First pilgrimage and a blowout

I used my last full day in Massachusetts to make a pilgrimage to Jett’s grave in Rockport MA. I wanted to see how her engraved headstone looked (pretty good, I think) and to say all the things that, in retrospect, I should have said while she was alive. Like “thank you for a wonderful life together.”

I took Rusty and let him see the grave, against cemetery rules. He was unimpressed.

I was also hoping to get some candy at Tuck’s. But it is peak tourist season in Rockport and my truck is huge, so it quickly became apparent that I would be unable to park anywhere near the store. My consolation prize was a clam strip lunch at Woodman’s of Essex, one of the finest fried seafood places in New England. I did take-out so that Rusty wouldn’t be alone in the truck. I enjoyed the feast very much.

To that point it had been a fine day. However, that all changed as I was about to exit I-95 in Waltham to make a quick stop at Costco (yes, it is possible to make a quick stop at Costco). BLAM! My right rear outer tire exploded. To call is a “blowout” would be understating the event. The tire exploded with such force that it took out most of the truck’s right rear quarter-panel. Serious damage – probably over $2,000. But because the truck has dual rear wheels, I didn’t even have to get a tow – I just drove the truck 30 miles to my local tire dealer and made an appointment to replace the tire the next day.

I checked with a GMC dealer on how readily available this part would be. I figured that it might be difficult finding such a large part for a 17-year-old truck. And I was right – there is precisely one part available in the US and it is in Nebraska. There are other options to be investigated (e.g., after-market parts or junk parts) but it is pretty clear that this will not be a quick fix.

What caused this catastrophic tire failure? My first thought was that my tire pressure gauge was faulty and I had over-inflated the tire. But after buying a new gauge I found that the pressures in the remaining tires were all exactly what I wanted. Was the tire worn? It had over 40,000 miles but still had plenty of tread – it would have passed inspection. And even worn tires are not supposed to explode.

So my current theory is that it was a bad tire. It was a Goodyear Wrangler which has a sad history of exploding. The good news? I wasn’t standing next to it when it blew up. I wasn’t hauling an 8-ton fifth wheel. I wasn’t trying to make a 7:45am flight (which is what I will be doing tomorrow). And I was in the right-hand lane so the flying shrapnel didn’t damage any other vehicles or people. And I don’t think it will delay the TS7.

But I will never buy another Goodyear tire.