# Tool Talk > Wheels >  Heavy tire controlled explosion test - videos

## Jon

OSHA certification explosion testing of a tire inflation cage.

1:15 video:




More details on how tire failure happens; 1:42 video:




Previously:

Clip-on tire spikes for winter driving - GIF
Estonian ice road and resonance wave destruction - video and photo
NASA Tire Assault Vehicle (TAV), made from a German World War II tank model
Tire doubling machine - GIF
RingMaster large tire changer
Removing bead wire from tire - GIF
Machine for installing tires on rims - GIF
Formula One tire warmers - GIF and photo
Changing tire while driving - GIF

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baja (Jan 6, 2019),

carloski (Jan 1, 2022),

NortonDommi (Jan 9, 2019),

oldpastit (Jan 6, 2019),

ranald (Jan 5, 2019),

Scotsman Hosie (Feb 23, 2019),

Seedtick (Jan 5, 2019),

Sleykin (Feb 17, 2021),

that_other_guy (Oct 12, 2021)

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## DIRTYJOHN

Out in the bush in Alaska, we used to use detcord to blow the beads loose on those big loader tires. If the rims were damaged, weld em up and grind em down.

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## ranald

My B-in Law (late) was driving a harvester when he or rather the machine touched high voltage power lines.: all tyres exploded like baloons & he had to wait for electrical workers to cut the power before exiting the cab. Scarey stuff. He was ok but the tyres were thousands of dollars each.

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## mbshop

As a motorcyclist, I never stayed close to a semi. Even today in my car I do not put myself near a semi. When passing I do it as far away as possible and at speed. A lucky ex periance on my part taught me a lesson and I don't follow closely at all either.

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NortonDommi (Jan 9, 2019)

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## PJs

> As a motorcyclist, I never stayed close to a semi. Even today in my car I do not put myself near a semi. When passing I do it as far away as possible and at speed. A lucky ex periance on my part taught me a lesson and I don't follow closely at all either.



I was 6-10 car lengths behind a semi on the freeway when it de-treaded...one hunk went over my head and I dodged 2 others and got the hell out of there. All slow motion - saw it going, backed off the throttle and hunkered down on the bars...zigg zagged, dropped a couple of gears, saw my line, and got it on when I saw the brake lights...luckily the trucker was a good driver and kept it steady. Another time I on a freeway came up behind a box truck with the door open (Doh!)...got pinned in by cars on either side and I saw something bouncing toward me...turned out it was a 4x4 maybe 4 feet long. As it got to the back of the truck and knew it was coming off, I hit it hard and just when it came off and dived in between the truck and the car on the left just as it went over my shoulder. It bounced on the end and went up maybe 6' and hit the car behind me. Merry Christmas PJ...I was One lucky SOB...twice. I don't linger near them much anymore nor ride much either after my accident in 05', finally sold my ST1050.

I remember my Dad telling stories of split rims and not paying attention. I would think these separations above would be avoidable by regulated supply. Old tires, another story.

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## Frank S

I always kept good tires on all of my trucks. Never liked to run retreads even on the trailers unless they were my own 1st run carcasses even then the retreads were only ran on trailer that were not on long haul runs. THe bad thing is even brand new brand name tires can shuck a tread if the driver doesn't pay attention to the inflation pressures. 
Flats are going to happen even when the best of care is taken. My bud will replace both steer tires if one picks up a nail We have it patched and saved for a trailer.
When he buys new tires always in pairs or 4 at a time he has them shaved to round and balanced and we run centrimatic automatic balancers all the way around on the tractor.
I often see people driving right beside the tandems or the steer tires of a truck and cn only think just how completely ignorant these people are or maybe they are just plain stupid.
Trucks pay ten's of thousands of dollars each year in road use taxes cars pay mere pennies by comparison so in my opinion cars do not have rights to use these roads they are afforded the privilege to share them. 
Commercial delivery routes State highways US highways and the interstate systems were created for commerce not for pleasure Farm to Market roads were made to transport ag products to market all other roads were made as a means that people can get from their homes to work, school, or to the stores to buy the things they require to sustain life not to wander around aimlessly while finger farking on their phones.

