Dangerous Lesson Learned... - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

**HIGHWAY BY THE SEA** · 09-27-2020, 03:49 PM

I wanted to throw this out there for the safety of other board members, and anyone else reading the board.
Recently I was driving my heirloom 68 LWB stepside C10 down a country road as I have done hundreds of times before. All of a sudden the rear end went airborne and came crashing down to the road again. As I was wondering what the devil had just happened, I noticed a very familiar-looking spare tire bouncing down the road in the rear-view mirror behind me. It came to rest in the ditch, so I stopped and threw it into the truck bed.
So here is apparently what occurred: I put this brand-new spare tire under the truck into its factory-correct bracket several years ago. In all that time I hav
e NEVER had a flat with this particular truck. So, as they say, out of sight, out of mind.
Over the years, the air in said tire had gone down a bit as tends to happen with unused tires. So as I was driving down the road, the now-smaller tire apparently worked itself loose from the spare tire bracket, and the front of it touched down on the road. This literally pole-vaulted the rear end of the truck into the air and unleashed the spare tire onto an unsuspecting public roadway.
I shudder to think of what could have occurred had this happened on the interstate highway. The tire would have undoubtedly hit other cars and ping-ponged back and forth between the interstate dividers, striking fast-moving vehicles as it went, since it would have had nowhere else to go. And I would have been driving interstate speed, so this also could have caused the truck to flip over, or loss of control and a terrible accident.
I thank my lucky stars that I was driving only 40ish MPH on a deserted country road when this occurred. So I am saying to everyone reading this:
CHECK THE AIR IN YOUR SPARE TIRE EVERYTIME YOU CHANGE YOUR OIL OR SIMPLY THINK ABOUT DOING IT.
It may save a life, including your own.

**mr48chev** · 09-27-2020, 03:58 PM

Dang, I was looking at the spare on a truck that I drive quite a bit the other day thinking that I needed to check the air pressure in it. My 71 has the spare tire holder on the inside of the bed and the tire stands up in the left front corner of the bed if I have it in there.

Andy4639 · 09-27-2020, 04:31 PM

Good thing you where on a country road. Glad your OK.You may need to check under the truck make sure nothing was damaged. I removed the old tire rack years ago and keep my spare in the bed. Which I have a bed cover over it also.

**'68OrangeSunshine** · 09-27-2020, 04:47 PM

IF you decide to repair, and return to using the underbed spare tire carrier -- you might consider 2 independent safety chains going to points under the bed. May have to be fabbed. Each chain thru the rim and around the rubber. Close to 180* apart. Sufficient to hold the tire by themselves. It would make changing a tire in the rain and dark an even worse situation than it already is, but there would be peace of mind that your spare is bombproof.

rockyrivermark · 09-27-2020, 04:56 PM

I had that happen to me on a 1981 C10. Same exact thing.

truckster · 09-27-2020, 06:41 PM

The spare tire is often neglected, unfortunately. Not only are they allowed to lose their air, people run with spare tires that are 20 years old and dry rotted to the point they would be unsafe for any distance.

Leonard1 · 09-27-2020, 08:09 PM

I check mine every oil change, not for that reason, but because it sucks having a flat only to discover the spare is flat too.

67C10Step · 09-28-2020, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leonard1

I check mine every oil change, not for that reason, but because it sucks having a flat only to discover the spare is flat too.

As I as reading through the posts in this thread I was thinking this exact thought. If I don't remember to check it at every oil change every other oil change my tires get rotated and they all get checked then.

Thanks for the warning though. That would have been crazy on a multi lane 75-80 mph highway!

**Sheepdip** · 09-28-2020, 05:02 PM

Mines easy to check the air in, made this sun cover awhile back and left the center open for easy valve stem access.

weq92f · 09-28-2020, 05:15 PM

.
Dang! That could have been so much worse. Pretty sure you would have crashed at higher speed.

Glad you are OK!

I've always been wary of flat spare tires...never considered one might fall to the road as a result though.

-klb

External · 09-28-2020, 11:58 PM

Thank you for the lesson. I will take notice.

