One killed, another injured due to tire explosion

[rvrev2]

I just read that at least one man was killed at a Sear's Auto Center in Salem, NH, when a large tire exploded while being aired up. Very sad. I know that some of us run with large tires that operate under high air pressures, and I have read on this forum warnings from others to be careful while airing these tires up. Now I understand.

I also came across two resources regarding airing up high pressure tires safely. One is for professional tires shops in airing up tires, and one is a general warning of the dangers of tire explosions caused by overheated tires. They say a tire that has overheated from something like a bad bearing can actually explode hours after it was overheated.

Be safe out there.

http://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Research/Files/TireExplosionHazardAlert.pdf

http://www.msha.gov/Accident_Prevention/Tips/TireHeating.pdf

[Old-Biscuit]

ol Bombero-JC wrote:

navegator wrote:
The method I described was implemented after one fire fighter was checking and topping off the right front tire on the 105'ladder truck, sidewall let loose broke two fingers and his arm just below the wrist peppered his harm and part of his belly with rubber, so this method was started to avoid any damage to personnel, keep in mind that when lawyers and committees get involved all sort of procedures are generated.

You can use this method or not, I use it in my many years I have seen what a tire can do and how much damage it can cause, I really do not care what all of do, I know that I have all my fingers and tows, hearing is going I now have to use glasses to read and I am going to live to be 140!

navegator

Still waiting for a link to/for "the device" you referenced..:R

~

That device is just a clip on air chuck.......clip it on valve stem and walk away cause you don't have to hold it in place

[ol_Bombero-JC]

navegator wrote:
The method I described was implemented after one fire fighter was checking and topping off the right front tire on the 105'ladder truck, sidewall let loose broke two fingers and his arm just below the wrist peppered his harm and part of his belly with rubber, so this method was started to avoid any damage to personnel, keep in mind that when lawyers and committees get involved all sort of procedures are generated.

You can use this method or not, I use it in my many years I have seen what a tire can do and how much damage it can cause, I really do not care what all of do, I know that I have all my fingers and tows, hearing is going I now have to use glasses to read and I am going to live to be 140!

navegator

Still waiting for a link to/for "the device" you referenced..:R

~

[C_Schomer]

I just watched Modern Marvels and saw how the 70/70 heavy equipment tires are made. They said that tire at 120 psi has enough energy to blow a 200 lb man 10000 in the air. If that didn't kill a person... the fall would!

[CavemanCharlie]

I got a buddy that still uses the starting fluid method to seat car tires on rims. This is especially handy when the tires have been stored laying on there side for a long period of time.

[C_Schomer]

I did a lot of truck tire bustin' in the 60-70s on all those split rims. I didn't have a cage but I put them under the arms of my floor hoist. I had a customers rim that was really damaged from hitting curbs so I wasn't surprised when it blew. I clipped the air hose on and got back about 10 feet. Talk about scaring the bajeezers out of me, even when I expected it!! It still tore the air hose apart. Craig

[Old-Biscuit]

Dick A wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:
I'm guessing reseating a tire on a rim using a shot of propane would be frowned on these days

Some of us used starter fluid back in the day.:E I also changed a lot of 750-16 split rims back then with tire irons and a tire hammer. We had no cages then but we were very careful as we knew what could happen.

Now they have a 'bead seating' tool.
Fast, easy and dang near as loud as shot of propane of starter fluid

LINK

[down_home]

Believe I may take up walking.

