Exploding Tire Kills 8yr old boy

[tommu56]

Jer
I let the pressure exceed the the pressure rating on ther tire while seating the bead.
It only took a glance away and I was reaching over the rim holding the chuck on the stem.
The back bead broke and launched the tire my hand and took out the open over head door above it and this was only a 14" trailer tire.

Put a regulator on the line and set it to the maximum pressure on the tire Before you start and use a lock on chuck.
A seperate valve in the line to turn on the air to the tire.
Make sure the tire is mounted on something (tire machine) or in a cage when filling or even on the vehicle.
Keep other people away.


don't use the youtube bead seat tricks

tom

 

[jgrreed]

Jer
I let the pressure exceed the the pressure rating on ther tire while seating the bead.
It only took a glance away and I was reaching over the rim holding the chuck on the stem.
The back bead broke and launched the tire my hand and took out the open over head door above it and this was only a 14" trailer tire.

Put a regulator on the line and set it to the maximum pressure on the tire Before you start and use a lock on chuck.
A seperate valve in the line to turn on the air to the tire.
Make sure the tire is mounted on something (tire machine) or in a cage when filling or even on the vehicle.
Keep other people away.


don't use the youtube bead seat tricks

tom

Thanks for sharing that.... there's no way in h#ll that I'll ever be seating my own bead....

-Jer.

 

[QRTRHRS]

I have changed my share of tires over the years having worked at gas stations, construction and trucking. With any tire, I always have the valve core removed when I first inflate the tire to get it seated. Once seated, I allow the tire to deflate a bit then insert the valve and inflate to the recomended pressure.

Now it's been awhile since I used any kind of automated machine for light vehicles but when I did, I would slightly loosen the hub or nut or whatever you want to call the part that screws down on the rim. That way, the tire was contained but loose and had room to expand if it popped into place.

I changed a good many one and two piece split rim truck tires with no cage. Cringe if you like. The old guys taught me to a: not lean over the tire while inflating and b: to seat the ring(s) with a ball peen hammer by lightly tapping on it while slowly inflating. I never had one or saw one blow though I did hear of others doing so. Sometimes with deadly results.

I won't say that I was not a bit nervous, especially with the two piece rings. We used to call them GMC rims. I don't really recall why. Perhaps that was who produced them.

I know of many incidents of tires blowing in a cage. I would venture to say that many of them may have resulted in the rings not being seated properly. Why are there still split rings out there? Do we live in a perfect world? I would venture to say that for all of those who cannot fathom working with no cage, there are just as many that have and just shrug. It's what you know and what you have been exposed to.

Only reading that an eight year old was killed and not how, I too agree that the boy should not have been near the tire.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Working with tires is like hitching bumper pulls. Every year we read of people getting crushed between the TV and trailer. Everyone knows NOT to step between moving pieces of steel but most still do it. The next time we go to hitch a trailer I will have to go over this with my son again.

It is not what that WILL go wrong that trips us up like what that is NOT expected to go wrong but can go wrong.

We have to think for ourselves and all those around us. That is why shops have KEEP OUT signs that many HATE.

 

[leonz]

Its never a good thing to see or hear

of a tire explosion accident.



I mounted and dismounted hundreds of

split rim tires and ag tires every year for many years

and the rules are the same;

never stand in front of, or over a tire while you are inflating it

especially if its is a tubeless tire held in place by a tire machine.


A split rim tire requires the use of a clip on tire chuck and a tire cage,
pressure regulator to avoid over inflation and side wall rupture, inflate the tube with the core removed to full pressure and release the pressure to stretch the tube and allow it to move within the rim properly when itis fully lubed with Freylube.

After the tube and tire are initially inflated to the cold inflation pressure the air is released by opening the filler valve bypass and allowed to depressurise
it.
The core is inserted after the tire and tube are fully deflated and then filled slowly to its cold inflation load rating pressure.




I have had the side wall of a new tire with a split rim in good condition
properly cleaned and inspected the rim base, locking ring, vacuumed new tire
tire to remove dirt and lubed the rim, new tube, tube liner, tire beads.


The rupture cleaned off my work bench and blew my lunch bucket and water and paper work off the bench and left no dust; I had a nasty headache for a week and a lot of people who did not believe it could happen.

 

[Don87]

This is terrible.

Can you guys with experience teach those of us without what not to do when dealing with the basics - inflation, flats, etc??? Blowouts do cross my mind when I'm topping something up (about the max extent of my tire fixin'), and I've taken care of 2 guys that had it happen to them, but I don't know what causes them, or what are the common mistakes.

