Lot of ways to die

[murphy4trees]

I AM writing this story cause I know you all will understand in a way which my wife never could...
I was driving down to Virginia last week in an '87 Ram Charger, towing a 2 ton trailer (Rayco RG super-50)... The vehicle had just been in for state emissions and safety inspection...
I was taking a little short cut of 495, the beltway going around D.C., when I heard... thud, thud, thus, BOOM, errrrrrrrrrrrr... Only to look over and see my rear left tire bouncing down the highway between two cop cars.... Metro cops just kept going...
I pulled over in a bad position, rear corner of the truck was actually over the white line. The shoulder was real tight 'cause it was just feet before a bridge...
I set up two safety cones and a triangular reflector. I was parked on an inside bend in the road and oncoming traffic ( going 55-60 MPH) was squinting into the sun with their visors down....
The jack was siezed (I just bought the truck in Oct.)... AAA said approx. 2.5 hours for a tow...
I managed to retrieve the tire. On the axle, two studs were gone and one was mangled... I managed to use the trailer jack to get the drum up high enough to get the spare on, using some old rims and concrete chuncks I dug out of the weeds and letting some air out of the spare... I also had to position the grinder on the tail end of the trailer and take a bunch of weight out of the truck and put it on the back ogf the trailer to keep the trailer from lifting instead of the truck.... That was all dangerous enough... then I had to get out into the road to put the spare on.... Keeping one eye on the tire and one on the traffic... Twice my last cone got knocked over... I was plenty scared, thinking about my wife and son growing up without me, and got pretty pissed when I realized that the guy who had done the inspections neglected to tighten the lugs, after checking the rear braked...
I'd rather be tied into a good tree 100' up, all day, than spend 10 minutes putting that tire on....
Only one lug would bite... I managed to use a box end 13/16 wrench as a spacer, which gave a little bite to the second lug...
I limped it over to a Pep Boys and was back on the road, 5 hours later.... That was NO FUN!!!!

 

[geofore]

wheel off

The garage that did the inspection should have ins. to cover such mishaps. Have them replace all damaged parts with new parts. This includes the wheel that may or may not center properly now. Triple AAA should back you on this, they have your call.
Years ago, my 74 Dodge was in for inspection and the mechanic forgot to lock the nut that holds the hub on, the axle, still attached to the duals came out. The garage ended up buying the truck. My first call would have been to get a tow, second call would be to the garage that did the inspection to make them aware they are on the hook for the bill to do the repair. Third call to the police to get a police report in case the garage didn't want to make good on the repairs and it ended up in court. Garages try to avoid court because they may get their licence pulled if they lose and they have or are supposed to have ins. to cover a mishap like this. You can usually get a rental till yours is fixxed/replaced, the garage pays for the rental.
That was one ride I won't forget. For years after that I inspected every vehicle after it was inspected to see that it was done right. I'll bet you chech the wheels to see the lugs are on tight after this.

 

[NeTree]

I'm surprised... they don't pull the tires off here.

Hope somebody gets a HUGE earful!

Glad you're alright.

 

[Sylvatica]

Murph,

Glad you made it outta that one.

When you are stuck by the side of the road, our compassionate, respectful society suddenly considers you part of the playing field, fair game. Nothing like playing gladiator against the urban warriors in their chariots.

Years ago, my friend lost his fiance when she was parked in the breakdown lane, hit at high speed by a fool, and killed.

I have told my wife that if she experiences a blowout and the wheel is still there, she is to slowly ride on that tire til it comes off, and ride on that $300 alloy wheel til it looks like a bottle cap, if necessary to get them to a safe pull off location, preferably out of the combat zone. Whatever it takes, I'll pay for the damage.

Obviously, people are what's important. Everything else is just stuff.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Glad you made it through with just a little sweat. Sounds like a situation that would try anyone.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

Originally posted by Sylvatica

I have told my wife that if she experiences a blowout and the wheel is still there, she is to slowly ride on that tire til it comes off, and ride on that $300 alloy wheel til it looks like a bottle cap, if necessary to get them to a safe pull off location, preferably out of the combat zone. Whatever it takes, I'll pay for the damage.

Obviously, people are what's important. Everything else is just stuff.

That of course would go coming through any 'bad neighborhoods' especially at night; or anything that has such risks; only stop on sound ground, out of power of running streams of traffic, other dangers in the wilds.

It's a jungle out thar!

 

[Toddppm]

You are one lucky guy to have survived the idiots on 495! We have the worse traffic in the US second only to LA. I'd say these people going by at 60mph would be an understatement.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Yeah, isn't flow something like 80-85? getting down to 60 is concidered "delays ahead".