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## ranald

Recently, my daughter who is a "L"and i were travelling to Brisbane & I told her to take next exit & go back to the tyre place in the last town. She questioned me about going back a few kilometres = "trust me" . The two left hand side tyres which looked sound were ruined (by hitting a pothole) :I just hate low profile tyres. Anyhow she asked me how I knew they were faulty. It is so hard to explain the little noises, thuds, & bumps that warn us. 
While awaiting new fittments, I told her of an episode I had had some 40 years before on the same road. I felt something was wrong & pulled over to check tyres: all had great tred, pressure was good the first day of my weekend trip & appeared good. A bubble must have been high up in the guard/fender & with traffic buzzing past & very close, i somehow missed seeing it. I proceeded towards home and just as I got up to highway speed again , it blew out throwing my ute/pickup sideways across in front of oncoming traffic. A couple of quick manovers & I was again at the correct side of the verge of the highway. I'm pretty sure the 9" salisbury LSD saved the day. When the tyre blew a large chunkof the steel belt, that was still on the wheel, wrapped around the tiedown hook for my pickup camper. the steel threads had worn great furrows in the paintwork around the wheel arch before it was hooked.

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## Jon

Non-controlled version of a tire test.



Your browser does not support the video tag.

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Andyt (Feb 19, 2019),

Scotsman Hosie (Feb 23, 2019),

Seedtick (Feb 18, 2019),

Sleykin (Feb 19, 2019)

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## ranald

some mothers do have them! Must have been lunar eclipse.

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## Frank S

Looks like they were trying to seat the bead of a tubeless tire by injecting some volatile gas like propane then light it the rapid expansion will seat the bead. I've used starting fluid 100's of times to inflate stubborn tubeless tires before I got around to getting a tire flater tank with a 2" valve and nozzle. That reminds me I need to check with the guy I loaned it to he has had it long enough. If he doesn't return it soon I may have to build another

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## ranald

> Looks like they were trying to seat the bead of a tubeless tire by injecting some volatile gas like propane then light it the rapid expansion will seat the bead. I've used starting fluid 100's of times to inflate stubborn tubeless tires before I got around to getting a tire flater tank with a 2" valve and nozzle. That reminds me I need to check with the guy I loaned it to he has had it long enough. If he doesn't return it soon I may have to build another



It fires me up about folk who borrow gear & don't return it. I lent my F-in Law some kit & asked family to retrieve at their leisure after his funeral. The next door neighbour had the lot (& some of Brian's). 2 of my homemade saw stools which had 10" by 2" oregon pine tops that were great for painting or working on ceilings or set them up as scaffold with a plankfor working on eves etc. Also good when I worked big/full sheets of ply etc. He also claimed the Makita 3hp plunge router was Given him and the boat live bait tank. Karma will bite him.There were other tools that didn't really bother me as I had duplicates.

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## jjr2001

Man that was exciting! I wonder if they survived!

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## stillldoinit

[QUOTE=ranald;128279]It fires me up about folk who borrow gear & don't return it.
I have to Qualify the following story by saying I am a recovering alcholic, 40 years sober.
A couple years after I had gotten married we lived in a rental house next door to a couple about 10 years older than us and they had 2 young children. We became very good friends and after we moved a few times we still got together occasionally as friends do. Roger and I were out in the garage just hanging out and I happened to see a metal case skill saw laying on shelf under the workbench and I just commented, "I have had this saw for several years and I have no idea where it came from". Roger said, "It's mine, I loaned it to you about 15 years ago when we were neighbors". This conversation took place after I had been sober about 5 years. I may have borrowed tools or money from others when I was still drinking and in a blackout and anytime I need something, I always try to make sure that if it is borrowed to return in better condition than when taken, or just go buy unless high dollar value probably never needed again. Now if I loan something, I always think about my past. I had a friend who is in the same sober club as me that said that if someone asks to borrow money, he will just give them money never expecting to get it back, that way if it never comes back he has nothing to be angry about. I put my wife through hell the first 10 years of our marriage and spent the last 40 years making it up to her. Hopefully I haven't borrowed anything that hasn't been returned since that saw.
Bill In Buffalo

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Loose Ctrl (Feb 19, 2019),

that_other_guy (Feb 18, 2019),

Tule (Feb 19, 2019)

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## ranald

[QUOTE=stillldoinit;128383]



