Tire Installer Killed
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Truck tires are scary - even using a cage would scare me
Originally Posted By: Miller88
Truck tires are scary - even using a cage would scare me
Dang right they are.
I had a new tire pop on my rig going through San Antonio during rush hour, and it ripped the quarter fender off, and ripped a big gash in a 150 gallon fuel tank. When it popped, I looked back and saw part of the tire fly right over the heads of two people that were in a convertible. I thought they were going to die. My legs were still shaking an hour later. Anyway, stay away from big trucks on the highway.
Truck tires are scary - even using a cage would scare me
Dang right they are.
I had a new tire pop on my rig going through San Antonio during rush hour, and it ripped the quarter fender off, and ripped a big gash in a 150 gallon fuel tank. When it popped, I looked back and saw part of the tire fly right over the heads of two people that were in a convertible. I thought they were going to die. My legs were still shaking an hour later. Anyway, stay away from big trucks on the highway.
Used to work in a Mercedes Land Rover dealership and although I was a detailer I used to wince everytime the techs would install a new tire on the Range Rovers...we had a couple of close calls...this was just around the time when "tire cages" started to be put into use on tire mounting machines at passenger car shops. When then tire was on the rim and they started to air it up the bead would sound like it was exploding when it snapped into place.
Article didn't mention the style of rim. I've done semi tires before- they were the more modern style which is more like an auto/light truck tire. Mounting/dismounting is very easy and seating the bead is not at all dramatic. Sometimes we need the bead blaster/Bead Cheetah and sometimes just applying air is enough to get them to seal up. They gently and quietly slip onto the lip of the rim and take air.
Now split rims are another beast and the old style center splits.... Good luck finding someone to even touch them around here.
Now split rims are another beast and the old style center splits.... Good luck finding someone to even touch them around here.
It's very unlikely it was a split rim, from my experience. Modern chains like Sears generally won't touch those.
More details are needed to find out what really happened.
More details are needed to find out what really happened.
Why was the customer in the shop?
Who allows that these days? Thought that was a insurance stipulation that NO CUSTOMERS are allowed in the garage!
Who allows that these days? Thought that was a insurance stipulation that NO CUSTOMERS are allowed in the garage!
In the 70's I worked in a tire shop. I did split rims and center splits. Center splits were a bad idea. Split rims are much easier. Had a badly rusted split rim. Let the boss check it. It exploded, it was in the cage. Bent the 1 inch water pipe on 6 inch centers. Boss [censored], but he approved it so his shop ate the cost of the inner tube. My ears rang for several days.
rod
rod
The details are important.
Yes, split rims are dangerous. They are also increasingly rare, making a bad situation worse - people who don't know about the dangers, but are willing to work from ignorance.
But it is also possible to screw up a regular tire in the mounting process and have an explosion.
Way too many people are willing to ignore the dangers. Look at the other thread discussing speed rated tires and you will see some.
Yes, split rims are dangerous. They are also increasingly rare, making a bad situation worse - people who don't know about the dangers, but are willing to work from ignorance.
But it is also possible to screw up a regular tire in the mounting process and have an explosion.
Way too many people are willing to ignore the dangers. Look at the other thread discussing speed rated tires and you will see some.
WMUR
Says "large truck tire" but didn't go further.
Quote:
"This was something they do every day," Clark said. "And you know, the rim and the tire, the inflation may have been a little too much for what the rim and the tire could handle."
No offense to Sgt Clark, but that's a guess, on the video it sounds very much like that.
One of the comments at the bottom mentions recapped tires. I'm not saying it was that, just pointing out that comment, and one more "it could have been this".
Tragic.
Says "large truck tire" but didn't go further.
Quote:
"This was something they do every day," Clark said. "And you know, the rim and the tire, the inflation may have been a little too much for what the rim and the tire could handle."
No offense to Sgt Clark, but that's a guess, on the video it sounds very much like that.
One of the comments at the bottom mentions recapped tires. I'm not saying it was that, just pointing out that comment, and one more "it could have been this".
Tragic.
Originally Posted By: Vern_in_IL
Why was the customer in the shop?
Who allows that these days? Thought that was a insurance stipulation that NO CUSTOMERS are allowed in the garage!
Yeah, that's surprising, for a Sears garage. Local garage not so much.
Why was the customer in the shop?
Who allows that these days? Thought that was a insurance stipulation that NO CUSTOMERS are allowed in the garage!
Yeah, that's surprising, for a Sears garage. Local garage not so much.
I wonder if it was a 16" LT tire like a 235/85 onto a 16.5" rim. I encountered that once when I was at a TLE someone wanted that done. My Manager somehow made it work. I left after I realized what kind of rim it was.
If you dumped enough air into one of those to make it seat, it could let go explosively.
If you dumped enough air into one of those to make it seat, it could let go explosively.
My cousin broke 3 ribs a shoulder and an eye, when a race car tire rim split. Offenhouser midget race car. Ed
Yup, happens more than you think...
My sister used to work at a daycare, and one of the kids lost his dad like this. He was a mechanic at a local truck stop/ service center... Tire exploded in his face...
My sister used to work at a daycare, and one of the kids lost his dad like this. He was a mechanic at a local truck stop/ service center... Tire exploded in his face...
Back in the day we had 4 trucks. One had split bead rings. Real sob to change. I was 16 at the time. I would lay them out on the dirt drive, ring down, then put the loader bucket on it. I attached a clip on air fitting and turned on the air from a safe distance. I never lost one so I must have been lucky.
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