One killed, another injured due to tire explosion

When I was a young man, I went to work for Goodyear tire selling truck tires. I had to watch the safety movies before I could work on them. Most of the rims were split rims which were notorious for coming apart during inflation. In one of the movies (film, not video), they placed a bowling ball on top of a defective split rim and inflated it to about 90psi before it let loose. It launched the bowling ball over 200 yards in the air.

So the day came for me to change my first split rim truck tire. I finally got the tire on the rim, and carefully rolled it into the cage. I hooked up the air hose and stood to the back and side in case it let loose. When I had about 70psi the service manager who was a really old guy of about 40 decided it would be funny to pop a paper bag right behind my head. I nearly urinated my britches, and uttered a few very choice four letter words I'd learned in the service. It was the closest I'd ever come to punching someone while at work. But when I saw everyone laughing, I laughed along with them. But while I worked there, I was always mindful of the danger involved.

When I had a tire replaced on my Motor home they did indeed use a tire cage to inflate it and we cleared well away.. I have read far too many stories to take chances..

I've also had well. not high pressure but I'd call 'em medium (60 PSI) blow on me,, but they were small so the damage was.. Mostly to my hearing (Entierly to my hearing) kind of like a close range gun blast (Identical)

Thankfuly Bicycle tires are not as expensive as 22.5" XRVs If one of those XRVs ever decides to go BOOM. I know exactly where I want to be... ELSEWHERE.

A friend of mine had his hand taken off and nearly his head when a tire he was airing up exploded. Actually left a hole in the garage roof. It was a tire from an 18 Wheeler and nearly 20 years ago. He never touched a tire after that, left that work to his employees.

Yes, when airing up 19.5" or 22" tires you should have a long extension so you are not near the tire!

Tire safety video.

Good reminders - thank you.

I saw a lock ring come off during air up. The tire was in the cage and it ripped the cage apart. Complacency can cause a lot of damage.

The tire cages are required if the tire shop, repairs / removes tires mounted on split rims.......... Not too many split rims are used today but some are still out there. Tire explosions are rare but do happen ..............

Years ago teenagers in my town were puncturing the sidewalls of tires, Until one cut into a big truck tire and was killed instantly........ If you see a large truck tire explode / blowout it is loud as a gun and does a lot of damage....... So yes take care when airing up our 80-100 lb tires...... You do not want the force to be with you if / when one might explode.

Several years ago I saw the results of a tire exploding while being inflated.
The 'tech' had the wheel/tire leaning against the outside of the safety cage.
He died because he didn't roll the tire inside the cage.

Tire Cage use to be standard equipment in tire shops of old.
TIRE SHOPS still have/use them......but have never seen one at a Sears/Walmart




Split Rims are killers also.