shredded tire on road, what happens? a newbie ques

[joe petro]

A newbie question. While driving down most highways I always see parts of tires that have been thrown off. Large pieces of tread laying along side or in the middle of the road. I have never seen a truck stopped any where near these parts,

How Come?

Please tell me why this happens?

Does the driver knows when this happens?

Have any of you ever stopped to pick the junk rubber up?

Any details regarding this would be appreciated.

J.P.

 

[shade_tree]

RE: shredded tire on road, what happens? a newbie

>How Come?

you wont see me pulled off the side of the road because if a driver needs to stop it is safest to pull off at the next exit to check your tires but he may not know he blew one for a few miles down the road.


>Please tell me why this happens?

9 times out of 10 it's because of old/bad recapped tires. Trucking companies use recaps because new tires cost so much and recaps are cheaper. And with the big companies out there you might be talking millions a year saved using recaps.
They use recaps on the trailer tires and rear truck tires. But should never be on the front steering tires.


>Does the driver know when this happens?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. I have had a few tires blow out and I couldn’t feel it or hear it when they fell apart. That’s why I check my mirror often.

>Have any of you ever stopped to pick the junk rubber up?

No, I don’t think it’s safe to stop on the highway and get out with traffic flying by at 80mph and run around picking up rubber. It’s best to call the police and report it. Plus it would prob. be so hot you couldn’t touch it to pick it up anyway.

Hope that was a good answer for ya. I’m newer to this board. And i'm not an expert by any means.

 

[twodogsdaddy]

RE: shredded tire on road, what happens? a newbie

About those "Gators" Besides t he retreads another cause could & would be under inflated tires. When a tire is low there is a lot more surface rubbing down the road and the tire will overheat and cause a blowout... good reason to check your tires everyday and not with a thump but with a tire pressure gauge. Some say they can thump the tire and tell and if there is a major change in air pressure I can tell but ten lbs. or so I'm not sure. Happy Trails

 

[StayStrong1125]

RE: shredded tire on road, what happens? a newbie

You are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT twodogsdaddy. Under-inflated tires are a HUGE problem on the road. Whether it be big trucks, or small cars. I cant remember the figure but AAA put out a report on the percentage of people driving on 2 or more under inflated tires and it was staggering, near 80%!!! Can you believe that? Not only is this costing the US a HUGE amount of money in wasted fuel, but it is probably the biggest safety hazard on the road today, second only to tired driving.

When I bought my first car, yes I had to buy it (I dont "come from money") my parents DID buy me something. They bought me a tire guage and a 2 ton craftsman floor jack. These have been indespensible. They have saved me an unimaginable amount of money in the past half a decade. I check the tires on my truck and my personal vehicles weekly. Yes, WEEKLY. I would check them daily, but a busy professional has got to make some concessions with their time. But yes, I can admit, I have NEVER to date had a tire blow on me or get a flat. Never.

And the floor jack. Yes, that is a great thing. Most people dont do hardly any work on their own cars, or even inspect them, because it's hard to get under them and do the work. Since I always had that jack, I had no problem inspecting things, fixing thing. This has saved me money. Its called Preventive Maintenance. And you can use it on your personal vehicles as well as your professional vehicles.

Remember: Proper air pressure can save you a lot of money, and can even save your life. Imagine low air in your steer tires, and then blowing one of them as you're crossing the GW bridge. Not a good thing.


Wise man once say, "He who drives truck in white pants...soon drives truck in dirty white pants."

 

[Broompilot]

RE: shredded tire on road, what happens? a newbie

Kraig Allen

From another newbie, I test drove a car (Bonneville) that has a guage that showed the tire pressure on all 4 tires from the interior of the car. Is this possible to install on a straight truck and does anyone know how, who, and the costs. This has got to pay for itself in a year or less. I know of know one who enjoys checking air pressure with a guage me included. I will do it just would rather know going down the road.