6% grade down, 21K lbs, 60mph then blow a FRONT tire

[Stranger]

Sunday, 3/15/2004, I-5 North of Turntable Bridge, Shasta, CA. Coming down a 6% Grade, passing semis running very easy, go through the final left curve and unwind the steering wheel for the straightaway.



Truck wants to continue the left turn. I grab some right wheel to keep 'er straight and ease up on the throttle. Truck is still pullin' HARD to the left!



I turn off the OD, Crank in all the trailer brakes and tap the brakes, knowing the left front is goin down. Check the mirrors and there's no one around. I hit 4-way flashers and head for the shoulder of the road.



Left front tire EXPLODES :--)



I never put pressure on the brake pedal, until about 10-15 mph, just enough to light the brake lights and energize the trailer brakes. With the brake controller I have it doesn't depend on inertia. Just voltage from the brake pedal so the trailer brakes come FULL ON ! In my opinion that put more weight on the rears which took some weight off the front. Another advantage is, the whole rig stopped straight, and WAY FAST!! About 175-200 feet!



Only damage was a 0. 010 taco in the rim, within runout tolerances.



The ironic thing is, we were on our way to an alignment shop with 6 spares in the basement of the trailer!

 

[HOBrian]

That could have been very ugly! Glad to hear nobody was hurt!

 

[737driver]

Glad your OK! Could have been ugly! I have been considering the Rickson 19. 5 wheels and tires as I haul very heavy weights. Had one blow out on SRW truck several years back, a religous experience!!!! Had brand new tire let go on 33 foot 5th wheel toy hauler yesterday. Any feed back on the Rickson setup?



737 drvr 2003 HO 6spd QC dualie 3500 4x4 not stock for long.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Situations like that are NEVER pretty, but MIGHT get very ugly when seriously overloaded and in heavy traffic - which is why some of us keep harping on the seriousness and foolishness of not having enough truck for the load.



We travel that section of road fairly often on our way up into Oregon and the coast - that grade is pretty steep, curvey - and narrow in some of the steeper sections - as well as usually pretty full of traffic, since it's a main N/S travel artery...



You were VERY lucky...

 

[dalton4]

Stranger, looks like you stayed cool and did all the right things.

I'm glad that your actions provided for a nice ending.

 

[SMorneau]

Give us some details on the failed tire. How and why did it fail?

 

[Stranger]

They'd still be pickin' up pieces ...

If I wadded it up .





SMorneau: It was a GOODYEAR Wrangler A/T 215/85/16 D 8-ply, built the 13th week of 1996. It had been a spare for ever and only put on in November. About a month ago I began to hear it SLAP when moving, indicative of an internal seperation. There were no outward indications of seperation other than an odd wear pattern that I attributed to bad ball joints. Replaced those but by then the wear pattern had been set. After it blew, the outside side wall was totally shredded, mostly because of all the right wheel cranked in to hold it straight. There was one blister/puncture in the tread near the inside sidewall, Like when a race tire blisters. Should've taken a picture.





dalton4: I guess I did. We're glad, too.





Gary - KJ6Q: We were very fortunate it didn't happen in a right turn or when I was passing those trucks.





737driver: Well, unfortunately I can't go with the Ricksons as my truck is way lowered. I did however, find a 10-ply E rated tire in 215/85R/16. BFG Commercial TA. 50K Tread guaranty and available at Costco for under $100/tire.





HOBrian: Thanks.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Glad to hear niether you, your family or your rig was hurt. Man, I'd of had to throw them pants away!

 

[Big Best]

that curve is marked 45 mph. big flashing lights

 

[daveshoe]

Load range D

Kinda reminds me of a Backhoe trailer I borrowed as I had a dead machine on mine and did not want to spend hours loading and unloading just to use my backhoe, My trailer has eight load range F tires on it ,and this trailer only had FOUR load range D [Yep, I know I am stupid for not checking, but this guy tows HIS backhoe with it. Anyway, with a ten mile tow ,these babies were pretty HOT,and only towing 35 MPH

I returned the trailer,asked the guy why take this kind of risk and he said ''You should have seen the old set we just took off!''

Would there be any doubt that a blowout with this setup would not take out the other tire on the tandem set?

 

[Stranger]

Yup

daveshoe: Yeah, it was one of those "Sure, Honey, we'll make it", days. With a 154" Wheelbase it was kinda hard to have it take out a follower.





Big Best: I guess that with everything else that was happening at the time, I just kinda missed the flashing light, etc



Prairie Dog: You're exactly right tossed both mine and hers. Thanks for the good thoughts.