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Posted By: RiverRider Near disaster travelling - 05/18/20
I left my humble abode in the Fort Worth area Sunday morning headed for El Paso. It's a long drive, but 75 and 80 mph speed limits mitigate the duration of the boredom of that long trek. I arrived Sunday afternoon and parked in front of my uncle's house, got out and headed for the front door, then realized I'd left something in my truck and walked back to get it when I saw my right rear tire very seriously underinflated. Moments later it was completely flat.

The tires are All-Terrain T/As and only have about 5000 miles on them. About a month ago I had that same tire repaired for a puncture. I'm sitting in Discount Tire here in El Paso right this minute, waiting to find out what happened. The repair may have failed, or maybe not...I should know soon. I'm just glad that whatever happened did happen when it did, rather than an hour before while I was tooling down I-10 at 83 miles per hour!

Maybe I should have bought a lottery ticket.
Posted By: Dryfly24 Re: Near disaster travelling - 05/18/20
Originally Posted by RiverRider
I left my humble abode in the Fort Worth area Sunday morning headed for El Paso. It's a long drive, but 75 and 80 mph speed limits mitigate the duration of the boredom of that long trek. I arrived Sunday afternoon and parked in front of my uncle's house, got out and headed for the front door, then realized I'd left something in my truck and walked back to get it when I saw my right rear tire very seriously underinflated. Moments later it was completely flat.

The tires are All-Terrain T/As and only have about 5000 miles on them. About a month ago I had that same tire repaired for a puncture. I'm sitting in Discount Tire here in El Paso right this minute, waiting to find out what happened. The repair may have failed, or maybe not...I should know soon. I'm just glad that whatever happened did happen when it did, rather than an hour before while I was tooling down I-10 at 83 miles per hour!

Maybe I should have bought a lottery ticket.



I doubt it would’ve been as bad as you think. Especially a rear tire. I mean yeah it could be but 99% of the time a blown tire isn’t going to cause major accident. I’ve had a wheel come clean off on an icy road once and I maintained control while cruising it to a stop.
Glad you made it safely Buddy! That’s a long ass drive!
Posted By: Windfall Re: Near disaster travelling - 05/18/20
You dogged a bullet all right. I had BFG T/A's on a truck and disliked them a great deal. They had a mind of their own on snow and ice. Cost me new tail lights for my secretary's car when I turned and the truck didn't coming into the parking lot. Lots of miles between places out your way. The wife insists on having AA now because she doesn't want me hanging out in the road changing a tire.
Posted By: slumlord Re: Near disaster travelling - 05/18/20
I haven’t been to a tire store in over 30 years.

I get my tires at Walmart.



Glad it waited till you got off the highway.
Guardian Angels step in more than we know. Congrats on your escape.

I had a left rear tire tread suddenly fly off the chords above 80 mph in my little '02 Corolla last year, it got pretty hairy fishtailing for a few moments.

Closest escape I ever had like that was on a 750 Ninja, no Cops around, I opened it up to 100+ on the Interstate out by Kerrville just because I could. Got to the motel at the next exit to find I had a 4" wide air bubble bulging from the center of the tread on the back tire. You could push in on it, it was soft. The chords underneath had separated and the soft rubber of the tread itself was the only thing keeping the air in, and I was doing 100+ eek Dunno how it didn't kill me.
Posted By: wabigoon Re: Near disaster travelling - 05/18/20
"All's well that ends well". My guardian angel should draw both overtime, and combat pay.

Glad you are safe!
Many years ago I put C78-14s on the front of my 68 Torino GT, and some big fat 60s on the rear. I was working in Dell City at a Deere dealership and decided to go to El Paso one Saturday afternoon. That stretch of highway is pretty desolate and lightly travelled and I decided to run pedal-to-the-metal for a few minutes. My speedometer went to 120, and it was bouncing off the stop but based on the tach I was running about 135 or maybe 140. After a few minutes I decided that was enough, slowed to about 65 and rolled down my window. That's when I noticed unusual sounds, then moments later my right front blew out.

I think I may have used up just about all my luck, if there really is such a thing. I'm more inclined to believe I have a talented and diligent guardian angel.
Posted By: wabigoon Re: Near disaster travelling - 05/18/20
I believe there is.
I have driven that trip dozens of times in the Big Rig. That was my favorite road, I 20 and then, I 10. Fantastic looking at the west Texas desert.
Six or Seven times I took the side roads to the Guadalupe Mountains. Fantastic! There is a mountain in Texas that is 8,300 feet high.

Anyway, glad you didn't get hurt.
Originally Posted by simonkenton7
I have driven that trip dozens of times in the Big Rig. That was my favorite road, I 20 and then, I 10. Fantastic looking at the west Texas desert.
Six or Seven times I took the side roads to the Guadalupe Mountains. Fantastic! There is a mountain in Texas that is 8,300 feet high.

Anyway, glad you didn't get hurt.


Yep. The drive through the Guadalupe’s is fantastic!
I'll probably go that way on the return trip. Go past the Guadalupes almost to NewMexico then cut south through Orla. Haven't seen that country in sixteen years.

Not that I think it's terribly interesting, but it turns out that tire hadn't been punctured before...musta been the other side. Discount Tire took good care of me.
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