WHAT HAPPENED?
03-20-2006, 12:24 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location:
Posts: 4
WHAT HAPPENED?
The weirdest thing happened to me last night driving on the freeway. I have a 2005 GT 5 spd, and I was going about 70 in the far left lane when all of the sudden i lost all control over the car and it started skidding left toward the guard wall. I struck the wall, bounced off and skidding across the highway and ended up in a ditch off the right side of the road. I was fine, but my car had some pretty good body damage and the rear driver's side wheel was gone! Someone behind me says they saw me run over a piece of tire and it got wrapped up in my back wheel. The cop thought that my wheel somehow got ripped off my car and that caused me to lose control. I was just wondering if anyone here could tell me their theories on what happened? Also, the engine compartment appeared undamaged, the worst part of my car is where the wheel was ripped off--will my car be okay, even "good as new"? I know it is probably near impossible to tell by this limited info, but thanks for trying and sharing my misery at my poor car.
03-20-2006, 01:02 PM
#3
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location:
Posts: 4
RE: WHAT HAPPENED?
I didn't get a good look at the wheel because it was dark out and the wheel was clear across the road. Everything on my car is bone stock. I just got the tires rotated about 2 weeks ago (approx 1000 miles of driving)
03-20-2006, 02:42 PM
#6
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Join Date: Aug 2005
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Posts: 4
RE: WHAT HAPPENED?
i didn't feel anything before i hit the wall except for losing control and skidding toward the wall. I did notice sparks flying as I was skidding after bouncing off the wall which I assume were from the rear of my car dragging across the road. Ratzila, I really think you may be right. What is the best way to check? Do i just use the wrench to test the tightness?
03-20-2006, 02:57 PM
#7
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
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Posts: 1,716
RE: WHAT HAPPENED?
I doubt that it had anything to do with running over a piece of tire, it might get stuck in your undercarriage and make a lot of noise but it is unlikely it could get tied up enough to cause your wheel to depart from the car. Since you mention having the wheels rotated, I agree with Ratzila that the most obvious possibility is the lugs backed off and the wheel departed. This would result in an immediate loss of control and you may not even realize the wheel was gone right away. Many years ago I was driving to Dallas from Houston. I had just had new tires put on my car the day before. I started hearing a really strange humming noise coming from the front. I pulled over and looked the car over, but didn't see anything so thought maybe it was just road noise on the new tires. I even checked the lug nuts and they were nice and tight. I hit the road again and continued to hear it. I finally pulled over again and no joke, just as I slowed to a complete stop one of the front wheels fell off! The car had steel wheels on it and the tire shop had tightened them up so much that they enlarged the lug holes in the wheel. As I was driving the holes kept getting larger and larger. The wheel actually fell off even though all 5 lug nuts were still attached to the rotor! I was so, so lucky that it didn't happen at 60 mph. On yours, it would be interesting to hear if the lugs on your remaining wheels are torqued properly. You might want to have someone officially check them and document it, you may have a good case against the shop that rotated your wheels.
03-20-2006, 03:18 PM
#8
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Denver, CO.
Posts: 281
RE: WHAT HAPPENED?
there was a recent post about a news story where a mustang tire came unbound and the tread flew off. If your tire was still in tact and didn't shread, then perhaps the person behind you who saw you hit the tire was right. I mean a wheel and tire that weighs i dunno 30-40lbs or so spinning at 70mph or so coming to a sudden and abrupt halt...all that energy has to go somewhere and that's probably why it ripped the wheel off. If your hub is still intact then it's more likely the lugs came off and the tire and wheel just separated. But if it was actually ripped off then it's likely either the bolt holes on the rims would be torn and ripped where the lugs ripped thru, or the studs on the hub were sheared off and destroyed. I say if there's no damage to your actual wheel or hub then the whole wheel could have fallen off. (granted if your wheel came off the road can damage the hub and studs, the car would sit on the rotor directly on the pavement and the road may never even contact the studs.
long story short: that sucks!
long story short: that sucks!
03-20-2006, 03:37 PM
#9
1st Gear Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location:
Posts: 86
RE: WHAT HAPPENED?
My mom ran over a tire tread that had just come off a truck in front of her and it wrapped around the left rear so tight it caused her to come to sudden halt in the middle of the highway as if she had slammed on her brakes.....so I can believe that it happened.
03-20-2006, 03:52 PM
#10
I ♥ Acer
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location:
Posts: 1,585
RE: WHAT HAPPENED?
ORIGINAL: Tres Wright
I doubt that it had anything to do with running over a piece of tire, it might get stuck in your undercarriage and make a lot of noise but it is unlikely it could get tied up enough to cause your wheel to depart from the car. Since you mention having the wheels rotated, I agree with Ratzila that the most obvious possibility is the lugs backed off and the wheel departed. This would result in an immediate loss of control and you may not even realize the wheel was gone right away. Many years ago I was driving to Dallas from Houston. I had just had new tires put on my car the day before. I started hearing a really strange humming noise coming from the front. I pulled over and looked the car over, but didn't see anything so thought maybe it was just road noise on the new tires. I even checked the lug nuts and they were nice and tight. I hit the road again and continued to hear it. I finally pulled over again and no joke, just as I slowed to a complete stop one of the front wheels fell off! The car had steel wheels on it and the tire shop had tightened them up so much that they enlarged the lug holes in the wheel. As I was driving the holes kept getting larger and larger. The wheel actually fell off even though all 5 lug nuts were still attached to the rotor! I was so, so lucky that it didn't happen at 60 mph. On yours, it would be interesting to hear if the lugs on your remaining wheels are torqued properly. You might want to have someone officially check them and document it, you may have a good case against the shop that rotated your wheels.
I doubt that it had anything to do with running over a piece of tire, it might get stuck in your undercarriage and make a lot of noise but it is unlikely it could get tied up enough to cause your wheel to depart from the car. Since you mention having the wheels rotated, I agree with Ratzila that the most obvious possibility is the lugs backed off and the wheel departed. This would result in an immediate loss of control and you may not even realize the wheel was gone right away. Many years ago I was driving to Dallas from Houston. I had just had new tires put on my car the day before. I started hearing a really strange humming noise coming from the front. I pulled over and looked the car over, but didn't see anything so thought maybe it was just road noise on the new tires. I even checked the lug nuts and they were nice and tight. I hit the road again and continued to hear it. I finally pulled over again and no joke, just as I slowed to a complete stop one of the front wheels fell off! The car had steel wheels on it and the tire shop had tightened them up so much that they enlarged the lug holes in the wheel. As I was driving the holes kept getting larger and larger. The wheel actually fell off even though all 5 lug nuts were still attached to the rotor! I was so, so lucky that it didn't happen at 60 mph. On yours, it would be interesting to hear if the lugs on your remaining wheels are torqued properly. You might want to have someone officially check them and document it, you may have a good case against the shop that rotated your wheels.