The echidna's revenge or how you can wreck a tyre

[Wazza999]

Nearly home from a 5K km round trip through William Creek and down to the Gammon and Flinders Ranges. Survived the rail spike shrapnel on the Oodnadatta Track without any tyre damage. After a marathon 1000km last day, we were just about to reach the Barton Highway off ramp less than an hour from home when the vehicle in front swerved. I caught a glimpse of what looked like some debris so changed line to avoid it, but it moved, a poor unfortunate echidna was trying to cross the Hume. Had 70kg up top so too much evasive action wasn't wise, and the right hand front wheel go it amidships. I continued on feeling a bit bad for the animal. Next day I looked down at the wheel and there were quills a mm or two deep between the treads, closer inspection showed more than half a dozen driven deeply into the tyre treads and a slow leak has developed - so it's bye bye to a tyre with only 5K on it.

[Merts]

Yep. My missus just clipped an echidna with the sidewall and shoulder of a tyre a couple of years ago. We had thought we'd removed all the quills and repaired a slow leak, but when the tyre deflated again a few days later we realised we had to replace the nearly new tyre. 

[Foo]

Done a truck tyre hittin one of those critters.

Your worst nightmare is behind you. 😈

[tk421]

My father in law struck one late one night. Thought he'd stopped in time but it had wedged itself between the tire and the front trim, still alive and refusing to budge. Leaving him on the side of the road for half an hour with a flat tire he couldn't change.

Eventually it moved off with some persuading and prying with the jack handle.

[lukeycat]

They are cheeky little buggers we were staying at Corowa at the Rivergum retreat when the first round of floods hit the town (underwater again now) and a few of the critters were cruising around the camp when they are normally down in the wetland, we had one who really didn't want us to leave I thought this was hysterical.
See for yourself the ultimate in theft protection.






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[tracker]

They are cheeky little buggers we were staying at Corowa at the Rivergum retreat when the first round of floods hit the town (underwater again now) and a few of the critters were cruising around the camp when they are normally down in the wetland, we had one who really didn't want us to leave I thought this was hysterical.
See for yourself the ultimate in theft protection.





  Well...Bugger me.....


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[Joff]

Nailed one of them on the Putty Rd one night in my Pajero. Or at least that is what i surmised next morning when I walked out and found 12 quills stuck into the sidewall of my flat right rear tyre. 3 of them had gone through. 

[Squalo]

Crossing the Hay Plains one night on the way to Adelaide for the F1 race, in an XF Fairmont Ghia. Two of us asleep, a mate driving. Woken by the car suddenly moving all over the road, he'd hit an echidna and the front tyre blew out like it was a bomb - and he was probably clocking $1.60 or so at the time. Luckily he is a bit of a gun behind the wheel and stopped the car safely. Also lucky that we were in the XF and not the Brock Director we usually took over, which was happy at $2.00+ across the plains...

Front tyre destroyed, rear tyre with a dozen or so quills in it but holding air. Small steaming red patch on the tar where the echidna departed this life (we went back to look).

Two new tyres later that morning in Mildura, been wary of echidnas ever since!

[rockinj]

A few years back, a mate was driving slowly over the ramp into a showgrounds and we were following. He got one - he lost rear truck tyre and both gooseneck tyres.

[D4D]

so it's bye bye to a tyre with only 5K on it.

Could have been worse, it could have been a wombat.

[achjimmy]

Crossing the Hay Plains one night on the way to Adelaide for the F1 race, in an XF Fairmont Ghia. Two of us asleep, a mate driving. Woken by the car suddenly moving all over the road, he'd hit an echidna and the front tyre blew out like it was a bomb - and he was probably clocking $1.60 or so at the time. Luckily he is a bit of a gun behind the wheel and stopped the car safely. Also lucky that we were in the XF and not the Brock Director we usually took over, which was happy at $2.00+ across the plains...

Front tyre destroyed, rear tyre with a dozen or so quills in it but holding air. SmallBut  steaming red patch on the tar where the echidna departed this life (we went back to look).

Two new tyres later that morning in Mildura, been wary of echidnas ever since!

Wouldn't have happened to the director, weren't they polarizer equipped?

[kylarama]

I've got one of these critters hanging around the backyard at moment. It's sending my dogs stir crazy. They seem to know look but don't touch.

and not the Brock Director

The Energy Polarizer would have saved you...

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[kylarama]

Wouldn't have happened to the director, weren't they polarizer equipped?

You beat me to it.

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[Foo]

Could have been worse, it could have been a wombat.

The're fun, I hit one of those around Mudgee one night and the 36' trailer behind me became airborne.  The wombat walked off. 

Foo

[Bird]

Could have been worse, it could have been a wombat.

Mates sister hit one in a near new Gemini back in the day and the front strut etc was completely missing when the towy dropped it off. be like hitting a bolder!

[Joff]

Mates sister hit one in a near new Gemini back in the day and the front strut etc was completely missing when the towy dropped it off. be like hitting a bolder!

I have no doubt it was missing... coz it was never there 

(Unless it was the last RB FWD thing that should never have been called a Gemini that is)

I hit one square on in a Gemini once too. but it was rally car so the sump guard took most of the hit. Launched me off the road. Fortunately there was nothing to hit so we came back on ok without slowing. The hit knocked the washer bottle off though which then fell against the alternator fan. We had some green additive in it in those days so when we got to stop control we thought we'd split a radiator tank.

[slydar]

I've got one of these critters hanging around the backyard at moment. It's sending my dogs stir crazy. They seem to know look but don't touch.

an echidna? I wonder how the dogs learned to look but not touch...?

it was almost hilarious when I was about eleven and our two cats cornered one in our yard one night - they had never seen one before but anything in their yard was fair game - they couldn't figure out how to tackle it though especially as it was digging in and throwing dirt at them

[kylarama]

an echidna? I wonder how the dogs learned to look but not touch...?

Dunno how they know. Every so often we get one hanging around.  So maybe one or both of them have been tagged on the nose before? 
They get within a foot of it and start shaking and barking madly.



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[Squalo]

Wouldn't have happened to the director, weren't they polarizer equipped?

Yep it was indeed, and a mate of mine has still got it (the polarizer, not the Director). We want him to break it open so we can see wtf is inside, but he won't do it...

The Director was a terrific car, and it had the JJD 'twin tyre' wheels that appeared around the same time - each wheel held two tyres. The handling and grip was astonishing - with each wheel having four sidewalls rather than two, there was so little sidewall deflection that the car literally felt like it was on rails.

The echidna would have nailed four tyres rather than two! LOL