Another Way To Get a Tire Dealer Laughing

My previous post talked about how to get tire dealers laughing at you; this one covers the same idea. I found another story about some poor fellow who flat spotted a tire while driving, rather aggressively, on a country road. The driver enter a blind corner too fast in heavy fog, misjudged the braking distance, and had to brake heavily to avoid going off the road.

For those that don't know, a flat spot happens when a tire stops spinning under heavy braking and goes into a skid. The part of the tire in contact with the ground gets worn off due to the friction, thus creating a flat spot. A large flat spot can cause a vibrations and could potentially shake parts of the wheel and suspension loose. This could be very dangerous, and thus it is important to keep in mind that no one should ever drive on a flat spotted tire.

For your entertainment, here is a picture of the tire. The flat spot is visible on the right side of the tire as shown in the picture. When this particular tire was mounted on the car, the flat spot was on the outer side on the left front. This means that the car was braking while turning right, hence weight transferred to the front left, resulting in the flat spot being located where it is.

There is nothing that a tire dealer can do to fix a flat spotted tire. Unless the flat spot is very minor, you will have to purchase a new tire. Make sure your ready to explain your story though; most tire dealers get a good laugh out of people abusing their tires.