Don't you people ever rotate your tires?

Cya,
Robert

----- Original Message -----
From: <JordanVw@AOL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, November 14, 2005 10:08 PM
Subject: Re: Old Spare Tire

> yes..i have seen many vans that still had the original 15-20-25 year old
> spares under the front..  all dryrotted of course..   once i went to pick
> up a
> van..  it had a flat... i didnt have a spare with me, so i had to use the
> van's
> spare..which was an original C rated Continental and had never been out of
> the
> carrier or even seen pavement.. still had the little nibs on the tread...
> it
> had been in there so long the steel rebar had left rust marks and
> indentations
> into the rubber and the top part of the wheel was filled with dirt and
> stones...     i got 5 miles with that spare before it grenaded at 65mph on
> the
> freeway, the slinging rubber bending the rear 1/4 body panel behind the
> wheelwell...causing the van to fishtail in-tow.  not fun.   had to unload
> off the dolly
> on the side of the interstate, (in the dark, of course) and  use one of
> the
> front tires on the back..mounting the blown to smithereens spare back on
> the
> front and ratcheting the tie downs all the way down over the bare rim..
>
> definately check your spare tires..  an original 20 yr old Conti is NOT
> something to be proud of.. :<)
>
> chris