WOW.... Just WOW !!!!!

**JRTJH** · 04-07-2023, 06:43 AM

I ran across this article with a video this morning.... Thinking back to a couple of threads about "modified tow vehicles" on the forum, I thought it might be beneficial to some members to see just what "could happen when least expected".... Granted, not everyone with a truck with "big tires" will have this outcome, but the reality of how the laws of physics work, the increased stressors placed on the mechanical components with such modifications WHEN ADDED to the significantly increased loads on the tow vehicle placed there by the forces exerted by a large travel trailer just might produce the same type of failure seen here....

I think back to an event several years ago on Dixie Highway just north of Clarkston, MI. We were towing the Cougar about 50 MPH, in front of us was a small pickup (ranger/S10 size) towing a 5x10 (or so) flatbed trailer with "normal size tires". The curbside tire started wobbling (bearing failure I guess) and "in an instant" the hub was sparking against the concrete while the wheel/tire was rolling (at 50 MPH) down the highway. It bounced several times and then veered off the road, over the sidewalk and bounced off a tree in a front yard. It then went through the closed garage door and out the side of the garage and then crashed through the chain link fence and landed against the garage of the house next door.....

All this happened before the driver of the small truck could get to the side of the road and stopped.... We were in "panic mode" with the Cougar behind us, trying to stay clear of his "emergency stop while avoiding traffic on a busy road". Fortunately, the only "damage" was to the trailer and the garage door, garage wall, fence and the next garage.....

Here's the link to the article with the video and the "caution about modifying trucks" It's speaks to Ford truck modifications, but the video is of a Chevy Silverado that lost a wheel on a busy highway.....

https://www.ford-trucks.com/articles...mpaign=content

Take note of just how far that truck goes after losing the wheel before he is able to get it stopped (still moving at the end of the video) but thankfully, he managed to keep it upright and headed in one direction, avoiding all the other traffic.....

Hope it never happens, but.........

Max23 · 04-07-2023, 07:01 AM

Thats pretty amazing that no one was seriously hurt. WOW.

**chuckster57** · 04-07-2023, 07:01 AM

Saw that on the news when it happened. And I drive a Kia Soul

Neo1130 · 04-07-2023, 07:41 AM

Just gotta keep up on maintenance and not cheap out on stuff. Having a truck with rubber band tires and wheels that kick them out farther than the legal limit is just plain ugly and stupid to me.

In my case with my Power Wagon, yes I have 37's but not a single other thing has been done to the truck. They fit perfectly with factory wheels and suspension. I don't do wheel spacers either. The load range of my tires, I chose because they were still in spec for my truck and up to the task of towing if needed with room to spare. The axles of a Power Wagon are actually some of the beefiest in any vehicle on the road (not counting semi's of course) but I have no worries in my specific setup. I don't cheap out and always keep up on my maintenance BECAUSE of stuff like this.

**JRTJH** · 04-07-2023, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Max23

Thats pretty amazing that no one was seriously hurt. WOW.

Going to North Carolina a couple of weeks ago, we were traveling about 70 in the left lane passing a couple of cars and an 18 wheeler. One of the cars veered halfway into our lane, then back into the right lane. We slowed down to keep from being "in the zone" until I could see what his next move might be. It was a Buick SUV. The driver again veered into our lane in front of us, then to the "rumble strips on the left shoulder, veered back into the lane, then about 300' or so, veered back onto the shoulder, hit the edge of the pavement, overcorrected, started skidding sideways, back to the shoulder and then started rolling. The Buick rolled about 3 times, ended up on the tires, in the center median with all the windows broken, the top crushed about half way down into the body and dust/smoke everywhere. We were, at the first roll, maybe 100' behind them and by the time the rolling stopped, I was able to stop about 50' behind it, also in the median.

I got out of our car and started running to the Buick while DW was dialing 911. I knew I was going to be pulling bodies out of a burning car by the time I sprinted the distance. FORTUNATELY, there was only the driver, she was unconscious, but responded when I started shaking her. By the time I got her seatbelt off and pushed the airbags away from her, she was groggy but mumbling. I pulled her through the window and had her sitting away from her car in case it started burning. It was about 5 minutes until the State Police got there, and the biggest challenge was keeping her still until she was focused. Several times she got up, started wandering and headed toward the interstate where cars were not slowing down.

Like that Kia in the video, it was a miracle that she wasn't killed in the accident. I think what happened was that she just fell asleep at the wheel.

Honestly, the same thing could happen to any of us at any time. Whether it's falling asleep or a wheel departing the vehicle, we all "have to rely on mechanical things that can fail as well as rely on ourselves and everyone else on the highway, hoping none of us make a mistake and set the "wheels in motion" ending up like that video....

It happens "in an instant" and there's almost always NO WAY TO STOP the chain of events once it starts......

Can we prevent it from happening? Sometimes.... But we are all "vulnerable to that one time we can't stop what's about to happen".....

All the more reason to not push the envelope too far beyond our skill level and the capabilities of the vehicles we drive and tow.....

