How many alligators did you see this weekend?

OK, it was the next weekend, 980 miles from Wichita to Michigan, through Kansas, Missouri (on US-36), Illinois, and US-24 and 31 in Indiana. No alligators until I-69 in Michigan, where trucks were running 10 over their 65 limit, and many cars 80 +

We've heard high speed Kansas picks them up. Rest of the route, lower speed Interstates and even slower highways. What kills tires? Heat in the tread. What builds heat? Load, proportionately, and speed, to the square (which also provides force to throw the tread). How fast are you driving in Colorado.

What we did see on the road, mornings, were skunks in cornfield country, raccoons in forest and lake country.

After first reading the title and your state, I thought you were referring to the gator farm in Alamosa.

Ah, we knew what you meant.

Francesca Knowles wrote:

#40Fan wrote:
224*, that is hot! :D

I wondered about that one, too...doesn't water boil at 212 degrees???

124- sorry guys! :)

pyoung47 wrote:
He was aware of it -- just trying to hurry to the tire shop before the other one went flat.

:S

Darwin Awards Contender!

Re: Longtrace

Interesting -- I had always thought that retreading was the cause of all of the tire shreds. It's tough for the truckers to be aware that a tire is flat until it shreds and too late. Tire pressure monitors would be great for them, but not practical since they tow many different trailers.
Some time ago, I passed a guy with a travel trailer who was pulling onto the road. I noted a flat tire on the back. Soon he passed me, but I wasn't able to get his attention to warn him of the flat. I followed him for about fifty miles on a two lane road, but he was going too fast for my Corolla to pass him, the tire shredding as we went along. Finally we reached a major town with a stop light and four lane road. I pulled along side and my wife yelled to him about the tire. By that time, the tire was completely gone. He was aware of it -- just trying to hurry to the tire shop before the other one went flat.

Like blt2ski said, most tires pieces are not from failed retreads. The easy way to tell is if there is any steel (or other ) chords, then it's not a failed retread.

Over the years, I have pulled many dozens off the road - and so far not a single one was a retread failure. Of the ones I've just driven past, very, very few might have been retreads.

I did see a lot more cars and a lot more breakdowns along my usual route - typical of a holiday weekend. I have blamed both on breakdowns and tire failure on the likelihood that many of the cars haven't seen more than 10 minutes at highway speeds in a long time and then the driver loads up the car and after an hour or more the weak stuff breaks.

#40Fan wrote:
224*, that is hot! :D

I wondered about that one, too...doesn't water boil at 212 degrees???

224*, that is hot! :D

Not this weekend but the weekend before the 4th of July I drove through Vegas at 10:00AM Southbound on I-15 it was 116 degrees. When I reached Baker, CA it was 124 degrees.

My best guesstimate was that at least 200 cars and light trucks were stranded on or near the Baker Grade. Most were tire related but a fair number had hoods up as well and many of those were on some fairly recent model years.

I saw very few big rigs pulled over with tire issues- no more than normal- and zero with engine related issues.

Hottest temps I have ever pulled heavy in for sure!