Tire Age..I know but watch this

Chuck 98 RT/10

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That vid is entirely irresponsible. Why doesn't it say anything about the deceased motorists wearing seatbelts? Could it be because they were not wearing seatbelts? Judging from the looks of some of those wrecks a simple click-it would have saved their lives.

It also doesn't inform anyone of what to do when they have a blowout. Gee, thanks ABC. FYI don't panic, don't slam on the brakes, steadily ease off the gas and gradually bring the car to a stop.

There is no way I believe the "experienced" driver who lost control in the test was very experienced at all. I had a retread completely fly off an 84 sedan while going through malfunction junction Tampa at 55mph. (For those of you who don't know, malfunction junction is like the corkscrew at Laguna Seca.) When you lose a tread you immediately hear and feel two or three flap, flap, flaps before the tread comes completely off. Make no mistake, it's an exciting ride, but you maintain your composure, ease off the gas and patiently slow the car down. That experienced driver in the vid wrecked for shock value or he wasn't very experienced at all.

I've also blown a tire at Sebring at 100+ mph. Nothing. Slow down. Pull over. No problem.

Good job ABC for emphasizing sensationalism rather than covering a few more important issues like buckling up and a simple defensive driving technique.

All said, yes you should keep informed about your tires. If they don't feel right, which is often the case with older tires, then replace them. New tires are one of the great joys of driving but old tires do not kill people like ABC thinks.
 

Dom426h

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haha, without even watching the vid im gonna have to give Chuck a big

+1
 

Coloviper

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In an 18 Wheeler when you get a blow out, you are suppose to floor it for a second and then start braking to slow down gradually. It has something to do with allowing the tire to regain it's round momentarily. Thought it was the same for all vehicles.
 

Fatboy 18

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Thanks for posting that up, Very interesting stuff, What we need is a printed sheet with all the year / Week codes printed on it and the next time you go to your tire shop I bet they will be scared! If information like this saves one life then its worth it ;)
Mark
UK
 

Chuck 98 RT/10

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In an 18 Wheeler when you get a blow out, you are suppose to floor it for a second and then start braking to slow down gradually. It has something to do with allowing the tire to regain it's round momentarily. Thought it was the same for all vehicles.

There is no way I would ever recommend that for a passenger car and I question the logic for an 18 wheeler. Sounds like an old wives' tale.
 

steve911

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I haven't heard much here about tread seperations. The biggest problem we face is the rubber getting rock hard which makes it seem as though we are driving on ice.

The same holds true to normal passenger tires. they get hard also.
 

viperdrummer

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Nice balanced report. A plaintiffs's lawyer and a plaintiff's consultant. Gee, they would not be biased at all. I spent the better part of my career dealing with these types--the truth never gets in the way.

Tread separtion and tire failure in general, happens for a host of reasons. This guys would have you think every wrecked car in that shop was the result of old tires--total horsesh#t.

Yeah, the tire companies, Sears, etc are all out on a suicide mission--to sell old tires at tiny margins and risk $100 of millions in punitive damages--and NHTSA also must be in on it--makes perfect sense. You haven't lived until you have seen one of these "experts/consultants" cross examined (as opposed to being lobbed softballs by reporters) with the facts and science--talk about shredding.
 
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Coloviper

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Chuck;

You are now making me question your knowledge on some of these issues. Years ago when I got my Class 1A Driver's license. The brief full-throttle response, this was the exact procedure that was taught and ontruck video equipment showed what really happens to a tire in a blow out. The brief throttle response on a front tire blow out takes pressure off the front tire allowing it to keep it's round, then slow down in a controlled fashion on a relatively round tire. It is an amazing video to watch.

Again this was referenced for Semi-trucks, but the blow out on my SUV 4 years ago, I did this exact procedure and it was just fine to slow down.

Sorry, but in this case, you are wrong.
 

Coloviper

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Chuck;

Lucky for you, I found a similar video that shows this. Why this is not taught to all new drivers, don't know. It should be.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkwOE1yKY5c[/media]

Just remember this has some issues with front drive vehicles however. I just can't remember what that was. I am digging back 20 years in my memory banks.
 

Tom F&L GoR

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Chuck;

You are now making me question your knowledge on some of these issues. Years ago when I got my Class 1A Driver's license. The brief full-throttle response, this was the exact procedure that was taught and ontruck video equipment showed what really happens to a tire in a blow out. The brief throttle response on a front tire blow out takes pressure off the front tire allowing it to keep it's round, then slow down in a controlled fashion on a relatively round tire. It is an amazing video to watch.

Again this was referenced for Semi-trucks, but the blow out on my SUV 4 years ago, I did this exact procedure and it was just fine to slow down.

Sorry, but in this case, you are wrong.

I have to say that the physics of this don't seem appropriate. A brief throttle application in a semi is hardly going to spool up the turbo? The vehicle speed change is minimal, so the centrifugal forces to keep the tire round are same. While the cab may tilt up, the actual load on a tire doesn't change much. And when you do release the throttle, isn't the whole "bad" thing starting over again - why is it staying round the second time?

I can barely reach to get in a semi, much less ever been in one, so I really don't know if my first impressions are wrong or really wrong, but would love to see this video. Link?

edit : you're quicker than the average rabbit, thanks.
 