> It fires me up about folk who borrow gear & don't return it.
> I have to Qualify the following story by saying I am a recovering alcholic, 40 years sober.
> A couple years after I had gotten married we lived in a rental house next door to a couple about 10 years older than us and they had 2 young children. We became very good friends and after we moved a few times we still got together occasionally as friends do. Roger and I were out in the garage just hanging out and I happened to see a metal case skill saw laying on shelf under the workbench and I just commented, "I have had this saw for several years and I have no idea where it came from". Roger said, "It's mine, I loaned it to you about 15 years ago when we were neighbors". This conversation took place after I had been sober about 5 years. I may have borrowed tools or money from others when I was still drinking and in a blackout and anytime I need something, I always try to make sure that if it is borrowed to return in better condition than when taken, or just go buy unless high dollar value probably never needed again. Now if I loan something, I always think about my past. I had a friend who is in the same sober club as me that said that if someone asks to borrow money, he will just give them money never expecting to get it back, that way if it never comes back he has nothing to be angry about. I put my wife through hell the first 10 years of our marriage and spent the last 40 years making it up to her. Hopefully I haven't borrowed anything that hasn't been returned since that saw.
> Bill In Buffalo



Thanks for your story, Bill. I really think you can move on and not be "recovering",:life is short & 40 years is a big chunk of anyones. Your partner is still beside you.

My previous wife & a friend both passed at age 38. I remember incidents like the one I posted and I think I've let them go but when I'm fired up I realize I still have to work on that "letting go" some more. I had a "friend" who really stuck it to me over his greed & cheating & i'm so glad & blessed that I didn't go into business with him afterall. I've forgiven him & I pop by for a coffee & chat ocassionally. Talking to him now, I see he hasn't changed & I realize & accept it's in his nature like "the scorpion & the frog" and dont bear any malice but will never trust him again. You might say 'forgiven but not forgotten'.

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## that_other_guy

> ........That reminds me I need to check with the guy I loaned it to he has had it long enough. If he doesn't return it soon I may have to build another



Hey Frank, can I borrow the new one?
 :Lol:

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## Frank S

> Hey Frank, can I borrow the new one?



Only if I decide to make 2 of them LOL

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that_other_guy (Feb 19, 2019)

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## Loose Ctrl

[QUOTE=stillldoinit;128383]



> It fires me up about folk who borrow gear & don't return it.
> I have to Qualify the following story by saying I am a recovering alcholic, 40 years sober.
> A couple years after I had gotten married we lived in a rental house next door to a couple about 10 years older than us and they had 2 young children. We became very good friends and after we moved a few times we still got together occasionally as friends do. Roger and I were out in the garage just hanging out and I happened to see a metal case skill saw laying on shelf under the workbench and I just commented, "I have had this saw for several years and I have no idea where it came from". Roger said, "It's mine, I loaned it to you about 15 years ago when we were neighbors". This conversation took place after I had been sober about 5 years. I may have borrowed tools or money from others when I was still drinking and in a blackout and anytime I need something, I always try to make sure that if it is borrowed to return in better condition than when taken, or just go buy unless high dollar value probably never needed again. Now if I loan something, I always think about my past. I had a friend who is in the same sober club as me that said that if someone asks to borrow money, he will just give them money never expecting to get it back, that way if it never comes back he has nothing to be angry about. I put my wife through hell the first 10 years of our marriage and spent the last 40 years making it up to her. Hopefully I haven't borrowed anything that hasn't been returned since that saw.
> Bill In Buffalo



Recovering also. This May will be 13 years. I still feel the pull when my anxiety levels are up or during any emotional times.

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## Ralphxyz

Thanks Frank, I could not think of what they were doing.

Ralph

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## crotchetyoldbastard

> Thanks Frank, I could not think of what they were doing.
> 
> Ralph



Don't feel bad, Ralph; they didn't think about it, either.  :Smile:

