*** Tread Separation On The Interstate ***

[mgburg]

Yesterday, got the oil changed on "Fausta" and decided to give her a whirl on the Interstate...head east 'til Mauston, tour the town and then head back...get on the pedal and run 'er up to 80-85 mph., after sitting all winter...

As I drive to Mauston (Exit 69 on I-90/I-94), I feel a little "bumping" occuring, but I can't locate where it's originating from.

Get into Mauston, slower speeds, and nothing...

I get back on the "I" and start heading west...then, at about the "split" (I-90 & I-94 separate, with I-94 heading towards Eau Claire/Minneapolis and I-90 back towards La Crosse), I start to feel the "bumpiing" a little more pronounced...then, just before MM #41, W H A M ! BapBapBapBapBap....'til I get it below 25 mph and onto the shoulder of the highway...with the Emergency Blinkers flashing, I head right onto the Exit Ramp and at the top, I get out and look...about 1/4 of the tread on the RR tire tore off...I'm looking at a cross-sectional view of my Michelin...all the way down to below the steel belts...the only thing that saved the inside of the wheel-well from a good whipping was the mud-flap...

Anyways, the tire hasn't blown, but the back end of "Fausta" is doing a good "hula" at about 25 mph...I head north through Tomah, on the cellphone, calling the only God-forsaken place open at 1730 on a Saturday afternoon, for tires...Mal*Fart.

They'll stay open for me...

I "waddle" in, and half the tire store has to come out to see the MB...they're amazed that #1.) There's a car, older than them, and it looks better... #2.) I didn't blow the tire out completely and crash...

Anyways, out of every tire style they have there, they don't have a complete set of 4...only 3 of two styles and a few singles of others...

I have them call the next Mal-Fart down the road west of us...and sure enough, they happen to have the same situation, no sets of 4, just 3 or less of each style that could fit on the Benz...I buy two at the Tomah store and the other two at the Sparta store...Goodyear VIVA II - P195-75R14 WW. And I had to tell both places "White walls out!"

The old tires? I couldn't believe what I was running on...all tires had chips and chunks missing from both the inside as well as the outer sidewalls...I was at the 5/32" on all four, so they were wearing evenly, but that was about the highlight of it all...

Anyways, new rubber all the way around and what a difference! I just wished I had the chance to find a 205-60R14 or comparable...but the 195-75R14 will work...it was what was on the Benz when I got her back in '05...and the Sparta store stayed open 'til 8:00 pm...two hours after they were suppose to close...

We'll see how the new tires hold up...

I've included two shots of the old tire that caused all the trouble...

Enjoy...