Metro blow out

Ken · 17th February 2007, 16:32

I have been driving big and small stuff for nearly 40 years and never had a blow out until this morning at 5.30 while going to work. I never realised what it does to a car when a front tyre lets go and I don't want it to happen again. Luckily I was only doing 30 and two minutes later I would have been on the M27 so I count myself very lucky. No traffic about at all and managed to keep her on my side of the road but she went into the outside lane very quickly!

I changed the wheel but took her back home as I wanted to check her over in the light before using her again. I got the trusty 75 out and used that so it wasn't all bad

I have had a look at the tyre in the daylight and it has a 12" split in with about 8" of wire showing. Moral of this story is it was the original spare with the car and and she's 10 years old. I put the spare on a couple of months ago when I had a puncture and left it on. I will never do that again!

Ken

Mike · 17th February 2007, 16:36

Flippin eck Ken !! Glad you are all OK- it sounds very scary.

Good advice about spares though eh. I wonder how many 75/ZT's are driving around with 5 year old + spares.

GreyGhost · 17th February 2007, 16:53

Glad to hear it was no worse Ken. Personally I only ever use the spare as a spare. Not as a replacement.

Ken · 17th February 2007, 17:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grey Ghost

Glad to hear it was no worse Ken. Personally I only ever use the spare as a spare. Not as a replacement.

Exactly, thats where I went wrong and I will never do that again. :lol:

Ken · 17th February 2007, 17:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike

Flippin eck Ken !! Glad you are all OK- it sounds very scary.

Good advice about spares though eh. I wonder how many 75/ZT's are driving around with 5 year old + spares.

It was scary but also relieved it wasn't two minutes later on the motorway :lol: Any faster and I would have had a problem holding onto her.

Checking all tyres tomorrow on her and the 75. (including the spare

)

mach1rob · 17th February 2007, 20:37

Know how you feel though, I had a blow out on M3 coming down towards Winchester from Basingstoke. Was doing what 75ish at the time, 8am on a Sunday morning, and in my old MG Montego. Now those that may remember, these had run flat tyres on them, I never knew anything! Sounded like I was driving a diesel, but just put it down to the road surface, wasn't until a car overtook and waved and pointed, I noticed! Dirty great split in it, and it was smoking away quite happily to itself, took a good 15-20 mins for it to cool down enough to pick it up and put it back in the boot. :SHOCKED:

Rich · 17th February 2007, 21:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike

I wonder how many 75/ZT's are driving around with 5 year old + spares.

Me for one!

Think I'll be checking the condition (and air pressure) of it tomorrow

lightpainter · 18th February 2007, 09:35

You had better luck than me in Nov 2000, I’d left home in Kent to work in Welsh Wales at about 0430 so by the time I got onto the M4 there was still not to much traffic on the road, middle lane going a about 70 MPH when an almighty great bang and the back just swung round and took me up the embankment, I remember hanging on to the wheel and saying “O S*eeeeT”, ended up on it’s side and just walked out through the missing widescreen, no more than a scratch on my knee, he was certainly smiling down on me that day.

GreyGhost · 18th February 2007, 10:00

That's an extremely lucky escape LP. 100 yards further on and you'd have been greeting one of the bridge supports.

Ken · 18th February 2007, 10:36

Very lucky there as GG said a bridge support is not a good place to stop a van

Just got back from Kwik fit and they were horrified with the tyre! There was no puncture at all just a blown out side wall so please check those spares are not too old and past it like mine obviously was. For new readers it was the original spare and the car is ten years old. I put it on the road a couple of months ago in place of a punctured tyre and never put it back as the spare.

Ken

17th February 2007, 16:32	#1
Ken Busy doing nothing! . Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Hampshire Posts: 6,373 Thanks: 33 Thanked 44 Times in 16 Posts	Metro blow out I have been driving big and small stuff for nearly 40 years and never had a blow out until this morning at 5.30 while going to work. I never realised what it does to a car when a front tyre lets go and I don't want it to happen again. Luckily I was only doing 30 and two minutes later I would have been on the M27 so I count myself very lucky. No traffic about at all and managed to keep her on my side of the road but she went into the outside lane very quickly! I changed the wheel but took her back home as I wanted to check her over in the light before using her again. I got the trusty 75 out and used that so it wasn't all bad I have had a look at the tyre in the daylight and it has a 12" split in with about 8" of wire showing. Moral of this story is it was the original spare with the car and and she's 10 years old. I put the spare on a couple of months ago when I had a puncture and left it on. I will never do that again! Ken

17th February 2007, 16:36	#2
Mike This is my second home Rover 75 V8 Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 3,448 Thanks: 0 Thanked 206 Times in 32 Posts	Flippin eck Ken !! Glad you are all OK- it sounds very scary. Good advice about spares though eh. I wonder how many 75/ZT's are driving around with 5 year old + spares. __________________ Mike [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

18th February 2007, 09:35	#8
lightpainter Posted a thing or two 2004 Rover 75 Saloon 2.5 V6 Conn SE Auto Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Rainham, Kent. Garden of England Posts: 1,162 Thanks: 28 Thanked 42 Times in 6 Posts	You had better luck than me in Nov 2000, I’d left home in Kent to work in Welsh Wales at about 0430 so by the time I got onto the M4 there was still not to much traffic on the road, middle lane going a about 70 MPH when an almighty great bang and the back just swung round and took me up the embankment, I remember hanging on to the wheel and saying “O SeeeeT”, ended up on it’s side and just walked out through the missing widescreen, no more than a scratch on my knee, he was certainly smiling down on me that day. __________________ See my pictures here. My Flick*r [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

17th February 2007, 16:53	#3
GreyGhost Banned 180+ Sport Auto Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Bedford Middle Level Posts: 17,787 Thanks: 0 Thanked 18 Times in 5 Posts	Glad to hear it was no worse Ken. Personally I only ever use the spare as a spare. Not as a replacement.

17th February 2007, 20:37	#6
mach1rob Gets stuck in Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 889 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Know how you feel though, I had a blow out on M3 coming down towards Winchester from Basingstoke. Was doing what 75ish at the time, 8am on a Sunday morning, and in my old MG Montego. Now those that may remember, these had run flat tyres on them, I never knew anything! Sounded like I was driving a diesel, but just put it down to the road surface, wasn't until a car overtook and waved and pointed, I noticed! Dirty great split in it, and it was smoking away quite happily to itself, took a good 15-20 mins for it to cool down enough to pick it up and put it back in the boot. :SHOCKED:

18th February 2007, 10:00	#9
GreyGhost Banned 180+ Sport Auto Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Bedford Middle Level Posts: 17,787 Thanks: 0 Thanked 18 Times in 5 Posts	That's an extremely lucky escape LP. 100 yards further on and you'd have been greeting one of the bridge supports.

18th February 2007, 10:36	#10
Ken Busy doing nothing! . Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Hampshire Posts: 6,373 Thanks: 33 Thanked 44 Times in 16 Posts	Very lucky there as GG said a bridge support is not a good place to stop a van Just got back from Kwik fit and they were horrified with the tyre! There was no puncture at all just a blown out side wall so please check those spares are not too old and past it like mine obviously was. For new readers it was the original spare and the car is ten years old. I put it on the road a couple of months ago in place of a punctured tyre and never put it back as the spare. Ken