[Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
[Main General Bulletin Board | BBFAQ |
Prev by Date | Next by Date | Post Followup ]
Member Login / Signup - Members see fewer ads. - Latest Member Gallery Photos
I've watched it happen. Posted by Ari [Email] (#2847) [Profile/Gallery] (more from Ari) on Tue, 27 May 2008 19:11:18 In Reply to: Flat tire, what happened?, Boston Baab, Tue, 27 May 2008 07:25:17 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
All it takes is for the tire to get low on air. It appears you've got a toasted valve stem. but even running at low pressure - 20 psi - is deadly. As a rear tire, you really don't notice it. But a near flat tire flexes a lot - the sidewall flexes A LOT. That air keeps it stiff. But with little air, the sidewall gets really flat at the bottom, and then bounces up to near full size near the top. Sidewalls are designed to stay pretty much straight. That flexing caused it to come apart, the same way as if you were to take a piece of plastic and bend it back and forth a few hundred times.
On the way to work one day, I was following an older Maxima with a really low right rear tire. I was too far back to get to the guy (one lane each way). I watched that tire sidewall flex like mad. We were only going about 30 mph. Finally the sidewall started to split, and it literally unzipped. The tread came off the tire. Not pretty, and did some decent bodywork damage.
We've gotten used to tires that never fail. It used to be everybody either knew how to change a tire, or spend a few times on the side of the road waiting for the kindness of strangers. With today's tire technology, most folks have never had to pull a jack, and the spares die of old age. But yes, tires do die.
posted by 76.202.162...
No Site Registration is Required to Post - Site Membership is optional (Member Features List), but helps to keep the site online
for all Saabers. If the site helps you, please consider helping the site by becoming a member.