What happens when a front tire blows ?

Four wheel driving. Vehicle modifications. Off road driving and recovery techniques. Towing and miscellaneous vehicle topics.

What happens when a front tire blows ?

Post by Blr243 » 16 May 2020, 12:39 pm

In a hilux A blowout at 100 kph front tire. Can you safely steer to a stop ? Or do you roll 6 times and spend the rest of your life being fed thru a tube?
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Re: What happens when a front tire blows ?

Post by Ricochet » 16 May 2020, 12:42 pm

Depends on angle of wheels and skills of the driver
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Re: What happens when a front tire blows ?

Post by Aliqua » 16 May 2020, 1:03 pm

And the terrain.

The best advice I could offer is on/off handbrake as breaking with foot may affect the front wheels... rear brakes/handbrake will apply more roadfriction from the back wheels and slow you quicker by reengaging brakes everytime you apply them. Skidding is not good. And dont try to over or under compensate the front steering.. usually the front wheels will face the the way they want based on current momentum... you may need to do some minor adjustments clockwise/counterclockwise just so assist with the upcoming terrain.
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Re: What happens when a front tire blows ?

Post by Blr243 » 16 May 2020, 1:40 pm

The use of the handbrake only sounds logical. But it still sounds a bit scary. I’m never in a situation where I’m driving on old crab tyres on the highway in the middle of summer that’s a recipe for disaster .....once in summer about 20 years ago I met a family on the side of the road in cent Qld travelling in a station wagon all loaded up and they were just about in tears because they kept buying retreads that kept on blowing up on them ....and they weren’t clever enough to realise the problem... I would not be surprised if they are still buying retreads
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Re: What happens when a front tire blows ?

Post by Aliqua » 16 May 2020, 2:12 pm

Interesting topic... and one that no training is ever done- not even in advanced driving courses - we only learnt it in theory so I couldnt tell you how it might turn out in a practical or from experience.. hope it doesnt happen to you mate - it would definitely be very scary.
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Re: What happens when a front tire blows ?

Post by trekin » 16 May 2020, 2:24 pm

Yep. happened to me, once.
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Re: What happens when a front tire blows ?

Post by 9.3x64 » 16 May 2020, 2:44 pm

I blew a front tire in my Amarok at 110 km/hr, whilst towing a 16 foot caravan! It was between Grafton and Coffs Harbour in summer during the recent bushfires. I know I am supposed to say it was a disaster and friggen scary, as that is what you would expect.
But what actually happened was there was a bloody loud bang, and the Amarok and the caravan pulled up in a perfect straight line. All I did was apply gentle pressure to the brakes and never did I feel unsafe or out of control.

However it was not fun changing the front drivers side wheel in a 110 km/hr zone in a spot where I could not get off the road properly. Bearing in mind this is was in the middle of the bushfires when visibility was not real good.
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Re: What happens when a front tire blows ?

Post by trekin » 16 May 2020, 2:57 pm

9.3x64 wrote:I blew a front tire in my Amarok at 110 km/hr, whilst towing a 16 foot caravan! It was between Grafton and Coffs Harbour in summer during the recent bushfires. I know I am supposed to say it was a disaster and friggen scary, as that is what you would expect.
But what actually happened was there was a bloody loud bang, and the Amarok and the caravan pulled up in a perfect straight line. All I did was apply gentle pressure to the brakes and never did I feel unsafe or out of control.

An even better way is to just lift your foot of the loud pedal and let the vehical slow down by itself, which it will do pretty quick just from the extra rolling resistance of the now flat tyre. Braking, even gently could lead to the vehical pulling to the side, which will need continued correction, this is how inexpienced drivers get into trouble. The hardest part to master is getting the body to over ride the brains sudden and urgent need to step on the anchors as hard as possible.
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Re: What happens when a front tire blows ?

Post by No1Mk3 » 16 May 2020, 3:43 pm

Lost a driver side steer southbound on the Hume near Kalkallo, truck tried to swerve right, a bit of correction and it tried to jack-knife, straighten the wheel and shot through the median strip across 2 lines of Northbound traffic and out into a field. Did a wide u turn to stop on the hard pointing North. Lucky I was empty with a 40' flat top, and all this took only seconds. Lost the front on the Panhead out side of Gol Gol and ran wide on a bend but came to a stop without too much drama, 5 spoke Avenger steel wheel which now houses yabbies in the Murray River near Mildura. Losing the front is a roll of the dice as Ricochet said, mostly you can roll to a stop without any real issue but now and then you're gonna poop your pants! Cheers.
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Re: What happens when a front tire blows ?

