what happens when a steer tire blows on freeway

Late 70s, was running about 60 mph on the OH Turnpike headed west, between Cleveland and Toledo. I was gaining on a food chain 18 wheeler when his left steer blew. The truck veered a hard left, and started turning 180 degrees as it was crossing the medium, and was facing east as it crossed both east bound lanes. He was only going about 55 mph.

It was a miracle the truck did not hit another vehicle crossing 3 lanes....

The truck went off the east side onto the shoulder, and was bouncing on it's side. The driver was half out the windshield, pinned between the cab and the ground. A bunch of us were over there, and got some chains off of a flat bed, and pulled the cab up enough to get the weight off of the driver. He then passed out.

I spoke with one of their drivers a couple of years later, and he said that driver was in the hospital for a year.

Also, a guy I went to high school with, only a year older, and who died last summer, blew a steer out, I think in PA hauling swing beef in a KW. He was in the hospital a year also. I saw pictures, and one could not even tell what the wreckage was.

So, I always hold on to the steering wheel with both hands at the top. Seems pulling tanker makes one more aware of the truck moving left or right as well...."Those that have and those that will." Of course, in the end, we "make our plans, and God orders our steps."

 

I had a lease operator broken down on the side of the interstate w/ an empty 40' container/chassis waiting for a wrecker.
He was sleeping in the bunk [good thing] when a daycab blows a steer and looses control at highway speed.
Rear ended our guy.
Impact blew the box off the chassis & it landed upside down on the other side of the guardrail.
Chassis was broken into three sections and it tore the fifthwheel off the parked tractor.
Day cab then crossed the whole interstate to crash & burn on the other side of the interstate.
Daycab driver fatal, died from the burns & trauma.

Our guy woke up on the dash, sore but uninjured; if he wasn't asleep it could have been different.

Now if he had decided to nap across the wheel, we all felt that the impact would have killed him too.

 

I lost a steer tire going around a corner at 50mph. Unfortunately I was hauling a container grossing 96,00LBS and not very stable to begin with. It only took a few seconds to roll on its side and go strait into the ditch. I was lucky to walk away with bruises and scratches.

 

I've been fortunate to have never blown a tire on a tractor, steer or drive. Like a previous poster noted....I check them at pre- and post-trips and virtually every time I fuel. I don't have to stare at 'em for ten minutes....just look 'em over, tread and sidewalls.

I've woken up to a flat drive tire twice, once due to a loose valve stem, the other a nail that caused a slow leak.

 

This guy did.
[video=youtube_share;2E-ocDcxRXE]http://youtu.be/2E-ocDcxRXE[/video]

 

If a steer tire blows in the woods, does it make a sound?

 

last week..... View attachment 49543

 

Yes, if you read the whole sentence it says to give it a fuel just enough to keep the truck from the ditch... It happened to me once if you need to know and thats exactly what i did. I was driving through cleveland at about 58mph when it happened, luckily i was in a right lane. I had my engine brake on and every time it pulled me to the right i just gave it a fuel to correct it and i basically stalled the truck, but not before getting on a shoulder... Everything happened so quick and there was no damage to the truck (except new tire and the rim)

So next time you want a comment just answer OPs question, i wrote my comment since it was MY experience... Now as far as going down hill with 80K gross i'm sure its little different, but still you never slam on your brakes... Anyways, have a good day

 

Getting on the fuel , is to carry the rim as long as you can. Get every thing back under control , then let it coast to a controlled , safe stop. When the rim hits the road is when it's going to try to yank the steering wheel out of your hands. Have been through it once.