Tire Damage on the way to AZ in November 2001

As those who were there know, I didn't make it to Scottsdale for the Goodguy's event 11/16 - 11/18. I left directly from work Thursday afternoon to head over there but had some car problems out in the middle of the desert. Right around sunset I was buzzing along in the left lane about 50 miles west of Blythe when I was startled by a big BOOM! There was smoke everywhere, the engine wasn't running and I was skidding all over the highway. I don't remember very much between the BOOM and getting the car safely off the road on the left shoulder but I do remember thinking the car was going to roll as it was sliding sideways. Thankfully it stayed upright. I got out and assessed the situation after I stopped shaking and my heart rate got back to normal.

The BOOM was the left rear tire doing a Firestone/Explorer impersonation. The entire tread came off the tire and took the fender with it. The quarter panel got tweaked pretty bad too and there is a small dent in the front fender where the tire hit it. The inner tube tube kept air in it for a while and it didn't appear that there was any additional damage. Since the rear tires are 235's and the spare is a 155, and the ground off the side of the road was very soft sand, and I have AAA, and my cell phone was working out there in the middle of nowhere, I decided to just call a tow truck.

By the time the tow truck got there I had decided to go back to Indio to get a tire and just drive the car home if it would make it. The tow truck took me to a Pep Boys and while they were putting on a tire I took the mangled fender, running board and fender bracket off. The car drove home OK.

Kind of a bad way to start a weekend.

Here are a few pictures that I took of it while I was waiting for the tow truck.

And here are a few of the new fender in the process of getting bobbed.

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