Tire exploded! Disaster averted

Fortunate indeed, glad you’re ok and got your car home safel.

 

Wonder what you hit that would cause such a catastrophic deflate at such a low speed. Were you able (or interested enough) to look around to see what it could have been? I can't think what could cause that sort of damage at low speed - defective tire?

Hmm.. it IS the USA, did you make anybody in the neighborhood mad enough to take a shot at your tire?

 

Glad everything is under control. How old was the tire?

 

Carefully inspect the other 3 tires.

 

I would not let this go. Report it to the NHTSA with details from the tire. If there is a pattern, the NHTSA will kick off an investigation. Save the tire so it can be used for forensics if needed

 

That is a very uncharacteristic failure for 'normal' road debris. I am reminded of the Firestone 500 carcass failures in the early '80s when I see your photo graph. I've run over a lot of strange things over the last 45 years, but never had a failure/blowout that looked like that.

 

I know you said the tires had low miles, but how old are they?

 

More bizarrely, how did you miss it with your front tire?

Also, this: “An important thing I found out that I hadn't considered before is that when a rear tire is completely flat, you can't get a jack under the side factory jacking point to lift it up.”

The 308’s ground clearance continues to amaze me. I’ve owned multiple X1/9s and a Lancia Scorpion and none of them had as little ground clearance as the 308 does. When I read about folks wanting to lower their ride height, I’m like “Jebus, I can’t even get a catch-pan underneath the engine to change the oil at the stock ride height; what would I do if I lowered it; slide a couple sheets of extra-absorbent Bounty paper towels under the engine?”

 

It's the body on frame design (vs a monocoque) that has such a negative impact on clearance, I think.

 

All I could say is OUCH!

I had a similar sidewall blowout years ago, not in my 308 but rather a Ford F-250 truck at about 75mph and let me tell you it makes a sound you don’t want to hear.

Glad you made it safely to the shoulder and was able to get the car home. Carrying a piece a 2x4 around is a good idea, it’s a way of life for me.

 

Cmon, this stuff happens all the time, the tire has nothing to do with it, he ran over something, its that simple. There is so much ****ing **** on the roads here in the states, Im not surprised at all , Lets start an investigation , good grief. I cant tell you how much **** falls off of trucks, whether from construction sites or not, mad max scrap metal scavengers , who the **** knows, theyre everywhere. Between this crap and the jerk off drivers all over hells half acre, I dont even drive my Ferrari much at all, its a real ****ing shame what this land has become, I will leave it at that .We should all buy Porsches, and park our Ferraris in the garage, they are not as pretty, when they get ****ed up, take them to the body shop and dont sweat it lol .Im glad whatever it was , did not snap / bounce up and really **** up your Ferrari !!


Big G

 

Thank God you're OK!!

 

That nick in the rim shows it hit something solid.

 

I can't think what sort of debris you could hit at such a low speed that would "split" a tire like that.

 

I don't think that a debris can destroy in such a way a tire at 25 mph withouh feeling a hit at the car, any shock, any car jump. I would say that's 100% a tire fail: it was a bad new tire, let's have it inspected by a technician.

Ciao

 

Continental Extreme Contact tires do have an active recall due to a manufacturing defect. I would cross check against this list to be sure.

https://www.consumerreports.org/car-recalls-defects/continental-general-barum-tires-recalled-for-blowout-risk-a9600808715/

 

The data is out there. Continental, Cooper, and Michelin seem to have serious quality control issues.

https://datahub.transportation.gov/stories/s/NHTSA-Recalls-by-Manufacturer/38mw-dp8u/


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No way it a tire failure, are you kidding me look at the ****ing wheel for Christ sake, he ****ing ran over something, good grief Charlie Brown.

Big G

 

I think the OP was referring to the date code on the tyre, not the purchase date.

 

I'm not sure if any posters are tyre engineers, however the nick in the rim suggests that something sharp and forceful hit the rim and tyre. The impact could have initially been just a few mm long, the resultant weakening of the carcas allowing the fracture to continue radially. Just a theory. Be interesting to have an engineers opinion.

As long as you are OK and the car and other road users were not compromised, it's a win.