Are those wheels out to get you?

[wallfish 16,995]

This is a bit scary. Kind of crazy so thought I'd share it

Imagine just cruising along the highway, favorite tune comes on so you crank it up, grab your coffee and take a sip then BAM!!! this happens 

https://www.foxnews.com/us/car-goes-airborne-los-angeles-freeway-tire-pops-off-pickup-truck-video

Edited March 27, 2023 by wallfish

[Handy Don 12,217]

I saw this in my feed and was surprised there were no serious injuries!

@ebinmaine drives the newer version of that Kia!

[EB-80/8inPA 1,641]

Yikes!

[Pullstart 62,843]

Wow!  Hey.  If you run big offsets, or normal wheels, it’s a great idea to re-check those lug nuts with a torque wrench!  Believe it or not, I had that happen to me on my ‘89 Cherokee once when I was 16.  Luckily I was doing about 15 around a 90 degree corner on a residential street.  I walked home, got some tools and used a couple lug nuts off the remaining corners to re-secure my wheel.

[Achto 27,570]

Jim & I were on a road trip up to Green Bay once. On the way up we saw a truck with big off set rims sitting along side the road with a wheel missing. On the way home we saw different truck with big offsets sitting along side the road with a missing wheel. Heard of it happening to a few others with the big offsets. I notice the truck in this video had big offsets.

 

Could be just me but, there seems to be a pattern here. 

Edited March 28, 2023 by Achto

[Pullstart 62,843]

13 minutes ago, Achto said:

seems to be a pattern

More money than brains?  I noticed that too!  

[WHX?? 48,815]

26 minutes ago, Achto said:

Jim & I were on a road trip up to Green Bay once. On the way up we saw a truck with big off set rims sitting along side the road with a wheel missing 

How the heck you remember  that ... I must be gettin old! 

[Monstrosity 1,127]

2 hours ago, Pullstart said:

Wow!  Hey.  If you run big offsets, or normal wheels, it’s a great idea to re-check those lug nuts with a torque wrench!  Believe it or not, I had that happen to me on my ‘89 Cherokee once when I was 16.  Luckily I was doing about 15 around a 90 degree corner on a residential street.  I walked home, got some tools and used a couple lug nuts off the remaining corners to re-secure my wheel.

I belive the hub failed if you look close enough you can see the rotor still attached!! 

[Handy Don 12,217]

Just now, Monstrosity said:

I belive the hub failed if you look close enough you can see the rotor still attached!! 

Axle nut not properly secured?

[Monstrosity 1,127]

1 minute ago, Handy Don said:

Axle nut not properly secured?

Or missing axle wheel bearing on chevys come apart if there is no axle shaft. Unless they use a 2wd hub. Some geniuses pull out the front shafts if there's an issue with the differential.

[lynnmor 7,305]

I would hope that the man-child that was operating the modified pickup is sued to the point that he will never have enough money to eat.

[Pullstart 62,843]

42 minutes ago, lynnmor said:

I would hope that the man-child that was operating the modified pickup is sued to the point that he will never have enough money to eat.

Lots of assumptions there…

[8ntruck 6,999]

A large change in the offset of a wheel will change the loading on the flange and bearings of the hub.  In extremes cases, it can cause a hub/bearing failure.  Cornering loads are generally higher on front wheels than rear wheels.

 

When we moved to Mo.,  we rented a U Haul van to move some things that we didn't want the movers to mess with.  We were westbound on I 70.  There was a service road running parallel to the freeway, maybe 15 to 20 feet above it.  I noticed an oncoming car on that road with a shower of sparks coming from where the right front wheel used to be.

 

"That's odd", I thought.  The next thought was "where did the wheel go?"  A about then, I saw the wheel land on the shoulder ahead of me.  Bounced way up in the air, and landed in the left lane just behind me.  In the side mirror, I saw it take another bounce way in the air and come down in the median.

 

That one was a little close for comfort.

Edited March 28, 2023 by 8ntruck

[ri702bill 8,317]

Ever follow one of those "Urban Cowboy-mobiles" with the tires sticking way beyond the fenders in a rainstorm?? Four huge roostertails of water shooting up about 20 feet each.

And they sound like a nest full of pi$$ed-off hornets as the tread lugs sing on the pavement...

My local State Inspection station will reject a truck like that - along with the fenderless homemade "Replacement" wood beds you see added to pickup frames when the OE bed rots away.

Edited March 28, 2023 by ri702bill

[Racinbob 11,063]

Some years ago we went to a lot of Nascar races with our 34' class A motorhome. We always parked it at the tracks camping area rather than take it to the infield. One year we went to Talladega and we had to go down a fairly steep but short embankment to get in. I was concerned about getting hung up on it because the motorhome had quite a long tail behind the rear axle. I hesitated, thought about going at it at an angle, then just went for it straight on. Sure enough, I got it hung up. I ended up using the rear power jacks to lift it up thinking I could put boards under the tires but as it raised up the jacks cammed out from under it and the motorhome lurched forward about a foot. So I did that a couple more times and I was free. My only concern after that was getting out. I found that going at it at an angle was the hot ticket. While cruising up I-65 on the way home I suddenly felt a weird bump. Not a big one but it seemed like it was just the rear tires. Immediately after that I heard a guy on the CB say "Oh s%#t did you see what just flew off that motorhome?". I stopped and did a walk around and everything seemed fine. After getting home I wanted to spray the caked on clay soil off the under carriage so I got under it and was surprised to find a frayed steel cable dangling from what was the spare tire carrier. Apparently I damaged it from the incident and it decided to part ways on the interstate. A closer inspection turned up a clear mark on the rear bumper which I'm guessing the tire 'stood up' and the bumper hit it causing that strange bump I felt. I only hope that the tire stopped harmlessly and not in somebodies windshield. 

