Worked over late Sunday at a job in So Cal, and headed home about 5pm. I was on the 5 freeway..just at the 710 interchange and there was a sudden BOOM!! and dust and shit blew up all around me. The van started to sway and shudder as I eased it off the road to a very narrow shoulder and got out to look what had happened.
The new (< 2000 miles) tire Id installed a couple weeks ago..had shed the entire steel belt, beat the f*ck out of my wheel well..ripped out the plastic liner, tore out all the computer wiring, launched the headlight out into 5 lanes of traffic (which lodged under a car in another lane) and killed ALL the electrical to the vehicle instantly. I had to have the van towed the 90+ miles to my front door and I arrived about 10pm.
So today..Ive got to figure out what needs to be spliced back together, what can be pieced back together by getting harness parts from the wrecking yard..unwrapping wiring from the front axle..install another drivers side headlight assembly from said wrecking yard and so on and so forth. And putting the fender back in place...
Ive NEVER seen this sort of thing happen before.
More photos today after the sun comes up
That photo was taken on the shoulder..too much traffic to walk out in the lane and shoot a couple photos..
Thank Crom I was only doing about 50ish..if Id been up to 70+...I may not have been able to control it.
Ive had a number of flat tires in my 50 yrs of driving..but never one that has done this much damage before. Daaayaam!!
The people I bought that tire from..are going to be getting a visit as well.....grrrrrrr!!!
One of the problems..the power windows are down about 4 inches..and being electrically dead..cant get em back up. So Im having to go out and check it periodically, because of all the homeless thieves running the street. Grrrrr again.
I just chased the crazy mexican who lives across the street away from it. Him I may have to 3S one of these days..unfortunately he is f****ng bug nuts..big as a bus and agressive.
Gunner