| Author | Message | ||
     Midnightrider |
Did my once a month road trip from Maryland to New York and back this weekend. On the way back I'd put about 250 miles behind me with another 100 to go when I got to some pretty rough road cuts and repaving work, tooling along in the right lane of a divided 4 lane at 70 mph. Wham! All of a sudden I'm in the left lane and the truck is wobbling all over. Steering didn't want to seem to respond and then it really responded-now I crossed out of the left lane, across the right lane and was heading off the shoulder. Put a death grip on the wheel and gently braked to a stop. Got out and was certain I'd find a blown front tire. WTF? Everything looked fine. Looked under the front end a couple times - it was just at dusk but everything looked fine. Got back in, sat there a minute and took a few deep breaths. I was right at the beginning of an exit ramp so I decided I'd pull slowly off the highway. After a couple feet the truck's wobbling over again so I limped it as far to the right as I could go. Got out this time and now I see the drivers front tire has about a 30 degree toe-out. Must have thrown some lugs nuts I'm thinking - but they are all there. Peek under again and everything still looks intact. I figure I'm not about to crawl under it in case whatever is holding the wheel on decides to let go. Call a tow truck and give him the info - Southbound on 83 near York, off the side of the exit ramp with the nearest cross street of Church Road - 2001 Dodge Ram - blue. Tow truck driver calls me a few minutes later to confirm the information. He asks me what happened so I tell him the story. Then he asks me what exit I had pulled off. I tell him "You know, I'm not really sure - I was too busy trying to control my sphincter." Honest to God he then says " I thought you said you was driving a Dodge Ram?" All I could think of was "Really? Did you really say that?" He couldn't figure out why I was laughing and I'm not sure if it was due to that or not but he was a miserable SOB when he finally got there 45 minutes later. Of course the shops were all closed but we towed it to the nearest one (Dodge dealer......ouch...) and they called today to say it was a cracked wheel hub. They say they've never seen that before. Ever. That doesn't surprise me - seems to be my MO. Wife came and got me and although this was truly the most scared I can ever remember being in my adult life INCLUDING two tours to Iraq, I kept cracking up on the ride home. Tow truck - USAA Auto Club - no charge. Replace wheel hub - $480 parts and labor (estimate), "I thought you said you was driving a Ram" .....priceless | ||
| Nvr2old |
Can't stop laughing. Beautifully buried and unexpected punchline. | ||
| Brinnutz |
LOL...Thanks for the laugh! And also, from one vet to another...Thanks! | ||
| Midnightrider |
Thanks It's true what they say - you just can't make this stuff up Don | ||
| Brinnutz |
Oh, and the funniest thing that happened on my once a month trips was watching a Porsche Cayenne blow through a "Not Open Highway Tolling" toll booth, and ripped the gate right down. That had to leave a mark... |
