Author Topic: Has this ever happened to you!!!!!!!!!!!!  (Read 14264 times)

dab67

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Has this ever happened to you!!!!!!!!!!!!
« on: June 11, 2007, 10:29:24 AM »
Saturday afternoon, the wife and I along with a friend in his car were driving up to Milwaukee from Kenosha to go to a Drive-in called Georgie Porgie's. They have a gathering of Muscle as well as Older cars every Saturday night during the summer months. As we were driving up I94, my right front tire let go of one of the Steel belts going 65 mph! Car shook like all heck!!!! Tire never lost air pressure but it had a huge bulge on the right edge and you could feel and see some of the steel threads protruding out the sidewall of the tire. We nursed the car home. Sunday when I got the tire off, it appeared to be dry rotten. Needless to say I replaced all four tires. Not sure how old the tires were, they were on the car when we purchased it 3 years ago. This ever happen to anyone else?

Dave

67ss350camaro

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Re: Has this ever happened to you!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #1 on: June 11, 2007, 11:57:03 AM »
I had this happen also, but the tires were a lot older.  Fortunately it happened on the drive home and I did not have much farther to go.
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VI009DZ

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Re: Has this ever happened to you!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #2 on: June 11, 2007, 12:03:42 PM »
Wow...I'm glad you're okay.  Tire accidents can be very nasty!  I've only seen a tire that blew a belt; it makes one of those big bubbles, like you see on the crust of pizza sometimes!!  Get those suckers changed over!!!!

4birdman

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Re: Has this ever happened to you!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #3 on: June 11, 2007, 12:17:37 PM »
Yep, had it happen in my Blazer. Lady stopped me at a light and said "your driver's side tires are looking funny" and they sure did! I nursed it home (I was only about a mile away) and both the tires were separating and cracking. Dry rot sucks.

CNorton

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Re: Has this ever happened to you!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #4 on: June 11, 2007, 02:19:59 PM »
You're very lucky that it didn't blow.  When that belt comes off, even at slow speed, it's not uncommon for severe body and paint damage to occur.  All those steel fibers in the mesh can strip paint just as effectively as a wire-wheel on a grinder.  Unfortunately, I've experienced that problem on several occasions partially due to driving in areas where road surface temperatures are very high such as the Mojave Desert during the summer.  Heat contributes to the separation of the steel belt.  Speed and vehicle weight are also factors. 

JohnZ

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Re: Has this ever happened to you!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #5 on: June 11, 2007, 02:27:43 PM »
Look at the 11- or 12-digit DOT number molded into the inboard sidewall of your tires to find out how old they are. For tires made before 2000, the last three digits are the date, with two digits for the week and one for the year (278 would be the 27th week of '78, '88, or '98). For tires made after 2000, it's the last four digits (2702 would be the 27th week of 2002).

Most "cosmetic performance" tires (like BFG T/A's, etc.) are only "S" speed-rated (112 mph) and aren't made with premium materials; you have to go up to at least an "H" speed rating before you get an added nylon cap belt that will contain the underlying steel belt in the event of a ply separation. If your tires are over ten years old, trash 'em.
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dab67

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Re: Has this ever happened to you!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #6 on: June 11, 2007, 02:49:55 PM »
JohnZ:

The tires are all trashed, did not want to take a chance if the wife was driving the car by herself. Now my question is this, besides being probably over 10 years old and not being driven alot untl I purchased the car 3 years ago, what if anything can someone do to help save the tires when storing during the car over the winter months besides putting the car up on jack stands? I've heard putting wood on the cement floor and placing the tires on this wood when parked for the winter can help the life duration but what about flat spots?. Is there some type of for lack of a better word "conditioner" that can be applied for these dormat times?

I put on P215/R6015 just like I had on the fronts, now they are on all fours. Rated at 120, doubt if I'll ever hit that magic number ever again and especially with this car.

Dave

lakeholme

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Re: Has this ever happened to you!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #7 on: June 11, 2007, 03:23:37 PM »
Dave,

Glad you are OK!  Your mishap points to an important point about how we service our cars.  I rotate and inspect my tires twice a year --no matter the mileage.  We need to treat them like we did drive them regularly!
Phillip, HNR & NCR-AACA, Senior Master, Team Captain, Admin.,
Spring Southeastern Nationals chair, AACA National Director

dab67

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Re: Has this ever happened to you!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #8 on: June 11, 2007, 04:07:00 PM »
Phillip;

Totally agree, a major problem that I should have addressed earlier. I had two different sized tires on the car. That has been resolved and rotation will not be a problem anymore. Is there a way when storing for the winter to help protect the tires other than putting the car on jacks?

Dave

JohnZ

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Re: Has this ever happened to you!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #9 on: June 13, 2007, 02:23:54 AM »
Modern radials will lose any flat-spots they acquire over the winter after 3-5 miles of driving the first time out in the spring. Not a good idea to put the car up on jackstands in storage with the front suspension hanging at full rebound - it'll overstress the control arm bushings. I just park them in the garage over the six-month Michigan winter and don't do anything special for the tires.
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dab67

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Re: Has this ever happened to you!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #10 on: June 13, 2007, 09:49:21 AM »
JohnZ:

Thanks for the info!!!!!!! I was kind of hesitant to put the car on jacks. As you, I leave the car on the floor.

Thanks again!

Dave

lakeholme

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Re: Has this ever happened to you!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #11 on: June 13, 2007, 01:09:13 PM »
Dave,

I think John's advice is as good as you can do in the North.  Here in NC you can generally get out and drive even in the winter months.  I will tell you this: even on bad days when I have not started the car for a few weeks, I'll let it run for a while and move it a few feet.  I doubt if that helps much...

Again, glad you are OK!
Phillip, HNR & NCR-AACA, Senior Master, Team Captain, Admin.,
Spring Southeastern Nationals chair, AACA National Director

dab67

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Re: Has this ever happened to you!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #12 on: June 13, 2007, 01:28:17 PM »
Phillip:

Even here in the "Frozen Tundra" :D we do get occassional days of clean skies and sunshine!!!!!!  I should have looked at the tires every year but I did not. Someone was looking out for me!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dave

Flowjoe

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Re: Has this ever happened to you!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #13 on: June 15, 2007, 11:56:31 PM »
Had it happen to me on my '69 Z in 1996 (BFG TA, 10 years old at the time)...driver's rear, huge bang and an uneven thumping (was on the highway accelerating) pulled over to inspect and couldn't see the damage...truned around and went home anyway.  Next day i pulled the tire...shredede and bulged jsut as you describe but on the inside (gues it was st teh top when I looked on the highway)...I now how luckey you feel.

Flowjoe

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Re: Has this ever happened to you!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #14 on: June 15, 2007, 11:57:46 PM »
...
Most "cosmetic performance" tires (like BFG T/A's, etc.) are only "S" speed-rated (112 mph) and aren't made with premium materials; you have to go up to at least an "H" speed rating before you get an added nylon cap belt that will contain the underlying steel belt in the event of a ply separation. If your tires are over ten years old, trash 'em.
So john, any reccomendations on tire brand/type to achieve an H rating but retain the RWL look?

 

anything