 

[murphy4trees]

I met a guy yesterday that was missing 2 arms....
Lost them when pushing an carnival trialer.... the trailer had a tower on it which hit a hot electric line, while the wheel was in a puddle.... He referred to it as one of those mistakes for which there is no forgiveness....
Something to think about...

 

[Lumberjack]

Originally posted by TheTreeSpyder
That of course would go coming through any 'bad neighborhoods' especially at night; ...

It's a jungle out thar!

That is why we have the 2nd amendment!!


Carl

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Originally posted by Lumberjack
That is why we have the 2nd amendment!!

So paranoid people can go postal? Killing another person, even in self defence will do strange things to you.

I spent near 9 years in the USMC, I seen it.

But then this tangent discussion is for the OTF.

 

[Lumberjack]

Originally posted by John Paul Sanborn
So paranoid people can go postal? Killing another person, even in self defence will do strange things to you.

I spent near 9 years in the USMC, I seen it.

But then this tangent discussion is for the OTF.

Done, I think that this will be interesting.

On topic, glad you are still with us!! I had a blowout on the bypass where I live. It was 5 o clock traffic, I merged on, and immedantly I saw rubber chunks flying off from the front tire, so I pulled over to the shoulder got out an looked to see what happened. The sidewall was shredded, so I pulled off the shoulder and down the rather steep hill to the bottom of the right of way for the bypass. Went and got 2 new tires, and climbed back out in 4wd.

I would hate to have a limited shoulder.

I would get the station to pay for damages. It was neglegence on their part so they should pay. I would go talk to the manager and see if you couldn't work it out privatly.


Carl

Carl

 

[SilverBlue]

Glad to hear you came through the mishap ok Daniel, quite the scary thing to happen and glad no one got a wheel through the windshield. But you did do a safety check including the lug nuts before your trip did you not?

I’ll tell ya though, we had a whole bunch of transport truck tire mishaps –seems like one after the other, plenty of innocent people killed, now if the cops ever saw a loose lug nut or a runaway tire they would be all over the driver like a hobo on a ham sandwich.

Hey Just keep out of trouble from now on eh

 

[cybergeek23851]

welcome to the club Daniel. My ma and I were coming back from dropping my brother off at school in Millersville, Pa. and just outside of Shrewsbury, MD. a tire blew out on our rental van. Luckily, we were close to a Wal-Mart that was open so we could get a new tire for the long trip back to town.

 

[geofore]

Don't forget

Turn on your four-way flashers, there is a quirk in the law here if you have them on and you hit someone, it's their fault for not getting out of your way. If you drive along with the fouways on and there is no problem with your vehicle, you get caught / you get fined big time. Your vehicle has a problem turn them on, they are there to warn the others on the road to give you a wide berth. There are other times to use them but it is important to use them when your tire goes and it's the last thing you think of for most people.

 

[Nickrosis]

Originally posted by murphy4trees
... Only to look over and see my rear left tire bouncing down the highway between two cop cars.... Metro cops just kept going...

 

[Jumper]

Did you see the one on TV show "Real Drama" or something like that where the cop just finishes telling a lady he has pulled over for speeding to step off the shoulder into the ditch because "we could get hit" and a semi plows into the her stopped car at speed, totalling it. I can not get off the road far enough the few times I have had to pull over. Glad you are still with us buds!!

 

[che]

While I don't have to worry about it very much any more (as I'm usually dressed for the part) women need to keep this type of situation in mind as they're driving....especially any type of distance. What might be fine to wear at the end other end of the trip (heels, halter tops, etc.) may NOT be what you want to be stuck in if you're vehicle breaks down. We keep boots and blankets in the car in the winter.

I still remember driving the long bridge that connects Padre Island to Corpus Christi (Flour Bluff?) when I blew a rod. I was dressed appropriately for a waitress at a beach restaurant...but not for being stuck in a dead truck with no one around. There was a rash of rapes on the island that year and I was scared to death. Luckily, the Navy guy that gave me a ride up was a good guy. This was before cell phones....kinda caught between a rock and a hard place.

Teach your daughters & wives how to change their own tires....have them go through ACTUALLY taking one off and putting it back on....hands on....THEIR hands. Don't just 'tell them how'.

Yeah, I like my 'odds' out here in the country alot better.

 

[treeguy347]

Those that have never worked roadside tend to have no respect for what traffic feels like zipping by you at 70+ mph. My girlfriend and I almost got hit on the interstate after she got in an accident- this is all with a state cop (all the lights on) parked behind us! Every state should require drivers ed to stop the car on the side of the highway and have the students stand with their toes on the white line: this is what it feels like, give us some space!