How to handle a steer tire blowout

Seen that video long ago. But never gets old. I been lucky (knock on wood) as of yet to never experience a front blow out. I had go down on me slowly but that was it. And I try not to go cheap on front end tires.

 

I had one with bad side wall after excessive inputs on ice once or twice. They got replaced quickly.

I recall one poor fella sitting in the side of the road with gibberish mixed with two words... front tire, front tire as he eyed his totaled bobtail. Best we could see was he lost the front right, lost the hood and fender and it became a anchor spinning him. Tractor started self destructing throwing bits and pieces off. As always the highway was beautiful and straight.

If anything is going to happen, it will do it on straight pavement.

 

...and a very good reason why you're an idiot if you run against your governor all of the time. Tire blows, the best way to maintain control is to mash the throttle and accelerate briefly...which you CANNOT do if you're already running at your top speed.

Leave yourself a safety margin of at least 2-3 mph. That can also be used to help get around an idiot running against his governer who happens to be 1/4 mph slower than you, because you've got a little bit in reserve.

 

Well, eventually if everyone is equally governed by the speed limit of say 85... You will still encounter that one or few who will have a problem with it.

You did however hit on one of the reasons I prefer a ungoverned truck. That extra beef comes in mighty handly if you need it right now your way. (Pun intended, he he)

 

Ironic that the opening frame says "faster trucks".

What about going down hills? My truck is governed at 65, so if I get going faster than that, I won't have any engine power to help compensate, but I should have plenty of forward momentum from the truck rolling downhill, especially if it is already accelerating.

Thoughts?

 

Steering blowout is something any TRUCK DRIVER can handle. You will instinctively apply death grip to steering wheel, your foot will come to rest on brake pedal but common sense will tell you not to apply pressure unless you really have to as you come to a stop and conclude that this is how my week starts,,how's is going to end
My 3rd blowout without incident in 38 years

 

On townhill south of breeze wood, it's 5% roughly at 4 miles down.

Gravity quits pulling on the rig at about 141 or so. You start feeling a little negative gravity actually if you added power. Which really isnt that much power, maybe 50 RPM.

At that point if the grade is steeper and was longer 200 plus would be possible but not much more than that.

I never tried that, I had enough grey hairs trying for that 150 in some hills with a straight run out at the bottom. I couldnt quite get it there. That durn gravity and the engine that has been casterated. You wont believe the power required and the fuel burn to kick 40 ton to 150 plus downhill.

 

The biggest things I learned when flying airplanes is 1) while you're sitting and not flying/driving think about what you would do in various situations. Think of them 1 at a time and then think or say aloud how to react in very simple terms. This is no time for paragraphs and stories. "If X, then A, B, C" 2) you will usually make things worse reacting quickly and wrongly than by waiting and doing the right thing. A few very very rare events need the right action right now. Those events you have to have already thought through what to do and practiced until they are habits. If someone poked you while you were dead asleep and demanded the answer for X situation, you have it.

Panic and failure comes from practicing nothing for long periods. That will be your immediate reaction if you haven't thought and practiced for that emergency.

 

That's a great line of thinking if you want to end up dead.

 

It amazes me that people still crash when blowing a steer tire. with power steering its practically no different than blowing a drive or trailer tire.

A long time ago i blew a tire on a manual steering truck. Totaled it. Only reason i stayed up right is i was on the 75/71 bridge coming out of Ohio. Slammed me into the wall and tore the whole right side of the truck and trailer up beyond repair. But stayed up right and walked away. Have since blown them at high speeds in newer trucks and while i immediately got that feeling of 'time to die' it wasn't nothing. Just eased over to the shoulder and coasted to a stop. No big deal.