Jump to content

Unofficial Home of Old Simplicity & Allis-Chalmers Garden Tractors

Safety first!!!!! lesson learned


ehertzfeld

Recommended Posts

Ok guys, for thouse who dont know what I do for a living, I repair trailers. The big tractor trailer trailers. Well I was a work today changing a tire on one. Most trailers now a days use 295/75R22.5. They hold 100lbs of pressure. our little tractor tires use 2 or 4 ply, trailer tires use 14 ply! With all that in mined, after mounting the tire on the rim, I stood the tire against the bumper of my truck. With a quick blast of the bead seater, the bead was set and was good to be filled with air. We constantly watch for bubbles or any thing funny as the tire fills with air, as we use mostly recaped tires. Well with about 70-80psi in the tire, the side wall blew apart right againts my leg. I was holding it away from the truck, and against my leg to check the other side for defects. Well 20 minutes later my ears stopped ringing, and 6 houres later my leg still hurts. Luckily that was all that happend. I will most likley have a bruse but thats all. Lesson learnt: be very carefull when filling tires!!!!!!! never hold one next to your body!!!!!!!! I know the tires we use arnt as dangerous as the ones I change at work, but ya just never know!!!! So with that been said, please be carfull when changing tires. I concider you all like a family " my tractor family" and would be crushed with one of you got hurt. Thank you for being such a fine group of indivduals. Elon
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Elon, Glad to hear that you are all right. The potential energy in one of those tires is enormous. We had one blow up on a gear trailer at work. I was 200 yards from the guy filling the tire and it was very loud. It is "funny" how when you do the same thing day in and day out you just never think about what can happen. In my job we deal with large amounts of weight. One crane may need 300,000 pounds of counterweight installed. You just do it, you don't think about what could happen if something was to go wrong. I was standing on a rough terrain crane when it nosed over. I jumped 5-6 feet to the ground before it went completely over, the operator rode it out. That crane came over on top of a trailer that a guy had been working inside of just a couple seconds earlier. I was shaking for an hour, thinking about what could have been. What a difference 5 or 10 seconds can make one way or the other. After that happened, I called my wife to tell her that I loved her, because you just never know. Later, Chad
Link to comment
Share on other sites

quote:
Originally posted by MPH
Thought you were always suppose to air them big boys up in a cage?
Well.......... you are:I, but being a mobile servics them cages are a bit cumbersome. They take up a lot of room in the truck. Me thinking of booting alot out to make room for one!!!!!Or just stop doing them tires!!!!!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A good friend of mine had a co-worker killed by a tire. Unfortunatly the guy felt it wasnt better to be safe while filling a tire for a comercial jet. well the thire blew out as he was leaning against it. from what he said the blast sent him accross the floor into a pole, and lets just say his heals were touching the back of his head. Unfortunate but it reminds us to think a little before we act. James K.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Glad your alright Elon, and thanks for sharing that info with us. If it prevents it happening to even just one person it will be worth it. Ryan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Back in 65 at a truck stop in Pheonix I saw a mechanic killed when a 10:00x20 exploded in a cage. You just can't be too carefull. Sure glad you wern't hurt any worse.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I heard of a man killed by inflating a big tire like that also. Thanks for the warning. Jh
Link to comment
Share on other sites

quote:
Originally posted by comet66
Back in 65 at a truck stop in Pheonix I saw a mechanic killed when a 10:00x20 exploded in a cage. You just can't be too carefull. Sure glad you wern't hurt any worse.
I dont do thouse two and three piece rims. Thems sucker are nasty. My boss puts tires on the rim for me. We do how ever wait to fill them wile on the trailer. the rings that hold them together face eachother. So it the ring lets go, it goes right into the other tire. Loud but safe. Elon
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I heard that someone was seating one with starting fluid and the tire blew up and landed in a K-Mart Parking lot, and blew a hole in the roof Dont know if it is true. :D
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Glad to hear you're OK. Doesn't take a lot of pressure to cause a lot of damage. A friend of mine had an old vertical portable air tank. He was in his garage filling it one day, and had only about 25 pounds in the tank. The bottom of the tank blew out (it was badly rusted on the inside). The tank took off straight up like a rocket. Flew right past his head and put a hole in the garage roof. Just a second or so earlier, he was leaning over the top of the tank to look at the air gauge. Pat
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very good reminders to be cautious. Thanks for the info. I'll use it to instruct my kids and remind friends.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Glad to hear you're ok Elon. I too work on tractor trailers. Not on tires tho. Structural repair. I always tell the new help (and keep reminding the "old" help) A MOMENT OF IN-ATENTION CAN COST YOU YOUR LIFE !! You don't need a tire cage to be safe when filling a tire. Especially those old split rims. All you really need is a 20' length of GOOD 1/4" or 3/8" chain. Wrap it around the tire and rim a few times and hook it loose on itself. This might be problematic on a 22.5" with just two rim holes, but it would be better than nothing. Doesn't sound like it might have prevented what happened to you though.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I saw a 5# hammer f1y about 40 feet up and about 40 across the street and hit in the top of a tree. A guy was trying two break down the tire had laying on the ground outside a small gas station hitting the lock ring with the hammer. When BOOM KA-THOCK!! He was not hurt but he sure could have been. That was 25 years ago and I think about it and see it as plain as that bright summer day was hot. Glad you are ok.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you, I woke up this morning and leg feels better. There are alot of dangerous jobs out there. Like some one said you just dont think about what could happen. But when somthing does, it sure makes ya think. I tip my hat to all who do theses kinda jobs! Thanks again Elon
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Split rims? OUCH! We no longer use those deadly things on our tri-axles. I have seen more than one person killed by them over the years, and at least two of those guys had the tire in a cage when killed. Elon I'm grateful you weren't seriously hurt, and thanks for the safety reminder. I have to admit we lean against the tires while airing them up too. Time to change that! Larry
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Glad to hear you're alright. I've done my share of big truck and trailer tires,and (knocking loudly on wood),have had no problems. It must have been a junk casing that had been run flat or overheated.I'd save that tire for you're tire dealer to look at.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

quote:
Originally posted by goatfarmer
Glad to hear you're alright. I've done my share of big truck and trailer tires,and (knocking loudly on wood),have had no problems. It must have been a junk casing that had been run flat or overheated.I'd save that tire for you're tire dealer to look at.
First thing I'm doing monday morning! Marching right in and dropping in on the desk! :D:D:D
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...