As a young mechanics apprentice in the late 1960's, I worked in a garage across the street from a large commercial truck tire shop.  I saw the aftermath of a split rim explosion.  One of the seasoned tire changers was filling the rim from the back side, supposedly to prevent being hit if the rim lip came loose.  Remember those long tire air inflator tools with an air chuck on both sides?
I guess he never heard of Issac Newton.
The rim split loose and the big part tore off his right arm and most of his rib cage was crushed.  He lasted a couple of days and never lost consciousness.  He was wide awake when the ambulance took him away.
The very next week, someone was changing coil springs on a truck without a spring compressor and it tore him in half.  He didnt survive.  The cinderblock wall on one end of the shop was holed about 8' across.

I worked in a tire shop for a summer, we had one guy "Split rim Ernie" that would do those, I would go inside the building until he was done. Even with cages those things are crazy.

I ran over and helped a Camaro owner whose sidewall exploded at 7-11 in McKinney. Serious eye trouble from exploding air coming thru sidewall 16” away. It was summertime and tire was worn out. EMTs administered an extensive eyewash. Family member came to take him home.

Last edited by Prof (12/30/2017 12:23 PM)

When we service tires that have just been installed on the two part wheels, we put them in a cage to inflate them. 210 psi is a lot of pressure. I was told of a story by an old timer who was there when some guys were filling a 727 tire at Boeing. The left the tire filling at a slow rate and went to break. When they came back, one guy went to remove the fill line. The wheel failed and came apart severing both his legs above the knee. He bled out before help could arrive. You remember lessons like that.