TighTT

So...here's the story: Yesterday I was coming home from getting race gas in P-town. When I was at the race gas place...I noticed my passenger rear tire looked a little low....although not alarmingly low. I figured it got a little low from just sitting in the garage for so long while I drove the A4. On my way home on the GSP I was doing about 90 MPH in the left lane when I hit a couple bumps...nothing very big...no bang or any noises to alarm me. I began to hear a strange noise...like a fast paced thump. I switch into the middle lane to make sure it wassnt the road that was causing the noise...the noise got worse so I pulled over right away. As I got out of my car I could smell something burning and I thought to myself "Oh sh*t". When I looked at the tire it looked like this..
<img src="http://images8.fotki.com/v137/photos/2/232908/1645735/IMGP1466-vi.jpg">
It looked flat....but nothing really wrong with it. No bubles, rips, or anything I could see. The horrible smell of burning rubber made me very leary though. When I got the wheel off the car and spun it around I almost fell over onto the highway! This is what I saw....
<img src="http://images8.fotki.com/v139/photos/2/232908/1645735/IMGP1462-vi.jpg">

As you can see...the whole tire is ripped away from the wheel. And this is what I think started the whole problem..
<img src="http://images7.fotki.com/v133/photos/2/232908/1645735/IMGP1465-vi.jpg">
I think this screw made a slow leak in my tire and I didnt notice it. When the pressure got low enough...the tire overheated and ripped apart. It wassnt a traditional blow-out from a pothole...as some might think. For one, I didnt hit anything very big. Two...the front wheel is fine. So, here is what Im left with..
<img src="http://images8.fotki.com/v140/photos/2/232908/1645735/IMGP1463-vi.jpg">
On the bright side...the HRE wheel is fine...no sratches, dings, or scrapes. Well, Im off to my tire guy to order a new Conti. Lesson learned...if you have large wheels....check the pressure often.

YosemyTT

lucky escape for your wheel!

TighTT

Tell me about it! For the car as well....what if the tire came off?? Im VERY lucky!

TTagz

if it gets a little low, it will fold onto itself inside the tire fairly quickly. when it rotates and puts pressure where they touch, it rubs that rubber away until it seperates. when running that low of profile you can't let your tires be even a little low. You were very lucky that it didn't blow off the rim and send you sideways at 90 mph. just make sure you learn from this one and keep good pressure in your tires.

hAUDIni

if that had happened, you'd have to change your name to UNTighTT

AudiTTDriver

I was rolling at like 115mph though and I felt the back end getting a little unstable... I stopped and checked and the tire looked ok so I kept going, about 5 minutes later I could hardly control the car when changing lanes so I got into the shoulder and crawled into a gas station. Within 10 feet of entering the gas station parking lot, the tire blew and was completely ripped off of the wheel on the outer face... Pretty scarry stuff if it wouldve happened while doing 100+... This was on my 18" BBS SX wheel and Potenza S-03 tires.

rumburak

I' m sorry to hear that. At least you and the rim is still ok. (all in all you were pretty lucky)

SparTTan

Dang... freightening. Replace both sides (unless tires are nearly new).

JustJeff

tire went low, and the rim cut the sidewall.

K16 TunedTT

ugh.. Glad teh wheel is in good shape, though.