what happens when a steer tire blows on freeway

i got lucky and had a wobble about 2 seconds before and was slowing down.

 

Video is kinda old, but, its pretty informative.



Happened to me once, scares the crap out of ya. Running "floats" on the steers.

 

had a sidewall of a stear go out while crossing kansas on i 70 while i was doing about 65 mph. It was no big deal and thankfully the tread didn't come apart and twist up the bumper.

 

After watching the video and the comment about 'running against the governor', it would seem to me that mandated speed limiters would have a negative effect on safety in this type of emergency situation.

 

I had it happen to me twice. I was running 70mph in South TX. at night both times. I had hit crap that fell out of someone's pickup truck and was strung all the way across the Interstate. Even loaded and weighing 80,000 lbs. I managed to stop safely.
At first I thought that I was going to have to get the seat surgically removed from my butt.
Always keep a good grip on the steering wheel with at least one hand. Don't use just two fingers to steer.

 

Each case is different. But you better believe blowing a steer in an 18 wheeler is serious crap. I don't understand why some will play around with steer tires. A nail in a steer? On my truck both steers get replaced, the 2 that come off go to the trailer. Steer tires should be replaced in pairs period.

 

I've had exactly three tire BLAMMO situations. A Straight Truck Tanker about 2/3 full on 225 the Pasadena Highway. BLAMMO the right front goes. No big thing after the surprise of it. This was prior to Cell Phones and it took quite some time to get it fixed.

The other two BLAMMO were on my 1990 F350. The right rear both times. First time BLAMMO flap flap flap. Second time WOOSH flap flap flap. Again no big thing except putting the spare on each time!

OH WAIT! One tire on a PAM trailer went KABOOM! Whole truck jumped! Left little pieces not many more than 2" size on the road. A T/A was two exits away so I limped it in and waited hours for PAM to allow T/A to fix me up! They had to do some major mud flap bracket repair as well!

 

Never accept nothing less than perfect on a steer tire. The best cure is prevention, maintain proper air pressure, alignment, shocks and never curb your steers. In other words don't put front end repairs off in lieu of miles. Either way it has to be fixed. They can always take a steer off and use it as a drive or trailer tire to get any remaining life out of it.

I've only had one steer blow out and that was when I was in training. It was nothing but a wobble because it just lost air. Like others said coast to a slow speed to the shoulder before even attempting to brake. Remain calm and don't over react. The problem is when one disintegrates or rolls off the rim it can break your fingers if you aren't holding the wheel correctly on the outside. Holding the inner spokes of a steering wheel is a bad habit to get into.

 

Ok, slow down and give it fuel. Got it

 

I was in the right lane in Maine on 295 when an outside tire on the right side of the trailer decided to commit suicide.At the same time a motorcycle was approaching on the left side of the trailer, I hated to think what would have happened if he was on the other side.It sounded like a bomb went off.