I found Saturday how much tires can mimic other problems. Oh, its a wheel bearing, Oh its the CV shaft, Oh its this and that. How about a sway bar? hmm. Tie rods? How about the driver's side front strut?
There I was, grabbing at straws with some help from technicians and all the issues were solved by one trip that cost about $18.00 and a whim. I mean, I needed at least two front tires if I were to replace one, right? Well, hell. I grabbed Dad and went to the tire shop, a trusted one that has done my father right the couple times he'd been there and had good reviews. Ok, so it isn't the best looking place or best location but they got the issue solved. This tattooed and pierced fella, probably all of maybe 140 pounds with random piercings came up to the desk and asked the obvious questions .. well, I ummm, would like prices on a couple tires .. 205 70R15s .. Sir, I don't think we have any used tires but we have new ones? That'd be about 130 out the door ... I asked, what about the TPMS crap on the stems? He looked at me funny and proceeded out the door toward this Silver Buick .. I hadn't noticed, he noticed me coming in since it was on the other side of the shop. He bent down to examine the valve stems .. said, normally these have a metal piece on them, or a band around the rim .. I don't see that here. He got up and checked the tires and said, so, what's the matter with the tires??? Yes, they have pretty good tread left on them. Ummm ... driver's side front tire is leaking air ... not knowing that they do tire repairs ... I mean, they look like just a get em off and get em on type of shop. We can do that, he said ... and rotation will be $12.00 .. depending on what we find with the tire, will depend on the price. I said, Ok. He said, let's get you into the line up. 1After marking me down on a sheet of paper, I headed outside to absorb the incoming storm clouds and a random old fella asking me about my car .. "How do you keep the frame from rusting beneath the doors?" I replied, well, you go out and find a car that doesn't have rust there.
Our conversations went from cars to work and lasted until the time this courteous gentleman, well groomed and what would seem to me afraid of grease or dirt ... but that's just the stereotype coming out ... from the shop asked me to pull the car around and beneath this open tent-like canopy.2A few minutes of jacking up and zipping through lug nuts and hub caps, the tires had been rotated and the tattooed fella, as he rolled the tire over a couple times, glanced over and said .. you got a nail. I nodded appreciatively. In about ten minutes total, my car was rotated and the nail hole, plugged. I was told to take the car around the block and then come back to have the lugs re-tightened and the caps and such put back on. 3
All in about a hour and a half, yep there was a big lineup, my issues that drowned me in thoughts of repairs that would need money I didn't have, floated away. No more strange sounds from the tires, better handling, and no more erratic steering. Its interesting how one low tire with a nail in has such an effect on the overall control of a car and my sanity.4
My thanks go out to a busy and responsive team at Triplett Tire Depot.5
Strangely though, I also learned how standing around outdoors can magnetically charge people to converse whereas, a cooped up waiting room can be so stifling.
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