wreckerman893
Possum Connoisseur
- 15,621
- 2,025
- 113
- Location
- Akenback acres near Gadsden, AL
The only actual ring failure mishap I was witness to happend back in the 70's at our motor pool in Germany.
There was no tire cage in that motor pool (this was back when we fired weapons without hearing protection) and some guys were changing a 5 ton tire out on the asphalt.
They put the tire back together and one guy put the snap ring back in place by stomping it down with his boots.
The ring was on the top side of the tire and they cliped an air chuck on the valve stem and everybody stood back while the tire inflated. There were using the air from the wrecker to do the inflation and it was taking a while for the tire to seat on the rim.
As this was going on a 5 ton tractor with a van trailer came slowly past where the tire was being inflated. Everybody had to step way back so the trailer could pass. As the trailer moved past the tire the ring blew off the tire and struck the side of the van.
It kicked up a big cloud of dust and put a big dent in the van (which was full of electronic equipment). It sounded like a grenade going off and people came running from all over the motor pool to see what happened.
The next week they had constructed a tire cage (bolted to the concrete) and failure it use it would get you an Article 15.
If that van had not been in the line of fire the ring would probably have tagged somebody.
It left enough of an impression on me that I have never tried to inflate one without some type of protection from flying rings.
There was no tire cage in that motor pool (this was back when we fired weapons without hearing protection) and some guys were changing a 5 ton tire out on the asphalt.
They put the tire back together and one guy put the snap ring back in place by stomping it down with his boots.
The ring was on the top side of the tire and they cliped an air chuck on the valve stem and everybody stood back while the tire inflated. There were using the air from the wrecker to do the inflation and it was taking a while for the tire to seat on the rim.
As this was going on a 5 ton tractor with a van trailer came slowly past where the tire was being inflated. Everybody had to step way back so the trailer could pass. As the trailer moved past the tire the ring blew off the tire and struck the side of the van.
It kicked up a big cloud of dust and put a big dent in the van (which was full of electronic equipment). It sounded like a grenade going off and people came running from all over the motor pool to see what happened.
The next week they had constructed a tire cage (bolted to the concrete) and failure it use it would get you an Article 15.
If that van had not been in the line of fire the ring would probably have tagged somebody.
It left enough of an impression on me that I have never tried to inflate one without some type of protection from flying rings.