Blowouts---revisited

[rockinhawk]

A few months ago there was a disscussion here about the dangers of towing a trailer and having a tire blowout on the trailer.
I commented that I had experienced a blowout on the left rear of my trailer while towing a Studebaker home from Florida. The tow vehicle was my Chevy 3500 Diesel Dually. I didn't know anything was wrong untill I looked in the mirrow and saw rubber schrapnel flying.

Well, De ja vous all over again! Saturday, Miss Edie and I were taking a 62 lark from South Ga. to Nashville Tn. Same trailer but this time the tow vehicle was a Ram 1500 Hemi with auto trans. We had passed through Atlanta and Chattanooga. We were on I-24 approaching Nickajack lake when the left rear trailer tire let go!

I got it to the sholder,up against the guard rail. We were on a curve and still dangerously close to oncoming traffic. No problem,I've got AAA. Well guess what? AAA doesn't do trailers! I called the Tenn. Hiway Patrol and asked if they could come and park a car with flashing lights behind me while I changed the tire? "Sure, No problem, We'll be right there."
30 minutes later I decided to go ahead and get things ready to go to work when they got there. I rolled the floor jack under the back of the trailer and jacked it up.
Still no Cop. I caught a lull in the traffic and popped the hubcap off.
Traffic seemed to be coming in waves. When I had another lull, I broke 2 lugnuts loose, Then the other 3. I sat on the fender and removed the lugnuts while cars and trucks zipped by so fast it blew my hat off!
Still no Cop. I rolled the spare down the side and put it on while traffic had slack up a bit. I sat on the fender and replaced the nuts. Had to wait for traffic to clear so I could tourq them down.
Still no Cop. I let the jack down and loaded it up.
1 hour had passed since I called for a Patrolman,So I called back and said "Never Mind."
we made it on into Nashville with no more problems. The new owner of my Lark escorted me to a Firestone dealer who installed a new tire and put the spare back in the truck for me.

The new owners of my little green Lark,Herb and Tammy, seemed to be delighted with their new toy and plan to have it at the Music City Meet next week. They are super nice folks and took us out for a night on the town.

Nashville on a Saturday Night! What an experience! But I think I'm getting too old for that much excitement. NT

[Studedude]

Neil, is there a chance that the rear trailer axle is bent, causing the left rear tire to wear/overheat and blow out?

[rockinhawk]

Neil, is there a chance that the rear trailer axle is bent, causing the left rear tire to wear/overheat and blow out?

I thought about that too,Dave. But the trailer is 15 years old and some of the tires are the same age... 2 tires in 15 years? Probably coincidence.

[63t-cab]

Neil,you're to nice . I would not have called to cancel, let-em show up to nothing "as they were likely to busy pestering the motoring public for revenue".

[Studedude]

Neil,you're to nice . I would not have called to cancel, let-em show up to nothing "as they were likely to busy pestering the motoring public for revenue".

Are you really that simple minded, Joe?

[rockinhawk]

Neil,you're to nice . I would not have called to cancel, let-em show up to nothing "as they were likely to busy pestering the motoring public for revenue".

They had my name and a description of my truck and trailor.I didn't want blue lights behind me later on for calling in a false report.

[Studedude]

I thought about that too,Dave. But the trailer is 15 years old and some of the tires are the same age... 2 tires in 15 years? Probably coincidence.

Yep. 15 year old tires are like that.

[63t-cab]

I suspect so,hey nice after thought Dave.

Are you really that simple minded, Joe?

[Studedude]

Neil,you're to nice . I would not have called to cancel, let-em show up to nothing "as they were likely to busy pestering the motoring public for revenue".

They had my name and a description of my truck and trailor.I didn't want blue lights behind me later on for calling in a false report.

I suspect that when the dispatcher told Neil that an officer would be there, he/she was speaking in good faith.

Priorities change quickly in dispatch centers.

To assume that they lied to Neil, or intended to blow him off, is unfair.

I don't have any idea what the saturation of officers on duty in that district, at that time, might be, but I doubt there is a free trooper within every 30 miles. An officer might be free when the call for motorist assist was received, but dispatched to a triple fatality accident before arrival.

Law enforcement... the only job you get bitched at for both doing, and not doing your job.

Take your cheap shots, we're used to it, but will still try to assist you when we can. Believe it or not, we know that's why we exist... because that is why we choose to do what we do. But, we can't help beyond staff limitations.

I assure you, most officers would enjoy responding to a call for service such as Neil requested. An opportunity to give service, maybe prevent an accident, visit with a nice guy, and relish in the opportunity to do so.

Much more pleasant than working a crime scene/accident, or listening to some whining violator telling you that you should be doing something other than stopping them for violating the law, while endangering others in the process.

'Don't want to burst anybody's bubble, but generating revenue does not mean a thing to a working officer. They exist to assist folks like Neil, but other folks keep getting in the way.

[41 Frank]

No tires on my 4000 mile or so annually used car trailer are ever older than 5 years. They go bad just sitting out in the weather all year. Tires on our swap meet trailer had a 2005 code and one had a belt break on the way to CO. Springs. The other side gave out on the way home this summer.

[mbstude]

I'm more stunned that my granddad sold a Studebaker!

I liked that little Lark, it got me through my senior year of high school. Totally worth it for the embarrassment of my little sister.

[Studedude]

hey nice after thought Dave.

THANKS!

[63t-cab]

No drinking and driving

THANKS!

[Studedude]

No drinking and driving

You owe me a keyboard!! (Not a steering wheel!)

[rockinhawk]

Dave, I didn't intend to sound like I was complaining about the lack of response.Just my impatience. i have some good friends with the Hiway Patrol and am grateful for what they do. Love to hear some of the stories they tell.

It is out of character for me to sell a Studebaker. But I had 2 62 Larks, and I like the other one best. Even though the one I sold was in the best shape. Besides, I really like the couple that bought it. They stopped by my shop on their way to Florida for vacation. He said his Dad was a Studebaker man from Way back, but he had never owned one of his own.