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Friday morning I leave work about 0200 hours to race home and take a nap and be back at 0500 to knock on some doors. I leave the parking lot and while turning right into the acceleration lane my truck over steers a bit. It felt like some truck leaked Diesel fuel or something causing me so slide around.

I am now on the rural highway doing about 80 MPH trying to get home for my nap. After about 5 minutes I need to change lanes and take my exit. As change lanes the truck just did not feel right. I happen to look in the mirror and see that I am trailing a good amount of black smoke. I am thinking that can't be good. I scan the gauges and all is normal.
I decelerate and pull into a parking lot and then all of the sudden the ass end is all over the place. I stop and hop out to find my left rear tire shredded and melting dropping chunks of rubber all over the place.

There was no vibration, nothing else odd other then that initial over steer and then the black smoke. I have had plenty of flats and blow outs in my day, but none that was not immediately obvious.

So, now I am in the dark trying to figure out how to drop the spare. Works different then both my 4Runners and if I did not have a flashlight I would have really been pissed. So, while you can go see how the spare comes down before you need it and you are in some dark place.

Just thought I would share the story. I still can't believe that I drove all that way with a flat and never knew it.

I hope I can get the tire replaced before the trip to the event in PA this Saturday or I will have to pick from one of my other trucks...

Gadget

 

[2 tacomas]

Too bad the 05's didn't come with tire pressure monitors. I know a lot of people bitch about them, but they would have probably saved you from completely shreading that tire. At least you and that sweet X are safe....... it would be a shame if you couldn't use it to bring more jerky to the next NOVA meet. :lol:

 

[Chris D.]

PICTURES!!!!! HOW YOU BE ROLLIN!?! lol

 

[Jonathan]

this has happened to me twice. first time, i thought it felt a little funny, wasnt sure. that was a flat. second time, the roads just dried up. i was going about 50 mph, and i grabbed second. the car instantly spun a tire, bounced the limited, and pitched the truck around. whoa, i though, must have been some good gas! but it was a flat. normal driving, the side walls are stiff enough not to notice alot. ive had 4 flats on my xr in the past 2 months.

 

[Xacto]

sounds intense man good thing nothing really bad came of it

 

[00yota4x4]

ive had 4 flats on my xr in the past 2 months.

you drive around on roads covered with nails

 

[KAuss]

Gadget, I'm glad to hear you're safe, but damn if this was the stocker tires with the cracks, you might have yourself a lawsuit on your hands!!!

Not to jinx myself, but I've only had ONE flat tire the whole time I've been driving... Being that's almost 8 years... I hope I don't go through what was described here cause I'm driving in heavy traffic 90% of the time now...

 

[Jonathan]

you drive around on roads covered with nails

nope :shrug:

 

[00yota4x4]

I had a tire go flat on me once just pulling in and out of my garage...went totally flat in a few sec..filled it up and it never had a problem again...never could figure out what happened

 

[TahoesHateMe]

Got a nail in my rear tire on my 929 while out riding some canyons. I thought the back end was going to trade places with the front coming out of turn leaned over:jawdrop:

 

[dropthattaco]

wow, the ass of these trucks must weigh almost nothing to not notice it.

 

[05x-runner]

its happened to me in the back on the right rear same exact thing take thedamm bfgs off and go with the nittos i have not had a single problem yet

 

[robtown]

Wow, first post, but long time visitor.

It's strange, the same thing happened to me yesterday, left an appointment and drove about 5 minutes to my storage unit. Noticed the back end tried to step out on me, but just thought I got on it a little too much. Next thing I know I come out to the X and I have a flat!

Didn't even know it happened unless it was within the 5 minutes I was inside the storage unit. Droppped the spare and changed the tire, then noticed a screw in the tread.

Kind of wish I had the tire pressure systme, but I really have no idea when I got the flat. Luckily it happened yesterday, because I had a 300 mile road trip today that could have meant big trouble.

Glad everything's alright for you Gadget, it would suck changing the tire in the dark for the first time!



Rob

 

[hiflyer]

You gotta keep one of these in your truck for just such an occasion:

http://www.backcountry.com/store/PTZ0099/Petzl-Tikka-XP-Headlamp.html

They've saved me a load of frustration more than a few times...

 

[Korova]

Jeez. Glad you're ok at least. Never heard of a flat happening like that.

Did any of the melted rubber fuse to your X?

 

[DOGO X]

Yeap me too! And that was the turn around point for the Bridgeston to replace all my 5 tires. :waytogo:

 

[NJTacoma]

Wow that sucks Gadget glad you are ok :waytogo: I had a similar problem before and it happend at night too. :doah:

 

[05x-runner]

when mine blew out it was on interstate about 75mph at 11 at night so that sucked changing it on side of interstate when you hav people passing you at 70 plus mph

 

[5000XD]

Damn. Good thing nothing worst man.

I almost drove from work to home with my left rear flat. Didnt feel like anything was flat after driving 2 miles (afterwards I did recall a very slight pulling from my steering wheel to the left), some guy on the side of the road gave me a hint it was in fact flat.

 

[[email protected]]

It is just odd that the tire can be flat and the sidewall burning away and you not know it in the truck.

I remember on time I was in a 90 Caprice doing about 100 on a 4 lane highway. I felt an odd vibration for about 1 second and then the car went out of control and I was all over those 4 lanes before I was able to regain control. It was a good thing there wasn't any other cars around.

The right rear tire just left the car. All that was left were the two beads and there were rubber tire parts all over the highway. I knew pretty quick that I lost air pressure on that one...

Gadget