Wheel fall(fly)off

[Eric Hegstrom <ehegstrom@domain.elided>]

Well since we are sharing stories about our wheels travelling seperate
from the vehicle - - here goes:

It was about 4 years ago and I was taking a load of furniture up to San
Francisco from Tucson in my '72 Travelall (1110, 4x4, 304A, T-34 -- very
very ugly rattle can paint job -- red and rust she was called). Well you
see this TA had the drums up front and I had just replaced a leaky
master cylinder. Unfortunately it was the wrong replacement part and I
had to shim it in a bit. Well, the front brakes started riding a bit and
I found if I relieved the pressure in the line by loosing it I was just
fine for a couple hours. I thought I could always tell when it was
happening by looking at the electric brake controller and seeing if the
arm had moved.

So I stopped to visit my brother in Rancho Cucamunga (about 50+ miles
east of LA). I offer him a ride in to work in Downtown L.A. so he
doesn't have to take the train in (he's an executive at a insurance
company so it's like 7:00 am and he is wearing a nice suit). Well we are
doing a good 70-75MPH in the second from the right lane (of 4) during
rush hour westbound on I-10 when all of a sudden I see my right front
wheel (with a 10.5 x 31 tire) pass me and I am soon riding on 3 wheels
and a quickly disintegrating brake drum. I must admit the drivers in
L.A. are some of the best in the world. I have never seen people yield
like this. I maust say the Traveall drives pretty damn good on three
wheels and a drum. OI only swerved a couple of feet into the neigbhoring
lane before regaining control of the beast.  No damage was done to
anyone or anything but my poor Travelall. I am just happy that the wheel
didn't fall off of an overpass onto some little Hyunadai or something. 

The strange part is my lug nuts were still firmly attached. The steel
rim had deformed/broke so all the bolts could pull through. When I
retrieved the brake drum from the weeds about a half hour later it was
still very very hot. I still remember following the trail left by the
wheel through the weed and seeing where the drum started taking a
different path. 

Well needless to say I didn't make it to S.F. that day and had to drop
like $800 getting the thing on the road since I had no knowledge of
where to go with it and no time either. That's not to mention the
various rental cars and airline flights I needed.

Oh well, needless to say I now have the proper master cylinder on that
beast.

-Eric
-- 
Eric Hegstrom                                   tele: 520-617-0072 x402
Sonoran Scanners, Inc.             email: ehegstrom@domain.elided