What to do in case of a blowout...

[Waynem]

And, riding on the rim will give you more control than riding on the flat rubber that is disintegrating. The question is how fast can you bring it under control enough to start slowing down?

[rvghostdriver]

That is okay for a steel rim but wont the mag wheel break into parts if you run on it for very long? It is not as strong as a steel wheel is it?

[skypilot]

I don't believe that any rim will be usable if truly ridden upon for any length of time -- the abrasion to the bead seat area could be very severe in a very short time. I must admit though that I have no practical experience with a blowout in a tow vehicle - knock on wood; however, have had several on passenger cars and aircraft; in each case the damage to the wheel from the blow out was such that the wheels were unusable after wards anyway.

[grampachet]

We must remember this is not a suggestion to run on the rim, it is only a momentary transfer of force to allow one to bring the vehicle under control. Maybe it is just a mental transfer of which foot to use and if you hit the brakes you know that would be a bad thing. If you have trained your brain (if that is possible) to react in a manner that may allow you to keep control I would say go for it. My .02

[sreigle]

OK, I understand that. So far I've never had any control issues in any of the trailer blowouts we've had. Maybe that's because there are two axles close together. I've heard the pop and seen debris spreading across the road while looking in the mirror but never has it induced any sway or any control issue. Just noise and damage. The blowout last January cracked the rim but none of the others have hurt the rim. Possible exception, the blowout last Friday does not appear to have hurt the rim but I'll wait for a tire expert's comments before saying that for sure.

However, after reading this thread and the link provided I know that if I do have a control issue the proper response is to mash the accelerator briefly to bring things under control. Nice to know, just in case.

[just green]

OK, thanks for all the tips and advise! But wouldn't it make your life a little easier if you just installed a steering control like Tru Center? That's what we've done and the knowledge of the additional insurance puts my mind at ease!

[Waynem]

Please remember that the Michelin Safety video is for Motorhomes, and applies to front wheel blow out. Rear wheel or trailer wheel is a whole different topic.


Edited: Also, the most frequent cause of tire blowout is underinflation. So, was it a slow leak that caused the underinflation? If so, as the tire deflates, especially at higher speeds (65mph comes to mind) the heat build up inside is extremely high. I think that a tire pressure monitor, of both pressure and temperature, would facilitate in alarming a driver.