: Hey, there's always next V-Day..... right??
Rehd,
Well, maybe you started out with something too difficult!

The wife had a flat the other day and called for instructions. Told her to call AAA and have'em put on the spare. Ten minutes later she calls again and I ask if AAA is on the way. She says, "Mo, I drove home." With visions of a trashed $400 wheel in my head, I bite my tongue, remembering V-day. She asks me to pick up our daughter from her skiing lessons, can do. Leave work early, drive home in heavy traffic and snow storm and get kid at the mountain. On the way I pass what looks like a Firestone Wilderness AT in the "after" mode along side the road a couple of miles from the house. My heart sinks.

Well she's right, she got home. The wheel's still there with the side walls wrapped around each other in the center. I bite down harder. Pick up a new Michellen at the wholesale club the next day-$92.50 plus tax. Call it an even hundred. No way I'm lettin' anybody down at the garage see this. So I pull the wheel and survey the damage. Not bad for a couple miles in the snow, I think I can save it. After a mild struggle, I get the old beads untangled and off. Using Pete Rudie's tip, I cargo strap it down to the workmate and realize it's about 10 deg. in the shop.

Selecting two long files I get to work and am soon pretty warm. I am pleased because the aluminum is smoothing up nice and the damage is superficial. Every couple of times I move the wheel I go down to the grinder to get the aluminum brushed out of the files. These are long files, 16". While cleaning one and concentrating on the brush a knuckle on my other hand gets ground off. Fortunately, I have a leather glove on so I don't see the blood. Using the angle grinder I wire brush the filed rim and clean up the inside of the wheel. Looks like new! I mount the tire and put it on the car. Done in just under four hours.

Next morning the wife sweetly asks what I'm gonna' do for her on V-day. Tell
her she's got a nice new tire. The last thing she said to me was "Bite my ass!" I'm bitting my tongue again.

Enjoy the cake!