<VV> Comments On Old Tires--no Corvair

[henry kaczmarek]

Not a me too, and a true story.

This pretty much confirms Smitty's not to be questioned wisdom .

One day in '91 I left work after 4 hours (5AM to 9AM) and jumped in  my 1979 
Impala to drive to Buffalo.  Was picking up my aunt and mother and driving 
them to VA Beach.

Hit the rest stop on the peninsula side of the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel 
and came upon an Arlington Deputy trying to clear the men's room so he could 
bring a felon in to use the facility.  As I was still in uniform, badge and 
weapon I assisted in clearing the bathroom so the inmate and the deputy 
could be in there alone.   When he came out he asked me where I was headed. 
When he discovered I was going to go up 95 to the Beltway and head into 
western MD he asked me if I wanted to ride behind him.  No Transportation 
officer feels completely safe with a convicted felon in the back seat, and 
the backup would make his return easier.  We maintained between 80-100 MPH 
up 64 to Richmond, and around to 95 and north to Arlington.

Once the Radio Car exited in Northern VA, I lightened up a bunch on the 
pedal, went through Montgomery county to Fredrick, and took US 15 over the 
mountain past Camp David into PA.  About 8 miles into PA the left rear tire 
threw the tread.

I put the spare on, and next day I went to Dunn Tire in Buffalo to get a new 
one.  The Manager looked at the tire and the tread and told me  that it was 
a tire on the car or the spare from the assembly line.   I didn't even think 
about how old that tire was when I put it on the car from the spare spot in 
the trunk.

Since then, when buying ANY car, and especially a Corvair, unless the PO has 
receipts showing when the tires were purchased, I treat them all as NO 
HIGHWAY speed tires, and usually replace all 4 if the car's going on the 
road straight away.

Hank

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Smitty Smith" <vairologist at verizon.net>
To: <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2006 12:21 PM
Subject: <VV> Comments On Old Tires


> Smitty Says:  In one of my many disguises, I sold tires when I was young. 
> Even went to school to learn about them.  One thing I remember that may 
> have a major impact on old rubber failing is a thing called a "standing 
> wave".