Stormin08 · 09-29-2020, 07:19 AM

i had a lowered truck loose the spare while turning onto an ON-Ramp...it lifted and allowed the truck to slide to the left, slamming the rear wheels into a large curb when coming down.

ripped the roll pan off, broke the wheel and bent the axle shaft.

**special-K** · 09-29-2020, 08:00 AM

A thing to not take for granted for sure. What good is a flat spare tire anyway?

**'68OrangeSunshine** · 09-29-2020, 11:50 PM

Back when I ran bias ply tires [guess we all did then] I kept an innertube in the spare, so it wouldn't serarate from the rim when offroading.

09-27-2020, 03:49 PM	#1
HIGHWAY BY THE SEA Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: BY THE CAROLINA SEA Posts: 922	Dangerous Lesson Learned... I wanted to throw this out there for the safety of other board members, and anyone else reading the board. Recently I was driving my heirloom 68 LWB stepside C10 down a country road as I have done hundreds of times before. All of a sudden the rear end went airborne and came crashing down to the road again. As I was wondering what the devil had just happened, I noticed a very familiar-looking spare tire bouncing down the road in the rear-view mirror behind me. It came to rest in the ditch, so I stopped and threw it into the truck bed. So here is apparently what occurred: I put this brand-new spare tire under the truck into its factory-correct bracket several years ago. In all that time I hav e NEVER had a flat with this particular truck. So, as they say, out of sight, out of mind. Over the years, the air in said tire had gone down a bit as tends to happen with unused tires. So as I was driving down the road, the now-smaller tire apparently worked itself loose from the spare tire bracket, and the front of it touched down on the road. This literally pole-vaulted the rear end of the truck into the air and unleashed the spare tire onto an unsuspecting public roadway. I shudder to think of what could have occurred had this happened on the interstate highway. The tire would have undoubtedly hit other cars and ping-ponged back and forth between the interstate dividers, striking fast-moving vehicles as it went, since it would have had nowhere else to go. And I would have been driving interstate speed, so this also could have caused the truck to flip over, or loss of control and a terrible accident. I thank my lucky stars that I was driving only 40ish MPH on a deserted country road when this occurred. So I am saying to everyone reading this: CHECK THE AIR IN YOUR SPARE TIRE EVERYTIME YOU CHANGE YOUR OIL OR SIMPLY THINK ABOUT DOING IT. It may save a life, including your own. __________________ FRANKENTRUCK 1981 Chevrolet C10 Shortbed Stepside GRANDTRUCK 1968 Chevrolet C10 Stepside Longbed http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=584617 PROJECT JIGSAW 1967 GMC C3500 GREAT WHITE 1986 Blazer M1009 454 engine w/700R4 transmission gas conversion Last edited by HIGHWAY BY THE SEA; 07-17-2021 at 12:48 PM.

09-27-2020, 03:58 PM	#2
mr48chev Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Toppenish, WA Posts: 15,721	Re: Dangerous Lesson Learned... Dang, I was looking at the spare on a truck that I drive quite a bit the other day thinking that I needed to check the air pressure in it. My 71 has the spare tire holder on the inside of the bed and the tire stands up in the left front corner of the bed if I have it in there. __________________ Founding member of the too many projects, too little time and money club. My ongoing truck projects: 48 Chev 3100 that will run a 292 Six. 71 GMC 2500 that is getting a Cad 500 transplant. 77 C 30 dualie, 454, 4 speed with a 10 foot flatbed and hoist. It does the heavy work and hauls the projects around.

09-27-2020, 04:31 PM	#3
Andy4639 Old member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Liberty, & Garden City S.C. , U.S. Posts: 19,945	Re: Dangerous Lesson Learned... Good thing you where on a country road. Glad your OK.You may need to check under the truck make sure nothing was damaged. I removed the old tire rack years ago and keep my spare in the bed. Which I have a bed cover over it also. __________________ 1971 LWB Custom, 6.0LS & 4L80E, Speedhut.com GPS speedometer & gauges with A/C. 20" Boss 338's Grey wheels 4 wheel disc brakes. My Driver Seeing the USA in a 71 Upstate SC GM Truck Club 2013,14 and 2016 Hot Rod Pour Tour http://upstategmtrucks.com/ Get out and drive the truck this summer and have some fun! It sucks not being able to hear! LWB trucks rule, if you don't think so measure your SWB! After talking to tech support at Air Lift I have found out that the kit I need is 60811. Per the measurements I gave them. Ride height of truck inside spring and inside diameter of springs.

