Fellow FOTers,
Last month right after driving to Daytona, racing 150 miles than driving
450 miles
back, I had a curious experience. The following weekend I was driving home
from
Atlanta Imported Auto Parts down a broad 6 lane highway when I was suddenly
passed
by my left rear wheel. It was an easy pass inasmuch as my car was surfing
along in a
spectacular shower of sparks. The tire, clipping along at 50+ mph, rolled
directly into a
group of probably 6 cars coming at me in the opposite direction. I had
stopped very
quickly and immediately became a silent audience of one, watching with a
monumental
sense of dread at what was about to happen. The tire tracked with unerring
accuracy
between the first two lead cars. I watched through the windows of those
cars to see
which one of the following pack would get nailed. As an old pilot, I have
had a number
moments were I faced all the ingredients of imminent disaster. And the
feeling wasn't
anything as awful as this. In the plane, either covered with ice or engine
sputtering, I still
had some control of events. I had decisions to make and procedures to
follow. Here,
sitting safely in my pretty little neuvo-lowered sports car I was a
spectator about to watch
someone pay an awful price for my front row seat. The helplessness of the
situation is
overwhelming.
The tire shot like a bullet right through the pack; touched not a car and
bounced merrily
into some woods over a quarter of a mile away.
Is this what you guys have been talking about with hub stud problems? It's
been a year
and four Vintage races since I had the lug nuts off of the hubs and I have
every
confidence that they were tightened properly. After retrieving my wheel, I
hammered off
the knock-off and out fell the four lug bolts. The threads on the studs
were pretty
buggered up but I managed to re-thread the lug nuts back on and tighten
them sufficiently
to drive around a bit. I've ordered new studs and nuts but what's the
deal? Is this
symptomatic of the lug system or is this just an isolated case of a
mechanical failure.
I respect all your opinions and look forward to your views. Nothing would
make me
more proud than to limit your being "passed by your own wheel experience"
to be that of
an bemused reader.
Richard Taylor, '65 TR-4, Atlanta
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