[OH48Lt]

Waaay back when I was a teenager working my way through high school, my job was at a Joe Lake's Tire Center in Monroe MI. We had contracts with several of the large paper companies in town, picking up their trucks and trailers, and changing out tires on those big rigs. Most of them were either split rim or split ring. Both could be very dangerous, you couldn't let down your guard even once. Always made sure the split rim was put together right and the nubs not worn down, and any wheels with split rings were always tapped in with a small sledge hammer. No tire cages at that time (early 1960's). When it came time to air them up for the first time, we used plenty of rim lube and we learned how to hook the air chuck onto the metal valve stems so we could walk away from the tire as it was being inflated. No valve core in the valve stem on the first air-up. The shop air compressor was set at 125 psi, so it really couldn't be overpressurized too much. When some of those tire beads popped up, they sounded like a shotgun going off. We could shake the hose then to remove it from the stem, letting the air pressure escape from the tire. When it got down to about 60-80 lbs, we would walk back up to the tire, make sure both beads had seated, then screw in the valve core. Every once in a while we'd loose control of a core and shoot it across the shop.

Never had one rim come apart or one ring come off. If OSHA would see that today, they would go nuts.

[fj12ryder]

CavemanCharlie wrote:
None of my local mechanics will work on spit rims anymore. They will sell you new non-split rims but, they refuse to service the old ones.

Them's some right smart folks there.

[CavemanCharlie]

None of my local mechanics will work on spit rims anymore. They will sell you new non-split rims but, they refuse to service the old ones.

[navegator]

The method I described was implemented after one fire fighter was checking and topping off the right front tire on the 105'ladder truck, sidewall let loose broke two fingers and his arm just below the wrist peppered his harm and part of his belly with rubber, so this method was started to avoid any damage to personnel, keep in mind that when lawyers and committees get involved all sort of procedures are generated.

You can use this method or not, I use it in my many years I have seen what a tire can do and how much damage it can cause, I really do not care what all of do, I know that I have all my fingers and tows, hearing is going I now have to use glasses to read and I am going to live to be 140!

navegator

[ol_Bombero-JC]

navegator wrote:
The method of checking and adding air to to tires all ready mounted and installed on the RV is for safety, split rims are rare, I have only seen them on big construction equipment, we would change tires on fire equipment and emergency vehicles, single rim, to seat these tires we had a air tank with a valve in the center and a flat nozzle, place the rim on a small jack so that the lower tire bead rest on the rim hook the air hose to the stem valve no shrader valve, take tank and place at upper opening of tire and rim, quickly open valve on tank there will be a good blast of air that will seat the tire, once seated the shrader valve is installed, tire was moved to a completely enclosed steel cage and finished installing.

The method I described above was taught to the fire crews when checking tire pressure and topping of at the station, some of those tires take 120 psi for the engines and 140 psi for the all steer ladder trucks.

I do not understand fj12ryder's comment of "really?" I prefer to be off to the side of the tire wile checking and topping of than being inches away from having my face remodeled.

navegator

The - "check air pressure off to the side" device for use at the fire station (or elsewhere).

Please post a link to same.

Thirty years as a F/F - never saw one.

The ladder truck:
At one time a Truck Company ("hook & ladder") apparatus we had was a Crown Coach quint w/85' Pitman Snorkel.
We had made a right turn from a dead stop at a signal.
Giant *BOOM*!! - left front steel *RIM* failed at a weld in the center of the wheel.

On that particular apparatus, the F/F jump seats are directly over the front wheels.
Definitely got the attention of the guy in that location - as well as everyone else.
Fortunately - the failure took place at about 5mph, no injuries. (still have a pic of the wheel).

BTW - no "hard use" prior to the "event" - just normal driving at
considerably less than the speed limit.

IMO there would have been lots of "believers" for use of a "stand off" device for checking air pressure in the stations - had one been available.

Never heard if there was any exchange of "thoughts" between the fire shop and the (city) tire shop which mounted tires for all the city vehicles...:@

~

[Executive45]

B.O. Plenty wrote:
Not sure what this has to do with RVs ??

B.O.

Well, B.O. since I have an RV with 22.5 tires and the tire that exploded was a 22.5 tire, I think it's an appropriate posting. Given the numerous answers relative to same, I believe it has everything to do with RVs and especially Class A.....:S:S:S:S......Dennis

[reasley]

Never mind