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## Frank S

> Thanks Frank, I could not think of what they were doing.
> 
> Ralph



Ralph I learned the trick back sometime around 81 or 82. One morning I stopped at my favorite coffee shop to see if there was anyone needing help that day as was normal when I didn't have any welding jobs to go to. I treated the coffee shop like my business office. I was sitting there on my first cup of coffee which was just after the place had opened around 6 Am when in walked the guy who I bought my tires and diesel from for my welding rig. Often there might be 4 or 5 others join us for our morning coffee and or breakfast. While Charles and I were sitting there a manager for a small truck fleet walked in and asked Charles if he could install new tires on 8 of his trailers and have them done by noon.
Well I can probably get them delivered by 8;30 since I don't have that many in stock but I'm by myself today my helper is off today.
I piped up and said heck Charles I'll give you a hand with your 2 air compressors and the one I have on my welding rig it shouldn't take too long. 
We finished breakfast went to his gas station loaded up several jack stands and extra tire tools and jacks. Charles called Remington tire and order 64 tires to be delivered We went to the trucking company and got started Since all trailer had the same size and type wheels and tires we let the air out of all of the outside tires then I would run the impact and remove all of the outer nuts and pull the outer duel off and lay it on the ground No jacks needed to do this. Charles had a sliding tire hammer and he would spray a little gasoline around the rim to soften the rubber so 1 hit would break the bead loose then flip the tire and break the other bead then remove the tire with 2 tire irons . We had 32 bare rims laying around by the time the tire truck arrived. and 1 trailer jacked up ready to pull the inside duels off. While I was helping the driver unload the tires Charles started mounting them. Out of the corner of my eye I see a brief flash of flame and hear a whoosh and thump.
Charles had 7 or 8 tires mounted and 4 at a time being aired up by the time the truck was unloaded. When 1 would get aired up I would grab it and roll it to a trailer then remove an inside and install the new one then repeat the process I would install both inner and outer then move to the next axle. Finally when we were close to being finished or down to the last couple of trailer we took a break. Then Charles showed me some of his most cherished secrets of how he dismounted and remounted truck tires.
1 looked like a spindly jaws of life on the end of a 4 ft pipe that was his main tire tool just take a pair of regular tire irons to lift the bead over the rim at 1 spot then insert the spreading jaws to lift it the rest of the way off then repeat for the other bead to install the new tire he first wiped both beads with a gas soaked rag started the bead then with 1 tire iron pulled it on as far as it would go then hit the bead with the rubber head of his short handled tire hammer once both beads were on he would connect the air hose then spray some starting fluid in the tire and spray a trail to the tread strike a match and toss it at the evaporating fluid flash swoosh thump after a few seconds remove the air chuck install the valve core finish inflating.
If there was one lesson I really learned that day was to never offer to help a tire guy change a fleet of tires. By the time we were done I could barely move my arms

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that_other_guy (Feb 20, 2019)

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## Rogerm

Back in the 70s I worked with a guy who had been inflating a tyre when it burst on him. The small fragments of rubber would come out of his skin. His face and neck looked as though he had been burnt.
In that video anyone standing close to that cage would have been lucky not to have suffered the same fate, along with some serious hearing damage.

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## VinnieL

Sometimes I have had problems with small tires for garden tractors and that type of application. I have a web-type Pony wood clamp that I wrapped around the tread and squeeze that usually helps, but I also have used the starting fluid (ether) as well.

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## Frank S

> Sometimes I have had problems with small tires for garden tractors and that type of application. I have a web-type Pony wood clamp that I wrapped around the tread and squeeze that usually helps, but I also have used the starting fluid (ether) as well.



When tubeless tires first started to get popular on cars I used to wrap a rope around them then use my tire iron to twist the rope like a tourniquet. Once the bead would seat then I would remove the rope 
There are only 2 reasons why a tire will explode not talking about the 2 3 and 4 piece rims here. either the tire has been over inflated or it is an old defective tire

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Scotsman Hosie (Feb 23, 2019)

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## Jon

Tractor trailer tire explosion captured in the wild. Look at how the shock wave clears the ice from the surrounding structures.



Your browser does not support the video tag.

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jjr2001 (Feb 24, 2019),

Seedtick (Feb 23, 2019)

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## ranald

The culprit wheel/tyre was wobbly before the driver snugged it into the final blow out spot.

I' ve seen one stuck under an overpass on the M1: the driver was lucky as he was able to let some pressure out of several tyres and reverse out .Not sure of amount of damage to 1/2 inflated tyres but there wasn't much weight in his load.

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## jimfols

> Tractor trailer tire explosion captured in the wild. Look at how the shock wave clears the ice from the surrounding structures.
> 
> <video controls autoplay loop>
> <source src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/hmt-forum/truck_tire_explosion_shock_wave.mp4" type="video/mp4">
> Your browser does not support the video tag.
> </video>



I like the way it deiced the office and the canopy.
The guy in the car was just leaving, bet he turned around and went back in and changed his shorts.

