I backed my 2007 Cobalt LT out of the garage one very cold morning recently but didn’t sense something was wrong underneath because in this cold climate (upper Midwest) cold tires normally thump a few minutes until the flat spots fill out. However, I soon noticed a pull to the left, and different than normal sounds and vibrations. Something didn’t sound or feel right. I stopped after about 2 blocks and got out to look at the front end. I was surprised to see my driver’s side front tire had completely deflated and that I was virtually running on the rim. I slowly drove back to my driveway and put on my small spare so I could get to work.
When I inspected the rim later I found a small one inch long crack running from the edge toward the hub. I don’t know if it was a new crack or whether an original weld had opened. I am not a mechanic but I suspect the sequence of what happened is that the crack ruined the seal of the tire to the rim and because of that the air pressure was lost.
The questions I have about this situation are:
- Is it possible that the tire is still safe to use? It is still on the rim and looks none the worse for wear on the outside.
- Would it be a safe and normal procedure to have the rim welded and smoothed out then have the old tire or a new tire mounted?
Thanks for the advice.