Post by Member-Deleted » 16 May 2020, 3:47 pm

trekin wrote: The hardest part to master is getting the body to over ride the brains sudden and urgent need to step on the anchors as hard as possible.


100% for a blown tyre... the other tough one is the impulse to swerve for wildlife... I'm sure more people have died or been injured swerving to avoid wildlife, than have died or been injured by steering straight, braking and [if it happens] hitting them with a vehicle.
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Re: What happens when a front tire blows ?

Post by CAVEMAN » 16 May 2020, 3:58 pm

Advice i was always given was slow down using your parkbrake in a car gradually or trailer brakes in a semi. Foot brake typically makes the nose dive and situation worse, whereas rear axle park brake or trailer brakes tend to pull it back up.

And it should be a gradual affair if you can not a lock everything up, slow is smooth. But all bets are off if you through a wheel instead of doing a blow out.

Best defence is allways good rubber, i know guys that will cheap out on trailer and drive tyres, but there steers are normally top notch. I'll happiy run s**ty drives or trailer tyres till they die. But the slightest defect in steers and ill swap them out.
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Re: What happens when a front tire blows ?

Post by Ziege » 16 May 2020, 4:47 pm

My Old man threw a steerer on a long tight bend on gravel at 120kmh once, he was in the 12 tonne flatbed I was following in the ute. He just ride the brakes gently to a stop, in sure if you're not trying to break ground speed records and aren't yanking the steering wheel wildly you'll be fine
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Re: What happens when a front tire blows ?

Post by TassieTiger » 16 May 2020, 6:00 pm

Modern ABS won’t let the wheel skid and you can steer the vehicle quite successfully with vehicle stability control - post a blow out.
We used to over inflate and Under inflate opposite front tyres on students vehicles (aged 17-25) on defensive / aggressive driving courses for insurance companies who would hire skid pans in Tassie and Victoria for us to show youngsters problematic situations.

From personal experience- An instantaneous front deflation in a modern car will see steering pull heavily to one side, but then electronics will help everything else. Slamming on the brakes won’t hurt in today’s cars as brake power will be moderated to other wheels...would not like to do it on an old hilux with nothing though, then I’d be moderating hand brake myself and if you really want an bottom puckering ? Front Tyre blow out on a motorcycle...oh yes...that one don’t matter if you’ve got modern electronics lol.
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Re: What happens when a front tire blows ?

Post by 9.3x64 » 16 May 2020, 6:26 pm

TassieTiger wrote:Modern ABS won’t let the wheel skid and you can steer the vehicle quite successfully with vehicle stability control - post a blow out.


Exactly, if the vehicle has well designed ABS it will work very well. But not all ABS are created equal. My Amarok ABS did a fantastic job towing a caravan at 110 kl/hr with a blown front tire . But some cars ABS systems are utterly useless.
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Re: What happens when a front tire blows ?

Post by RUGGA » 16 May 2020, 6:29 pm

I had front drivers blow out at 110kph in 2001 Hilux. On straight sealed road, pulled up normal. Steering didn't pull, only remember it coz I always expected death from instant deflation in a high car at speed.
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Re: What happens when a front tire blows ?

Post by animalpest » 17 May 2020, 12:57 pm

Had flat tyre on front too many times to remember - on bitumen and dirt - doing anything from 80 to 100. Most times in older 4x4 vehicles.
Never had a problem.
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Re: What happens when a front tire blows ?

Post by Bruiser64 » 25 May 2020, 10:35 pm

I had the front wheel on my DR650 go flat quickly out on the Great Central Road after hitting a brick sized and shaped rock that was right on my drive line mid corner. I had good suspension and a Scotts steering damper fitted. So I just rolled the bike to a stop. I watched my mate ride off into the distance. He came back over half an hour later when he realised I wasnt behind him any more. By the time he came back I’d nearly finished putting in a new front tube.

I think the upgraded suspension, steering damper and the stiff side walls on the front tyre kept everything in check. Plus the fact I wasnt going that quick. After the trip a few people asked what the scenery was like. I told them I mainly only saw the road in front of me as I was concentrating on not coming off for most of the trip.
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Re: What happens when a front tire blows ?

Post by Blr243 » 25 May 2020, 11:05 pm

After reading all this I think the outcome could be anywhere between no problem and certain death
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