[953 nut 55,210]

The laws of physics do seem to be ignored by some to obtain the COOL LOOK.  Some manufacturers also don't think it through very well. I had a 1996 Dodge Dakota and a few years later we bought a 2002 Dodge Durango. The wheel of the Dakota were inset and the wheels of the Durango were offset outward quite a bit, At about 40K i noticed a bit of noise in the front suspension of the Durango, the upper ball joints were shot. Turns out the 3,000 pound Dakota with inset rims and the 4500 pound Durango with outset rims had the same part number ball joints.         Dodge had a recall in place for the 2002 Dakotas but not the Durango (same chassis) with a much stouter steering package. I had it installed at my expense and began sending nastygrams to the head honchos at Daimler Chrysler and finely struck a nerve with one of them. They refunded the expense plus $ 100. The Durango hadn't had the recall because they hadn't been responsible for as many fatalities as the Dakota. 

[ri702bill 8,317]

2 hours ago, Racinbob said:

so I got under it and was surprised to find a frayed steel cable dangling from what was the spare tire carrier.

I worked with a fellow Engineer that had bought a used Ford Explorer for his wife. They had it about six months - he was washing it one day, looked down to see the frayed remnants of the spare tire lift cable dangling - he asked his wife "Hon, did you hear or see anything strange driving your car this week??"    Nope!!!

 

NASCAR - those of us that actually DO follow Cup Racing remenber what Darrell Waltrip would say while announcing the race if a car lost a tire - he would sing, in his worst Kenny Rogers voice "You picked a fine time to leave me, loose wheel...." 

Edited March 28, 2023 by ri702bill

[ri702bill 8,317]

Notice that the tire caught up with it to spank the rear of the car?????

[wallfish 16,995]

15 minutes ago, ri702bill said:

Notice that the tire caught up with it to spank the rear of the car?????

That's the reason for the title. That wheel really seemed to have it out for them!

[Handy Don 12,217]

I predict some lawyers will be billing a lot of hours on this one.

[ri702bill 8,317]

1 hour ago, Handy Don said:

I predict some lawyers will be billing a lot of hours on this one.

Around here, we have a couple of agressive TV  "ambulance chasers" specializing in personal injury - they would be dropping business cards out of helicopters at the crash site !!

 

Back in the mid 1980's I worked as an assembler at  a custom automated welding system fabricator. Had a co-worker that his best friend owned an Autobody Shop. Co-worker showed up on a Monday morning with a sweet 1968 Chevy shortbed he borrowed from his friend. He got out of the truck with a torquewrench and socket in hand - when he checked the wheel torque most were loose. He told me it was the third time in 3 days - new aftermarket aluminum wheels, lugnuts and oversized tires.....

Edited March 28, 2023 by ri702bill

[wallfish 16,995]

I was towing a dune buggy back down to Jersey from MA when one of the rims cracked off and the tire and wheel went flying. The rim broke off around the lugs so it must've already been cracked or something. Probably driving about 60 mph +- and it was being towed with a tow bar, no trailer. ( No Plate either ) That's a very busy area during the day getting on the NJ turnpike from coming over the GW bridge. THANK GOD it bounced it's way through traffic and didn't hit anyone's car! It bounced and weaved in between cars and trucks right in front us and to the side because it had quickly passed us once the axle hit the pavement. Cringed and panicked the entire time hoping not to kill someone. It ended up flying too far off the roads to even retrieve it.

My brother and his friend came to save us and the 3 of us had to muscle that thing up into the bed of a 4x4 pickup. We were following hoping that thing wouldn't fall off the truck because it didn't really fit in there very well and minimal rope was all we had. This was back when you got tickets for the tolls. I switched tickets with my brother since he had the dune buggy but it was on the ticket as a trailer. My brother gave me his ticket but I didn't know they didn't exit and get back on with a new ticket, they U turned through the median. That toll guy was so effing confused it was hilarious and he just finally waved me through.

[CCW 1,295]

14 hours ago, lynnmor said:

I would hope that the man-child that was operating the modified pickup is sued to the point that he will never have enough money to eat.

 

And can only drive a Honda Fit when finished.

 

[Achto 27,570]

I understand that they have more important violations to tend to but...Quite personally I think that law enforcement has gotten quite laxed on enforcing DOT regulations on cars & trucks in WI. Regulations (that I now understand) were put there to keep the roads safe.

There are a lot of vehicles that I see every day that would not pass a DOT inspection.

-Tires sticking out more than 2" past the fenders

- Suspensions altered more than 3" up or down

- Load exhaust 

- Mirror tinting on windows

- Etc,etc

 

I rolled into town one night with my newly finished hot rod Chevy Luv truck. I was in town for about 20min before I was pulled over. (Granted I did have a slight driving violation history ) Any way... I rolled the window down to see what I had done this time and before I could say a word there was a tape measure slapped across my steering wheel. I looked up at the officer & said "I believe 13" is the minimum size, mine is 13.25" " Next he checked the hood scoop height. "1/8" under max, correct officer???"  On to the tires that stuck out past the rear fenders "But officer the wheel flares that are molded & now part of the fender stick out 1/2" past the tires"  Next up exhaust - the officer could not produce a decibel reader to prove or disprove if it was louder than legal limit. There were plenty of other things that we spent the next 1/2 hour checking over, in the end I received a 5 day warning to remove the dark tinting from my side windows. It was the best time that I ever had while being pulled over by an officer. I don't think that he had quite as much fun though.

Edited March 29, 2023 by Achto

[WHX?? 48,815]

I carry a  cheapy HF torque wrench and check lug nuts on my trailers often. Ever notice bright plastic things on lug nuts of trucks & busses .. they don't use them to look nazzy.