fell apart which probably would be several hundred to 1000 miles.

Bill

 

Yeah, I know. Run flats are the modern-day answer. I've come to not like them. They are a bit harsh. They're more expensive. They tend to not have as good a mileage, and you have only a few choices. I got rid of them on my Vette last Fall and Tuesday I'm replacing the CTS VSport tires with conventional tires. I managed to get 27,000 miles on the run flats, about half what a normal tire would give me. I bought tire repair kits for both cars, and I've got AAA 100 mile towing, so I figure I'm covered well enough.

 

Got a nail in my rear tire drove 35 miles to the dealer and they were able to patch it. Run flats have some issues but to me they offer piece of mind versus having to pull over and attempt to repair it myself or worse case have it towed.

 

That's the whole point of having run flat tires!

 

Guess I'm old school. The tire went flat immediately. Even though they are able to be run "flat" I didn't feel comfortable to trust it not damaging the rim..... My wife insisted we go home, I wanted to continue, after all I plugged the hole and it held air..... wasn't really thinking the whole "run flat" concept. Never had them before!

 

When I had a C6, on a drive from Florida to New Hampshire I once hit a pot hole the size of a Volkswagen at the Pennsylvania/ New York border. It was 6:00 AM on a Sunday so I knew there would be no chance of finding a tire shop. Even though the bead had broken and the tire was completely flat I drove 300 mile at 55 MPH all the way to New Hampshire. I was already planning on a new set of tires and wanted to take advantage of New Hampshire's lack of sales tax. I got the tire(s) replaced and the rim was fine. I will never give up my run flats.

 

 

 

Sorry to hear you had the problem. I've owned plenty of new cars and the majority of them picked up a flat before they had 5K miles on them. Must be a curse.

The worst part of your experience is your wife going sour on the car. When that happens little can be done to change it. You'll likely have to live with it as those feelings are not likely to change as long as you own that car. The flat tire was not the issue, the missed family gathering because if the flat was. Blames the car, and you for choosing it. Sorry brother, but it's their nature. Expect the next time you ask her to go for a Sunday drive in the Vette, she'll say, "no, you can go by yourself".

Yeah, likely to get some "chest pounders", w/ lots of bad advice based on the above, but for all us married types we know when Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.

 

Not exactly the same, but I have owned one or more Corvettes the entire 24 years we have been married. Several years ago, I built an 80. ZZ4 hi output motor, Art Car built 200R4 trans, custom stall converter, 3:73 rear gear, posi and a Koni suspension. Car was very quick. At 50 mph I punched it and car got sideways with my wife in it. I was told to take her home now. She told me she would never get back in that car. I had that car 5 more years, she never got in it. When I got the 14 Stingray she first said it was a waist of money, and highly impractical. She then said, scare me in this car, and I will never get in it again. She also took the Ron Fellows corvette school, so I can push this a bit harder, but I know the warning look. I'm careful not to upset her in the car as I like to take week end trips together in the car.

 

wasn't really thinking the whole "run flat" concept.

A dime sized hole could never be plugged and hold air.

 

You are a wise man my friend.

 

Mere technicality. So, I may have exaggerated the size. The hole was large enough that the plug kit reaming tool fit in without resistance, In other words, there was no need to ream the hole to fit the plugs. The hole would have swallowed one vulkin plug, so I combined 2 together and that did the trick. It is still holding air today.

the wife thing is another matter. Seems she gets easily bent when I purchase any "toy". I came home with an RSX Type S back in 2002 and she had a fit. I traded a Tundra for it. She gave me grief that it was a selfish purchase and it wasn't a "family" car! I bought it for the fuel economy and the pleasure of the ride.... The Tundra was killing be on fuel as my commute to work was over 50 miles 1 way at the time.

 

"Better living trough pharmaceuticals" might be something for her when you taking are the Vette !!!

 

Sometimes it'll take a horse tranquilizer. ............................

 

Well, sure. Your wife saw you choose, and it wasn't for the family gathering. Maybe a new sports car that can fit a child seat in the back seats might rebuild a bridge burned.