-Jer.

The most basic thing is ...........never/ever try to re-inflate a tire that has been fun flat(even for a few feet). The sidewall will be ruined and the tire will 'explode'...........just a matter of 'when'.

A tractor trailer tire may, or may not explode after being run at 50 to 60 psi for 50 miles or more.......It's a gamble.

I've heard talk on here about 'split rims'......actual split rims were phased out years and years ago(I only ever change one), the newer model was the 'split ring'(2 rings or a single ring).

I did have one.......'single split ring'.........start to come loose on me once. But I released the air before it came completely off.

I hated the 'double ring' rims............just too much to watch at one time, never had a problem, just despised them.

Although once, I did do a "double split ring"(that was interesting)

They still use 'split-rings'.........mainly on containers. Can't say for sure, but I think you'll find that the 'shipping industry' is behind it.

Most trucks and trailers have been tubeless tires/one piece rims, for years now.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

There are still a lot of bias truck tires in service. Our 1989 shipped with split rims. I watched Cleveland Tire of Cleveland TN remove and mount two new 10x20.00 that are on the front of our truck current. They used a new liner and tube. They did not use the case that was 6 feet from where they changed the tire. They did use the lock on air chuck and stood clear until it popped. The valve stem is facing the sky.

These are new high load rated tires but I think I will go ahead and get good used mounted radial tires all the way around and maybe a spare. I will wind up getting little for the new mounted bias tires I am sure unless I can find someone that rents these older trailers. My concern is 6-8 years down the road one will go flat and it will be hard to find service for split rims.

 

[Taylortractornut]

I wonder if it was a whats called a Dayton style rim. WIth the big cast spoke and the rim slides on. I have alot of people still call them split rims. Split rims havent been made i na while but Daytons still are. We ordered 2 new steer tires from one of our tire dealers we use. The tire dealer stopped by to drop off some recapped pull axle tires.

Dad asked im about a set of steer tires for the 89 DM Mack rolloff that runs a larger tire the other 2. THe dealer had Wanli Tires the same size as we run. I told dad dont buy them but the dealer talked im into it with a big waranty and all. Our tire guy came and installed them and they ran all day. We had just started a new cell and the trucks were having to back into it. to the working face. I was on the D5 breaking the slope over to get the scraper a new cut going and the mack was backing in. I was about to go over the slope and felt a wierd pressure wave and a sorta pop. IT felt like one of the blade lift lines under the hood popped. I stopped and opened the hood and didnt see a thing.

I looked down the cell and saw the truck stopped and the compactor operator and the trucks triver looking at something. I walked the dozer down there and saw tht tire partway off the rim. It broke the 5 wheel wedges, broke the band off the airbrake chamber, the air brake chamber was ripped off and the new air lines and the heavy duty rim was warped. I m glad no one was near it . Ive seen a loadertire blow off with a 5/8s lock ringabout 24 inches in diameter blow off. the only thing that saved the folks around was the tire service man had parked his truck next to it and left the service bed take the brunt of it. Looked like a bomb went off inside the passenger side tool tray. That tire only held 50 pounds but was 8 feet tall.

 

[tommu56]

I wonder if it was a whats called a Dayton style rim. WIth the big cast spoke and the rim slides on. I have alot of people still call them split rims. Split rims havent been made i na while but Daytons still are. We ordered 2 new steer tires from one of our tire dealers we use. The tire dealer stopped by to drop off some recapped pull axle tires.

Dayton rims are what most people are referring to when the say split rim with the split lock ring.

The real split rims were actually split and the lock ring was a solid one piece hoop no gaps.

I scratched my head the first I had to change one I had the tire broke off the beads and ring loose but couldn't figure how to get the ring over the lip to get the tire off.
One of the "old guys" in the shop came over and said it was easy and threw a piece of 2x4 under the rim edge stood on the rim and twisted the ring off I did the next and put them back together the same way.

tom

 

[glastron23]

Terrible thing... tires that have been run flat or low on pressure are very dangerous, as a mechanic i've had 3 tires blow on me, inside dual that was mounted on the truck, one in a cage and the third on the tire changer. It's a dangerous job filling a tire of questionable integrity. Heating tire lug nuts or welding is also very dangerous. YouTube - Tire Explosion this is the short version. search for " bridgestone tire explosion " and the full version is there and be careful, it only takes one tire to change your life!!!