Chuck 98 RT/10

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Chuck;

You are now making me question your knowledge on some of these issues. Years ago when I got my Class 1A Driver's license. The brief full-throttle response, this was the exact procedure that was taught and ontruck video equipment showed what really happens to a tire in a blow out. The brief throttle response on a front tire blow out takes pressure off the front tire allowing it to keep it's round, then slow down in a controlled fashion on a relatively round tire. It is an amazing video to watch.

Again this was referenced for Semi-trucks, but the blow out on my SUV 4 years ago, I did this exact procedure and it was just fine to slow down.

Sorry, but in this case, you are wrong.

I'm not saying I'm right, just that the logic didn't seem to fit. But no matter, I would still never suggest to somebody to throttle up in a blow out. Most passenger car motorists panic and while there may be an effective method of throttling the car during a blow out the last thing I would advise the average motorists to do is hit the gas.

Professional truck drivers is another story. Sounds like you're an experienced truck driver? If so, how confident are you regarding the driving skills of all those idiots driving around you? I know I have no faith in them. Those morons can't even merge gracefully let alone perform a controlled throttle up during a panic situation.

Besides, a blowout isn't the same as tread separation.

If throttle up works for you that's great. Backing off the throttle works for me. In both our cases the most important thing is not to panic.
 

Tom F&L GoR

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After watching the video (which was made for RVs), the "throttle down" advice is merely to maintain speed of the vehicle due to the extra drag from the flat tire. They even say it isn't to accelerate. While maintaining speed, the driver is advised to regain/maintain control of the vehicle and then take the appropriate next steps.

I think in a passenger car or certainly a Viper, "throttle down" with a flat tire isn't going to have the same results as in the RV video. I'd predict that carefully releasing throttle in a car (vs. sudden deceleration) would have the desired beneficial effects.
 

Chuck 98 RT/10

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Chuck;

Lucky for you, I found a similar video that shows this. Why this is not taught to all new drivers, don't know. It should be.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkwOE1yKY5c[/media]

Just remember this has some issues with front drive vehicles however. I just can't remember what that was. I am digging back 20 years in my memory banks.

That's an excellent vid and does a great job explaining the reasoning. I agree with most of it but I still would not recommend teaching that method to motorists of passenger cars. Driving a big rig or camper is a lot different than driving todays cars.
 

Coloviper

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Okay fair enough! :D Just wanted to pass along what I have been taught and what has worked for me in real life in that same situation.

I think in the end, we all just want to save lives. I do agree Chuck in that I have no confidence in the other drivers around me, as most are not even looking at the road in front of them.

However in Viper, it may be a trivial point as the bigger the sidewall, the more this effect will help gain control. Last time I checked my Viper sidewall was pretty small.

All in all, it is just good information to know, whether people use it or not.

Thanks
 

ViperGTS

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I once watched a Viper blowing out a rear tire because a patched tire could not stand the autobahn speed - luckily the guy could bring the Viper to a stop running on the rim! The rear panel was destroyed from the tire parts spinning, flying away and hitting the panel. That was back in 2003. Lucky driver!

In mid of 2008 I recognized on a club members Viper "brand new" tires he had bought the other day.
From a club member and d(st)ealership....look yourself what I saw :crazy2:
 
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Next Phase

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The video was a little over-dramatic, but good info...

I agree, they should have given some information about what to do in the event of a blow out.
 

HSSSSSS

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Chuck;

You are now making me question your knowledge on some of these issues. Years ago when I got my Class 1A Driver's license. The brief full-throttle response, this was the exact procedure that was taught and ontruck video equipment showed what really happens to a tire in a blow out. The brief throttle response on a front tire blow out takes pressure off the front tire allowing it to keep it's round, then slow down in a controlled fashion on a relatively round tire. It is an amazing video to watch.

Again this was referenced for Semi-trucks, but the blow out on my SUV 4 years ago, I did this exact procedure and it was just fine to slow down.

Sorry, but in this case, you are wrong.


That was back on spring ride trucks. With air bags on the back the front right spring takes the torque when you accelerate. It might work on an eight axle but not on a full loaded super B (63,500 kg.- 140,000 lbs.) as you are normally pulling 1/2 to full boost just driving down the highway, as there is a lot more wind, bearing and tire drag.
 

bluesrt

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a family van with 5 years of driveing on them. i bet the tires were shot when they started on the trip. ******** story and no common sense was used here. thats the story-
 

ViperGeorge

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Interesting video and I would assume the information is correct. Did you all notice the Michelin logo at the beginning of the video? I guess Michelin endorses the methods. However, I don't think my you know what are big enough to floor the throttle in the event of a blowout especially in a Viper. There was a video posted on here somewhere of a Viper wrecking in one of those over the road races in Mexico (I think). Looked like a blowout but boy the wreck happened in a heart beat, not sure there would even be enough time to floor it when a Viper steamroller tire lets go.
 

Dom426h

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ViperGTS

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You need a bigger one :D obviously :lmao:


For you small equipped guys...:D
CIMG0599smallxxx.jpg
 

Coloviper

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Actually I did not post that pic. I just posed the link and somehow the pic came with it all by itself. This is not the video I learned from, as I just went quickly to You Tube and did a search to find something to show what I was talking about.

Nothing is perfect and the Super B scenerio is correct. In the end, we can never have enough education on driving. Personally, I think the standard driver's ed course is a joke and in no way shape or form covers enough for an individual to be safe on the road.

For something so simple as tire maintenance, and the effect it can have. More should be done.

BUT then again look at me, iI am still driving on my original run-flats. :dunno:
 

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