Steer tire blowout causes fatality

Don’t know all the details, never really got a firm word on outcome. Michelin was just part of the suit. Along with the plaintiffs, the truck owners insurance had also brought them in to try to relieve the blame, but Michelin was proved to be clear of a manufacturing defect to cause failure so it was not their direct fault. I’d guess that since Mich was getting it from both sides they probably paid out something just to be out of the final verdict.

 

I second this. I see so many dudes hauling butt passing me when I am doing like 70-75, I am constantly thinking about what if a steer tire blows. I don't see how some will run 80+ mph everywhere they go. The "max speed 75 mph" on the tire is enough for me to not want to try it.

 

I have a Pacer account, if it was filed in federal court, which I imagine it was. I will look it up tomorrow. Probably won't find much though other than maybe a "notice of settlement" and/or non-suit (dismissal). I doubt the settlement amount, if there is one, will be available. Most people want to keep those things on the hush hush.

 

I’ve never blown a steer tire, but nearly always have them go bad on me. I think it’s a Freightliner thing. After about 3 months with new steers and alignment, they start pulling. Of course that causes tire wear on the edges and before long they start cupping which makes it start shaking. I’ve been to numerous alignment shops and tried everything from Firestone, Goodyear, Bridgestone and Michelin and they all do it.

Now that I’m a company driver in a Ryder Freightliner rental truck, I’m about to get my third set of steers and another fruitless alignment. This is the fourth Freightliner I’ve drove that does this. I average around 6 months to a set of steers if I’m lucky before I refuse to drive it anymore because of shaking and pulling and get a new set.

 

In the case of the guy driving my cousin’s truck when the steer tire blew it dumped a ton of weight onto the lift axle, by the time he reacted and hit the switch to pick it up it was already steering him toward the ditch. I can’t tell if the truck that had the blowout in this story was a 4 axle or not, but self steering axle will do weird things when one side gets a lot more weight than the other.

 

I think its the tapered spring design FL uses. The flex and and form an s shape as they bounce. FL did this close to 30 years ago to soften the ride on the steer. In my experience it causes bad tire wear and more cab floor shake. The alignment can be perfect balls on static but, going down the road them springs are just doing weird things and it is hard to compensate for that.

 

I think you’re right. That seems to be how it works.