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## astroracer

Going home from work one night, leaving Livonia on I275 north. A HUGE flatbed truck was hauling even BIGGER tread lugs like for a bulldozer. My buddy was driving and we were just coming up on the left rear of the trailer when a tire let go. It sounded like a bomb went off and there was crap flying all over the place. I don't know how he did it but he missed all of the tire chunks flying through the air and spinning across the pavement. That was an eye opener for sure!
Mark

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## cmarlow

Where did all that smoke come from?

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## Frank S

> Where did all that smoke come from?



That was something I didn't understand unless the trailer had disk brakes and the smoke was actually nothing more than brake dust being blasted off the rim when the tire blew out but then also why did the rim come off of the trailer usually when a tire blows it just blows. It is hard to know but the driver may have just come down a long steep hill and overheated the brakes to the point that the rim was hot enough to cause the tire to blow out. It looks like the trailer had wide heavy single tires instead of duels as well.
But the only explanation I can see for the dark cloud of smoke would be brake dust.

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Jon (Feb 24, 2019)

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## jjr2001

Sure glad I was not gassing up beside that truck when the tire let go!

Cheers, JR

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## WyoGreen

Back in the 80's I had just gotten on the interstate and was thinking about passing an 18 wheeler when all of a sudden there were split-rings bouncing down the interstate and the truck was headed into the median. If I had been passing the truck at that time I and my family would have been killed. Every since then I spend as little time as possible next to big trucks.

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cmarlow (Feb 27, 2019)

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## Frank S

> Back in the 80's I had just gotten on the interstate and was thinking about passing an 18 wheeler when all of a sudden there were split-rings bouncing down the interstate and the truck was headed into the median. If I had been passing the truck at that time I and my family would have been killed. Every since then I spend as little time as possible next to big trucks.



If the bead ring was bouncing down the highway then it can only mean the driver lost a steering tire as those would have been the only wheels with the split ring facing out without being trapped by another tire assembly

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## Jon

Anyone know where this one happened? Or can see a clue in the pic? I wonder if this truck stop is at the bottom of a steep hill or something; that would offer a decent explanation.

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Frank S (Feb 24, 2019)

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## Loose Ctrl

I've looked at the wheel, and when the trailer stops, it appears the wheel is leaning out like a hub bearing failure. Those can cause a lot of heat very quickly and even catch fire.

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cmarlow (Feb 27, 2019)

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## stillldoinit

I had a tire explode due to brake shoes dragging causing the rear wheel bearing to go out, and increase pressure in tire from heat. We were getting ready to go to my daughters house for 4th of July party and while I had just went in the house after getting home with a car on trailer and getting ready to clean up, we heard a loud bang. Sounded like a cannon went off I went outside and after looking around, saw smoke coming from rear of the truck and it was leaning. We needed to leave but I was afraid to leave it like that so I drove it away from the house just to the end of the garden hose and hosed it about 15 mins while I was cleaning up. It was far enough from the house, if there was something I missed it would not burn the house down. I had other trucks so I never did bother with fixing it. I would have to change the whole rear axle. 
Another time I had a tread let loose while doing about 80 on a 4 lane. I had gotten a ticket a few weeks before and I was advised by the nice policeman that perhaps I should follow instead of trying to be the leader. I was on the way home from work doing about 70 behind a group and got passed by a much faster crowd. I decided I wanted to follow them. All of a sudden it sounded like the bottom had fell out and I was driving my old ratrod truck that I had subframed which made me think perhaps my welds had let go and I had just bought the farm. I happened to look in the rearview mirror and saw the tread coming down after it took flight. It opene up the rear of the fender like a can of sardines, tore off the tailight and bent part of the top rail of the bed. The truck is 53 Ford with all the drive train from 79 Firebird. I had junkyard tires on it that looked brand new. The tire did not go flat but I could not go faster than 30 miles an hour the last 20 miles to home due to no braking on that wheel. The next day, I went and spent $500 on new tires. I put the old truck together in 94 and still have it.

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cmarlow (Feb 27, 2019)

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## Ralphxyz

Back in my early car days I remember a few times blowing a retread casing, it happened more than once.
It sure does make a lot of noise.

Ralph

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## stillldoinit

I thought this pic went with the other one but I did not see it.

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