09-27-2020, 04:47 PM	#4
'68OrangeSunshine Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Tucson, AZ USA Posts: 7,517	Re: Dangerous Lesson Learned... IF you decide to repair, and return to using the underbed spare tire carrier -- you might consider 2 independent safety chains going to points under the bed. May have to be fabbed. Each chain thru the rim and around the rubber. Close to 180* apart. Sufficient to hold the tire by themselves. It would make changing a tire in the rain and dark an even worse situation than it already is, but there would be peace of mind that your spare is bombproof. __________________ Every 25 years I like to rebuild that 292, whether it needs it or not.

09-27-2020, 04:56 PM	#5
rockyrivermark Registered User Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Fairview Park, Ohio Posts: 1,031	Re: Dangerous Lesson Learned... I had that happen to me on a 1981 C10. Same exact thing. __________________ My build page http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=764662 My cabinet building site http://www.cbcabinets.com

09-27-2020, 06:41 PM	#6
truckster Registered User Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Orem, Utah Posts: 7,982	Re: Dangerous Lesson Learned... The spare tire is often neglected, unfortunately. Not only are they allowed to lose their air, people run with spare tires that are 20 years old and dry rotted to the point they would be unsafe for any distance. __________________ I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man. - Thomas Jefferson

09-27-2020, 08:09 PM	#7
Leonard1 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Paducah, Ky Posts: 393	Re: Dangerous Lesson Learned... I check mine every oil change, not for that reason, but because it sucks having a flat only to discover the spare is flat too.

09-28-2020, 05:02 PM	#9
Sheepdip Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: Waterford California Posts: 2,634	Re: Dangerous Lesson Learned... Mines easy to check the air in, made this sun cover awhile back and left the center open for easy valve stem access. Attached Images

09-28-2020, 05:15 PM	#10
weq92f Registered User Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Dallas Texas Posts: 3,228	Re: Dangerous Lesson Learned... . Dang! That could have been so much worse. Pretty sure you would have crashed at higher speed. Glad you are OK! I've always been wary of flat spare tires...never considered one might fall to the road as a result though. -klb __________________ 67 C10 fleet fuel injected '70 402, 700r4, 3.73 posi 07 335 sport turbo 6sp 94 Trans Am GT LT1 6sp posi -- sold after 22yrs 99 540 sport V8 6sp -- sold 73 240z L24 4sp -- given to friend 68 C10 step 350/350 3.73 open -- sold

09-28-2020, 11:58 PM	#11
External Registered User Join Date: Jun 2018 Location: Louisiana Posts: 185	Re: Dangerous Lesson Learned... Thank you for the lesson. I will take notice. __________________ '72 Chevy Custom Deluxe Highlander. Med Olive/White 350/200 ps,pb and Air Conditioning!

09-29-2020, 07:19 AM	#12
Stormin08 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2018 Location: Moss Bluff, LA Posts: 381	Re: Dangerous Lesson Learned... i had a lowered truck loose the spare while turning onto an ON-Ramp...it lifted and allowed the truck to slide to the left, slamming the rear wheels into a large curb when coming down. ripped the roll pan off, broke the wheel and bent the axle shaft.

09-29-2020, 08:00 AM	#13
special-K Special Order Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mt Airy, MD Posts: 85,851	Re: Dangerous Lesson Learned... A thing to not take for granted for sure. What good is a flat spare tire anyway? __________________ "BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~

09-29-2020, 11:50 PM	#14
'68OrangeSunshine Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Tucson, AZ USA Posts: 7,517	Re: Dangerous Lesson Learned... Back when I ran bias ply tires [guess we all did then] I kept an innertube in the spare, so it wouldn't serarate from the rim when offroading. __________________ Every 25 years I like to rebuild that 292, whether it needs it or not.

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