OK, "sermon over"

wiredgeorge · 04-07-2023, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuckster57

Saw that on the news when it happened. And I drive a Kia Soul

When that model Kia first came out, my wife was interested in buying one. I think she was amused by the rats in commercial that aired at the time. Went to the Kia dealership and when she test drove one was not taken by the size or ride and we ended up not buying the Kia Soul. Bought a Mazda instead; while it was a nifty car, it was really poorly assembled plus I talked my missus into buying the only standard shirt on the lot to save a couple bucks. Traded in the Crown Vic. Wife drove the Mazda for awhile and we ended up selling it and buying yet another Crown Vic. She has yet a different Crown Vic today.

Neo1130 · 04-07-2023, 07:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRTJH

It happens "in an instant" and there's almost always NO WAY TO STOP the chain of events once it starts......

Can we prevent it from happening? Sometimes.... But we are all "vulnerable to that one time we can't stop what's about to happen".....

All the more reason to not push the envelope too far beyond our skill level and the capabilities of the vehicles we drive and tow.....

OK, "sermon over"

Well said...

I wish my spouse would listen to me sometimes. She often tailgates, not bad but still tailgating to me... She's within the LEGAL definition but not my definition. I always tell her, yeah, you can make avoid an accident or not rear-end the person in front of you and your sports car probably has better brakes than most cars on the road, but what about the person in behind you? If YOU have to slam on the brakes, you're gonna get it up the tail pipe... Literally... I give myself 2-3x the legal distance, minimum... I NEVER allow myself to get caught up in a "wolf packs" on the freeway, etc. Wish my wife would follow my lead...

RJS3791RD · 04-07-2023, 08:35 AM

Unfortunately when you leave that much space, someone jumps in between you and that vehicle and effectively cutting the following distance. My wife and I are driving about 30k miles annually pulling the 5’er. The driving etiquette changes almost as fast as the road signs. In some areas, you can’t creat 3 car lengths between vehicles.

Neo1130 · 04-07-2023, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RJS3791RD

Unfortunately when you leave that much space, someone jumps in between you and that vehicle and effectively cutting the following distance. My wife and I are driving about 30k miles annually pulling the 5’er. The driving etiquette changes almost as fast as the road signs. In some areas, you can’t creat 3 car lengths between vehicles.

True. While I don't follow this rule 100% of the time, I make it a thing as much as possible. Not everything is avoidable but you can sure try to avoid it as much as you can.

notanlines · 04-07-2023, 08:56 AM

I also like to maintain that minimum or better space while driving, especially on the motorcycle or when towing. And I like to maintain the speed limit on the motorcycle. I’m not big on riding in groups. When the group in the park says let’s go to the coast we say we’ll meet you there. We have no mod’s on the truck, Bronco, or Harley. I’m just too damned old to look cool or to go for a “Soul” ride like the video.

**chuckster57** · 04-07-2023, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

When that model Kia first came out, my wife was interested in buying one. I think she was amused by the rats in commercial that aired at the time. Went to the Kia dealership and when she test drove one was not taken by the size or ride and we ended up not buying the Kia Soul. Bought a Mazda instead; while it was a nifty car, it was really poorly assembled plus I talked my missus into buying the only standard shirt on the lot to save a couple bucks. Traded in the Crown Vic. Wife drove the Mazda for awhile and we ended up selling it and buying yet another Crown Vic. She has yet a different Crown Vic today.

Hamsters George, get it right!!!

When we bought our house it had a 2 car garage and one side was shorter than the other. We have ALWAYS parked 2 cars in the garage and “my” side is limited to 73 1/2” length.

**flybouy** · 04-07-2023, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuckster57

Hamsters George, get it right!!!

When we bought our house it had a 2 car garage and one side was shorter than the other. We have ALWAYS parked 2 cars in the garage and “my” side is limited to 73 1/2” length.

73 1/2" ? What are driving, a clown car?

notanlines · 04-07-2023, 11:20 AM

Probably a typo. The car is about 14’ long.

**chuckster57** · 04-07-2023, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by notanlines

Probably a typo. The car is about 14’ long.

Not a typo, but a brain fart. When the grill touches the front wall, the bumper clears the garage door by about 10 inches.

It’s Friday, and I’m by myself in the shop so give me a break…..please. I went and looked up the specs and the Kia is 160” long. I remember measuring the garage and had 173” wall to door.

It’s all coming back to me now.

**sourdough** · 04-07-2023, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRTJH

It happens "in an instant" and there's almost always NO WAY TO STOP the chain of events once it starts......

Can we prevent it from happening? Sometimes.... But we are all "vulnerable to that one time we can't stop what's about to happen".....

All the more reason to not push the envelope too far beyond our skill level and the capabilities of the vehicles we drive and tow.....

OK, "sermon over"

I've said the above so many times. Once the chain starts YOU have no control until it's over....it WILL play out to whatever end good or bad. As I've also said many times, the times I could have died...or should have died, I didn't know until I woke up. That's how those kinds of things happen, just like the girl you encountered. If she had not survived she just didn't "wake up". There is a reason to be cautious, give oneself safety cushions, don't push the envelope or try to stretch our luck. It can be iffy just pulling an RV with the increased stress on the vehicle and weakening the truck with some modification only increases the odds of something bad happening.

I will say in the video the tire just shooting out to the left like that, when it appeared the Kia was almost in the clear, was not only dramatic but one of those "what the heck" moments. Lots of those kinds of truck in FL with the wheels offset/spaced out so far most of the tire is outside the fenders. Guess they think it's cool but it's dangerous and really stresses the wheel/axles etc. I'm going to give them a bigger berth than I already do.