March 08, 2020

Flat tire life saver



The other day as I happened to walk pass by my neighbour's house, I saw her standing staring at her daughter's car. She pointed to a flat tire and asked if I could help. I saw my son was already trying to get the flat tire accessories from our car and told her what she really needs is a hollow pipe to effectively assist the job so I left to look behind our backlane for any hollow pipe as I knew there was a house nearby under construction. To my (or specifically "her") luck,  I found a broken disused pole for broom. By the time I returned, I saw the neighbour's daugther solid-looking boyfriend trying hard to unscrew the tyre nut but to no avail. I came over, inserted the hollow pole over the tyre lever, strategically placed my hands so as not to accidentally bend the pole instead, tried my best and that pole did the job. After all the nuts were removed, I sprayed some slippery diesel over the bolts as I could not find my WD-40 spray. Before I left, I told my neighbour we must never forget what our science teacher taught us in school i.e. the longer the lever multiply by the same arm effort increases the pressure to release the jammed nut and how they will be useful to us when the time comes.

CONCLUSION: Experience pays to acquire some added tip to do the job. In my own case, nuts were removed and tyre was lifted high enough but the rim was "glued" to the axle. No amount of kicking could get it off the axle. I thought it would be good if I had a sledge hammer or at least a rubber hammer then EUREKA! an idea popped out. I ended up using the spare tyre as my rubber hammer and after a few knocks at the glued tyre it came off. Yes, it pays to be creative.

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