blown tire at 75
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,453
Likes: 67
From: Midland Ontario
NCM Sinkhole Donor
If those tires were new this spring, and have a corresponding manufacturer's date code......I'd be on the phone to my lawyer. Something tells me the date codes might be a little old.....hope I'm wrong, sorry to hear of your misfortune.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
How many big burn-outs have you done with those 'street' tires? If you haven't abused them, I think some legal action is in order. If you have, maybe it's time to re-think that approach.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 26,545
Likes: 46
From: Huntersville NC
I was wondering the same thing - from the picture you posted it looks like the non-blown surface of the tire is completely unevenly worn down as well. All that damage really sucks. I remember having a blowout in a modern car on the highway and for the first 2 seconds I couldn't even tell the tire had blown; it just felt a little "different" and I pulled over and stopped.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Team Owner
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 31,497
Likes: 1,313
From: Huntsville AL
Please take picture of the date code on that tire and post it for us to see.
Date code is a 4 digit number, something like 4413 which would be the 44th week of 2013.
What is on that tire?
Did you possibly hit something in the road that caused an immediate tire failure?
Date code is a 4 digit number, something like 4413 which would be the 44th week of 2013.
What is on that tire?
Did you possibly hit something in the road that caused an immediate tire failure?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,943
Likes: 61
From: Southern NH
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 18,735
Likes: 2,582
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 30,995
Likes: 99
From: Ontario
Fortunately no personal injuries!! Thank goodness. I will be interested in reading what the tire vendor says. I have never seen that kind of failure where the tread has literally disintegrated. There is none left?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 6,400
Likes: 1,226
From: Tampa Florida
You don't have to drive your car for BFG's to fail. I went in the garage one day and found this. I bought these in 1990 and parked my car in the garage. Just a few miles (about a 100) and 19 years later......! So, age does matter.
My new set of BFG's I bought in 2009 have 5 miles on them. I guess I'll be needing a new set soon.
My new set of BFG's I bought in 2009 have 5 miles on them. I guess I'll be needing a new set soon.
Last edited by 71 Green 454; Sep 29, 2014 at 05:25 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 1,360
Likes: 59
From: Meldrim Georgia
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 11,608
Likes: 780
From: Eustis ( Area 51 Bat Cave ) Fl
Man...that sucks out loud, but at least you are okay,
Years back when I sold my wide body that fellow had it going down the highway about 75-80 and a big old tire on a 12" rim let go, blew out and even busted lugs
It tore up much of the rear flare, like yours but wide body, his insurence gave him the run a round because he "forgot" to mention the car was modded....
Years back when I sold my wide body that fellow had it going down the highway about 75-80 and a big old tire on a 12" rim let go, blew out and even busted lugs
It tore up much of the rear flare, like yours but wide body, his insurence gave him the run a round because he "forgot" to mention the car was modded....
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,023
Likes: 6
From: Austin Tx
Looks like classic thread separation. As others have suggested, I'm sure you will find that the tires are more than a couple years old. I had the same thing happen to me.
Here's some interesting reading - http://www.safetyresearch.net/Library/SRS_060208.pdf
The problem is that since our cars get driven a limited number of miles, and are typically well maintained, the tires can appear MUCH younger than they actually are. In my case, when I had my accident, the tires were 12 years old (I had only owned the car 2 years at that point), and had 75% of their tread, and zero evidence of 'dry rot' - low miles, garage, and regular care almost led to a disaster.
With radial tires a chemical process is used to help the rubber tread adhere to the steel belts. This chemical process degrades over time, irregardless of how the tire is stored or used. This is what led to the Ford/Firestone tread separations - tires that were in storage for a long period were used on new vehicles.
After this chemical process has broken down, other factors can contribute to tread separation, the two main ones are 1) temperature - higher temps lead to more pliable rubber and the tread pulling away, and 2) speed - higher speed equals greater outward forces pulling the tread away from the tire.
There is no way to tell if/when this adheasive process will break down, but it's good for at least 6 years, thay is why tire companies will only warrany their tires for six years.
Here's some interesting reading - http://www.safetyresearch.net/Library/SRS_060208.pdf
The problem is that since our cars get driven a limited number of miles, and are typically well maintained, the tires can appear MUCH younger than they actually are. In my case, when I had my accident, the tires were 12 years old (I had only owned the car 2 years at that point), and had 75% of their tread, and zero evidence of 'dry rot' - low miles, garage, and regular care almost led to a disaster.
With radial tires a chemical process is used to help the rubber tread adhere to the steel belts. This chemical process degrades over time, irregardless of how the tire is stored or used. This is what led to the Ford/Firestone tread separations - tires that were in storage for a long period were used on new vehicles.
After this chemical process has broken down, other factors can contribute to tread separation, the two main ones are 1) temperature - higher temps lead to more pliable rubber and the tread pulling away, and 2) speed - higher speed equals greater outward forces pulling the tread away from the tire.
There is no way to tell if/when this adheasive process will break down, but it's good for at least 6 years, thay is why tire companies will only warrany their tires for six years.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 470
Likes: 0
Wow, that's a lot of damage, I'm glad no one was hurt!
Note to self: check date code on our tires even though they look new, after all, it did sit for several years and most likely it sat on those tires.....ad new tires to the list of remaining things to do to the '69.
Note to self: check date code on our tires even though they look new, after all, it did sit for several years and most likely it sat on those tires.....ad new tires to the list of remaining things to do to the '69.
