It Happens

I've had 2 tire go airborne at highway speeds, neither on the Escape. The first was right after having all 4 tires on a van replaced. The repair shop we got towed to found 7 broken lug nut studs over the 4 wheels. The 2nd was when I got distracted and didn't torque the bolts on a truck tire after rotating them. Took about 30 miles for them to loosen enough for the tire to fall off. Both were incorrectly finished maintenance.

Never did find the 1st wheel.
 
I too have forgotten to fully tighten the lug nuts on a van wheel. Luckily I noticed the wheel vibration before it totally fell off. I now do a final recheck of all lug nuts after a tire change out is completed.
 
Ken and Bob (oddly these are also the names of my two older brothers).

I too had the experience of not tightening the lug nuts on a 1970's year Maverick. Luckily, like Ken, within 10 miles I felt the vibration!
 
I had a heart-stopping incident where a wheel came off a boat trailer in front of me on the highway, bouncing completely over my car, and the towing driver just kept tooling along unawares. It could have killed us. Just blind luck that it bounced high enough, and that I was traveling at the right speed to pass under the bounce.
 
In the Fall of 2017, I related my experience where a semi trailer tire and wheel came off of a trailer, crossed the Interstate median and because I saw it early on, I was able to time my reaction and the tire bounced about 10 feet off of the passenger side corner of our Highlander. It’s scary to be sure. I knew after that what my last words would be because as I saw the the tire approaching I said “Oh Holy ....”. I was successful because I keep my eyes on the road and my surroundings, I had the WDH perfectly adjusted so when I swerved at the last second the trailer stayed behind me like it was one unit with the Highlander. I never give up in a tight situation regardless of my chances and finally as Lombardi said “Luck is where preparation meets opportunity”. Over 50 years of towing didn’t hurt either. I had seen runaway tires a couple times in my life, one of which rolled into the wash bay where we worked in the service station and did a job on the rear bumper of a 1957 Oldsmobile. It had about run out of energy and still did damage.
Iowa Dave
 
My sixth grade teachers daughter was killed by a loose tire that crossed the median. She was never the same after that. Make checking your lug nuts part of your routine - especially after someone else has worked on the trailer.
 
Fortunately I've only seen one loose wheel and tire in person; it was headed in my direction on my side of a divided highway, so I slowed down and let it find its way off the road before passing it. It had come off of a cargo trailer.
 
Several months ago a young woman, a college student, was walking back to her car at a rest stop in my general area when she was killed by a loose wheel that had detached from a tractor-trailer. Just out of the blue. A young life was ended and her family traumatized forever.
 
From time to time I see reports of accidents that are “chance” occurrences. However having spent a good deal of my career on safety issues, the cause of accidents is usually determinable and previous or ongoing maintenance or the lack of can be to blame. It is tragic to see any life cut short. Car/ deer accidents, dead tree limbs falling on occupied tents, gates not secured and spearing cars, may accidents could be avoided or at least mitigated. Torquing the lug nuts, checking the tire pressures and wear, lights, brakes etc. Its part of owning a trailer. Help other people and be safe.
Iowa Dave
 
When I read about high winds ripping solar panels off the roof of an Escape trailer it scared me into being happy my solar panels are portable - always on the ground. When I read about loose wheel lugs causing a tire to fly off it scared me into rushing over to Harbor Freight and buying a torque wrench. When I read about possibly becoming old sparky I made sure all electricity is disconnected when doing my WFCO upgrade work.
 
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A good friend of mine had a truck tire that had come off a pickup truck cross the median and knock him off his motorcycle. He was not injured critically. I learned my lesson in the 70’s when I had a wheel fall off my Volkswagen and pass me on a hill, no one was hurt and I didn’t forget that experience. Torque wrench is your friend. The biggest mistake is to hurry and not focus on the preparation before moving any vehicle.
 
Reminds me. A fellow photographer owned a late '50s Triumph TR3. Believe it or not, he towed a boat trailer with it, and slowing to enter a BC town, his boat and trailer passed him.
He was a legend. The barge loaded with his kit log cabin sank and it took weeks to round up the parts. Horses ate the fabric wings of his plane, which he later crashed. He and his buddy slid off an icy road and ran a cable across the road to a power pole to winch it out of the snow bank. VW driving the same highway came to an instant stop, snapping the cable, when it hit it. So many stories.
 
gbaglo said:
A fellow photographer owned a late '50s Triumph TR3. Believe it or not, he towed a boat trailer with it
Click to expand...

I believe it. I towed my racing TR3 with my street TR3. Later I towed my homemade tent trailer. The engines were basically tractor engines with twin SUs.

The old piece of 2" channel that held the ball is lag bolted on the ceiling over my milling machine. Note the large bolt used for the safety chain. :rolleyes:

To be older and wiser you first have to survive being young and stupid. :)

Ron

PS, was the Pete McMartin?
 

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Young and stupid...

Speaking of young and stupid, my first job was working a gas station owned by a relative. Age 14 and I thoughtI knew everything. I learned to drive a variety of customer's cars moving them around and the mysteries of stick vs auto. When the first Corvairs appeared in the early 60's with the motor in the rear we had one in for oil change on day. After pulling it up on the lift and draining out the old oil out, I went to drop the lift and stood at the rear while the car slowly dropped down, I unsnatched the rear hood to hold it up while the car went down. Suddenly pain arrived in my left foot. I looked down and the lift was on my foot. I hollered for help screaming "up" when another person quickly reversed the lift. Luckily I had steel toed work shoes. My ego was damaged but my foot was just bruised. No more shortcuts taken for a long time.
 
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I would be interested in hearing from practical minds, what they do on a year in and year out basis for tire and wheel maintenance. Is servicing wheel bearings once every 10,000 miles sufficient? How often do you tighten lug nuts? How about other torque settings for offsets and pin connections?

I am not sure what a regular trailer, not a fifth wheel, requires.

I probably need some schooling here.
 
Ive done some stupid things too, still do once in a while. I do not share these stories unless I’ve been drinking (heavily). Which is stupid in itself.
Iowa Dave
 
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