Rear tire came off while being towed 45 mph tonight!!!!

Rear tire came off while being towed 45 mph tonight!!!! Almost Rolled it!!

My nerves are still shot. Four wheel studs snapped off and my tire did a hoola hoop on the brke drum then crushed my rear quarter panel and threw the back of the Ex 5 ft in the air. It began to slide all over into the other lane uncontrolably. I was working the steerig wheel like mad ......I thought it was rolling for sure!!!

The guy towing me was smart when he saw the rear of the Ex jump up in the air then the tire fly away he freaked. When I was sliding into the other lane and dropping on the rear drivers side drum he gave it a little gas to bring me back up on 3 wheels and I could madly work the wheel trying to bring the side to side skid under control.

When we stopped the 26 ft truck behind me had moved into the center of both lanes to slow traffic down. As I got out of the vehicle both guys in the truck were clapping and giving me thumbs up for the recovery. I guess at one point I was almost completely sideways. A few other cars passed all giving me the thumbs up.

I will get pics posted tomorrow as I go to asess the amount of damage. Tonight I am getting drunk.

 

[IAmTodd]

Bravo for the recovery! I would've definetly crapped myself if that happened to me!! Sorry to hear about the damage and that it could've been vandalism. Hope the damage isn't to extensive.

 

[AlaskanJack]

Ok all I posted pics I took today while repairing heres the link to my gallery where they are at

http://www.explorerforum.com/data/showgallery.php/cat/3319/ppuser/9485

 

[rfuree11]

EEK!, glad to hear youre ok

 

[general x]

wow that really bites. where is you x? looks like you got a good size workplace at your disposal.

 

[mohog]

i had a front drivers side tire come off of a toyota truck i had about a year ago. scary stuff. i was doing about 55 and skidded off onto a dirt road safely. bent the frame pretty good though

 

[jimbo74]

wow, didnt see the whole story..... i think the studs are easily replaced... probably didnt do any damage to the innards of the axle...

glad to see you are ok...... dont flat tow an explorer! its bad for it, unless the rear shaft is disconnected... well if its a stick i guess its ok ....

 

[DasFrem]

Sounds like a wild ride! Been there before when my drivers front (35" MT) fell off, opps. But at least mine was in warm weather with no snow. Glad to see all can be fixed and nobody got hurt.

 

[mhn3773]

that is prety scary if it was some idiot kids playing a joke

glad u and the ex are ok though =)

 

[AlaskanJack]

Well thank god I have a production PLant near where the mishap occured. I spent the weekend in there with access to a 300 gallon air system and forklift. Ex is home now and all is fixed except I need to remount my 32" tire on a different Ex rim. Good thing I have a complete spare set of deerhoof rims and I had spare comlete rear drum assemblies. Course I was missing the Brake adjusting lever in one and had to get the parts bag from dealership. I questioned the guy at the counter on the kit he gave me. We looked at the screen and the numbers matched. He said it must have been redesigned. Well no it wasn't he gave me the wrong dang part. $22 down the drain since I opened the bag. Schucks had the lever for $4.

Course on the drive home I was nervous as all get out. I was feeling road bumps that weren't there and vibrations that were from the road and they had me all paranoid. I couldn't even drive over 55-60 without getting real anxious.

Now I just need to decide what I am going to do with the rear rocker behind the wheel since it is destroyed.

 

[hydroxy]

ok... I'm confused - why were you being towed?

Also, the dealer should take it back, even if it is opened. I know the dealer near me does. Especially if they gave you the wrong part. Just go into the show room and ask them why they dont take care of their customers after they buy cars from them.

and kudos on the driving... a soccer mom would have flipped and sued ford for faulty tires by now =P

 

[Charlie's_93EB]

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holy Crap Batman!!!!

Glad you are ok, did you call the cops to have them dust for prints?? buy a new gun??

i hate then people stand next to my truck, they do not evenhave to touch it!

good luck,
charlie

 

[apeman]

About a year ago I lost the same rear tire as you did but I was only doing about 25 mph. My wife said that the Explorer was making some noise and I drove it to work that day. It was making a roar like a bad wheel bearing or u-joint. Wheel came off on my way home, the rear end just sat down on the payement. I drove it off to the sholder of the road, left a really nice gash in the fresh payement. It took a while to find the missing wheel, I'm glad it didn't hit any oncoming traffic. Got it towed home and dropped off in the street.

I suspected someone loosened the lug nuts at my wife's school and have been checking them about every week. I was really lucky since I drove it into Houston at lunch that day doing at least 75 on the freeway. I know that the outcome wouldn't have been the same if it had of happened then.

 

[mhn3773]

i was telling a friend of mine about this story...i by no means want to be associated with him..but he lossed 4 lug nuts on a guys lifted yota because the yota i guess banged his door into my friends car at school or something...well needless to say the yota has not shown back up at school and the word is teh yota was totaled from a wheel flying off!!!!!

i dont talk to that friend anymore..

 

[Ak LTD Xplorer]

so that was you..LOL sorry to hear!!..now just to fix the rocker

 

[IAmTodd]

Originally posted by mhn3773
i dont talk to that friend anymore..

Thats just wrong for someone to do that to someone else. No matter that they have done. Get a claw hammer and take a good swipe at the truck. Thats all that needed done!

 

[mhn3773]

i told him to just use that stripper they use on those wooden boats..crap wont come off with water and it will eat right through to the paint..thats about as much damage as the truck did to the other car...

my friend cant understand why i told him to piss off either

 

[Exploder92]

HEY KURT !!!

I am really sorry about your dilemna..and very glad that you were not hurt.

But, you need to respond to the thread over in the Parts, For Sale and Trade forum
There are a lot of folks (including me) wondering where the stuff is that we paid for and did not get. Please respond and let us know what is going on, or refund the money.

 

[Bronco_bill]

Blame it on firestone!!!!!

 

[410Fortune]

DUDE!! Why were you being towed? Also was the wheel spacer at fault or do you still suspect foul play?

 

[dman726749]

Dude this threads a year old