Runaway Tire!

CoastlineDJ · Mar 2, 2019

I was on my way to Wilmington this morning and was meeting a mobile home coming toward me. All of a sudden a tire came off the mobile home and was coming toward me. I swerved to avoid it with my truck but, it got my trailer.

Jstpssng · Mar 2, 2019

That stinks, but at least nobody was hurt. Runaway tires can roll a long ways!
Did they even bother to stop, or just keep on trucking? They may not even have known that they lost it.

Thomas · Mar 2, 2019

Dang... glad your all right.

Deere Dude · Mar 2, 2019

CoastlineDJ said:
I was on my way to Wilmington this morning and was meeting a mobile home coming toward me. All of a sudden a tire came off the mobile home and was coming toward me. I swerved to avoid it with my truck but, it got my trailer. View attachment 594165

It looks like it bent the axle too, or am I seeing things? Glad it did't hit your truck.

two_bit_score · Mar 3, 2019

Bet that scared the crap out of you. It would have me.

TBS

rhunt · Mar 3, 2019

You sir are a very lucky man!! Bob

CoastlineDJ · Mar 3, 2019

It did bend the axle. The whole frame appears to be out of square.

Redbug · Mar 3, 2019

If the frame is out of square, axle bent, needs tire and fender...then I think insurance would say a new trailer. I bet that that made a boom when it hit. Another foot and it would have missed the trailer and done real damage and injury to whoever was behind you.

fried1765 · Mar 3, 2019

CoastlineDJ said:
I was on my way to Wilmington this morning and was meeting a mobile home coming toward me. All of a sudden a tire came off the mobile home and was coming toward me. I swerved to avoid it with my truck but, it got my trailer. View attachment 594165

I once had a wheel come off my tandem boat trailer.
Don't know why, but suspect someone was trying to steal a wheel, ( while trailer was parked-empty) removed the nuts, and could not get the wheel off.
I was driving along,(with 5000# boat aboard) and in my rear view mirror, noticed a loose wheel coming down a hill, as I was going down the same hill.
Mentioned to my wife that someone must have lost a wheel.
Wheel was accelerating, and actually passed me as I began to slow, to pull over and inspect my trailer.
After wheel passed me, it hit the curb on a traffic island, bounced 10' in the air, and came to rest in the middle of the traffic island.
Stopped and checked my trailer.
Yup.....the wheel was mine.

Deere Dude · Mar 3, 2019

I had a boat trailer converted to a flatbed for general use. I hauled 20 bags of Portland cement from a Menards store 30 miles away. A few miles from home I noticed the left wheel break off so I slowed. It rolled between the truck and the trailer. I started to ease down to keep the wheel from hitting the truck and to not get under the trailer. I must have judged wrongly because all of a sudden the left of the trailer jumped up as the wheel rode under the axle and every concrete bag jumped out of the trailer into the ditch.

I saved most of the bags then another two miles down the road the other wheel broke off but I was going slower. Then I got another trailer to haul the cement home.

Gary Fowler · Mar 3, 2019

CoastlineDJ said:
I was on my way to Wilmington this morning and was meeting a mobile home coming toward me. All of a sudden a tire came off the mobile home and was coming toward me. I swerved to avoid it with my truck but, it got my trailer. View attachment 594165

I didn't see the answer to the question of whether the tire owner stopped and exchanged insurance info or just left the scene of the accident.

CoastlineDJ · Mar 3, 2019

Yes he did stop. It turns out I know the guy. He assured me I will get a new trailer whether it be by the insurance, him or both. It痴 still a PITA to go through this. I was on my way to pick up appliances for a couple that were flooded out by hurricane Florence, trying to do a good deed for someone.

Doofy · Mar 3, 2019

CoastlineDJ said:
Yes he did stop. It turns out I know the guy. He assured me I will get a new trailer whether it be by the insurance, him or both. Itç—´ still a PITA to go through this. I was on my way to pick up appliances for a couple that were flooded out by hurricane Florence, trying to do a good deed for someone.

Faith in people restored! Glad he took responsibility.

PILOON · Mar 3, 2019

Happened to me also some years back.

Clear day and divided highway me going east and big truck going west
From a distance I see his left rear wheel slowly separate and roll along slowing slightly and then veer and cross the median and come at me all the while bouncing and hopping from left to right.
I brake but there is no way can I predict where we we will meet.
The tire makes on last bounce and clears my car hood without a scratch.

Had that tire made contact it would have been as bad as hitting a moose as for sure the tire would have been in the front seats.

As to my shorts , don't ask.

Masempine · Mar 3, 2019

I used to drop the tire. Remove the jack. Put the jack in the trunk. Then finish tightening the tires. Never again. Got this call about 25 years ago from my wife. Tire had come off and passed her on the road luckily it turned right and ran off road. Imagine how sick I felt.

crabbinman · Mar 3, 2019

Glad you are ok. Stuff like that can end really bad.
Bent axles are nothing compared to an ambulance ride.
Bruce

coobie · Mar 4, 2019

CoastlineDJ said:
Yes he did stop. It turns out I know the guy. He assured me I will get a new trailer whether it be by the insurance, him or both. It痴 still a PITA to go through this. I was on my way to pick up appliances for a couple that were flooded out by hurricane Florence, trying to do a good deed for someone.

You sir are lucky that did not impact your truck.I am sure it,s a PIA now but you are a good person for helping out folks in need.Good luck on your repair/replacement trailer.GOD SPEED..

stuckmotor · Mar 4, 2019

I once bought a homemade trailer at an auction and took a load of logs to a sawmill with it. When I got to the mill, I noticed a wheel lying on the ground. A while later, I realized the wheel had come off of my trailer. A closer inspection revealed that the end of the axle had broken off just outside of the hub. Someone had welded the end just around it's perimeter. I count myself lucky nobody was killed by a runaway tire and wheel.

Jstpssng · Mar 4, 2019

I had just left my dooryard when I heard a "thud." Looking behind me I saw my spare tire lying in the road. It hadn't just come off; the bracket holding it under the truck had broken. If it had happened 2 hours later I would have been going down the interstate through Bangor and most likely would have resulted in a serious crash.

The truck was 3 years old, and that was the last time that I used the spare tire holder.