Ok, so since I have lived in NJ I have spent $1,300 on wheels and tires for my car. That is nearly as much as what I paid the movers to move my entire apartment 1,700 miles.
When I was driving here from Texas, I noticed that a tire was peeling at the side wall. I then inspected all of my tires and at the end of it all, there were 3 that were doing this. I figured this wasn't safe, but I couldn't do much about it until I was out of transit and where I needed to ultimately end up. When I got here, I went to a tire place and found out that my tires were defective.
A little over $500 later, I contacted a Nankang tire distributor with the help of my friends at the tire place I purchased my new tires. With their help, I managed to get a measly $40 per tire from the distributor for the defects.
About a week or so ago I hit a huge pothole in the road. I didn't think to much about it, because they happen to be EVERYWHERE in this fucking state. Later on I realized that one of my tires had a huge piece of rubber hanging off of the tire and a huge scratch in my rim.
*Each rim on my car is approximately $500 to replace.
I went to the tire place again and we went ahead and ordered a new tire. The guy there told me that there was a possibility that the rim might be damaged on the inside, but there was no way to know until we took the tire off and went to replace the new one; the tire took a day to come in. He then informed me that if this happened to be the case, he would put the spare on and we would go from there. I went in the following day expecting to pay for the tire, and guess what? When they went to take the tire off, they showed me a huge crack in the rim. They then also suggested that instead of replacing one rim for $500, I go with a whole new set of rims for just a little over the price of the one my car currently had on. He then showed me that the rear rim was also scratched due to the same pothole, but it was still in decent condition.
I decided to go with four new rims for $600 instead of the same rim I had on the car for $500 a pop. They were similar rims, but much cheaper. Instead of four rims at $500 each, I went for four brand new non-scratched rims for $150 a piece.
I had to order these rims and wait until they were in, therefore I was driving on the spare tire until they came in. I went in yesterday and they are all fixed and looking quite good. I left the place paying a little over $750, but at least they are all brand new and looking pretty sharp.
In eight months, I have spent $1300 in wheels and tires. That is approximately $162.50 a month I could have spent on something better. I feel that the state should pay me back for their negligence of the road conditions, but I am sure any attempt to call them will accomplish nothing. I think I would be better off talking to a brick wall and making friends with it. I do, however find it ironic that the pothole has miraculously been patched up. I wonder if I was not the only one to have to suck it up and spend the extra money to ensure my safety. I also wonder if something bad happened to me in that week of me driving around on an unsafe tire and a damaged rim if there would be a way to prove that it were due to unsafe roads. What would have come out of it? What if i didn't notice the tire and never knew about the rim?
The roads here suck, and I can't believe how people neglect them where they can get THAT bad. The pothole was so big and deep it were as if one side of my car went diving into a huge ditch and came out all scratched up.
The pothole was unavoidable as well. It was on a narrow bridge going to my house from work, and if someone is coming the other way, you can't do anything about it. I guess the phrase "wrong place at the right time" could be modified to "wrong place all the time"...... until it was fixed I suppose.
Anyway, Suki has a brand new pair of shoes now...... these better be nicer to her or I may have to cut someone. I do not anticipate having to make any purchases with tires and wheels for a long time to come!!!
*this is not my rim, but it is 5 spoke, therefore somewhat similar.
