Dear Tom and Ray:

You really made a big mistake in your advice to "Don" regarding his wheels. He was the guy whose wheels were rusted onto to his old car. You told him to have a mechanic heat up the wheels with an oxy-acetelyne torch, then bang them off with a large hammer while they're still hot. You should have told him to make sure the tires are removed before heating up the wheels. Otherwise, it could cause the tire pressure to increase and create an explosion. Please pass this along to your readers. Kevin

Tom: I'm not sure what to tell them, Kevin. Have you ever tried getting a tire off a wheel while the wheel is stuck on the car? What are you going to do, cut it off with a chain saw?

Ray: You're right, there is a small amount of danger involved in this procedure, but not much. Most professional mechanics can tell when a tire is heating up too much. And if they can't...well, I guess this is natures way of getting rid of the less competent among us!

Tom: Seriously, if a mechanic wants to play it safe, he can always let the air out of the tire before applying the torch. Then, if the tire starts to reinflate, that's his warning.

Ray: Right. Then he knows it's time to call his assistant over and say "Hey, Billy-Bob, finish up this job for me, will ya?" 1295

Changing your oil is the cheapest insurance you can buy for your car, but how often should you change it? Find out by ordering Tom and Ray's pamphlet Ten Ways You May Be Ruining Your Car Without Even Knowing It! To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1993 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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