Going to work today something didnt feel right. THe car was swaying a little and I noticed that there wasnt any wind outside. I figure I'll check it out when I get to work and see if one of my tires is punctured as I was already running late. Then between the Sidney Marcus / Buford Hwy exit and the Lenox Rd. Exit (before the tunnel) my rear passenger tire busts and I lose control of my car. I was in the left lane and with a LOT of luck and some skill I managed not to hit anyone and get onto the sholder.

BIG UPs to the DOT HERO worker who just showed up not even 10 minutes later (he was passing by). Man he done saved my ass hours of time and a lot of embarassment. Turns out I lost my lugnut wrench last time and havent replaced it yet.

Man these tires are less than 4 months old, too! So the HERO worker says that i was riding on a flat but I JUST put air in the damn tires 2 days ago! Any ideas on how this could happen and how I can approach Costco and get them to replace this? (btw this is a Bridgestone Potenza)

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y107/ranvy/PICT0009.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y107/ranvy/PICT0010.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y107/ranvy/PICT0008.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y107/ranvy/PICT0007.jpg

:eek: :eek: :eek:

I can only guess that something punctured the tire in the last couple of days.

Do you park your car outside at night? Have any problems with the local kids?

Last tires I saw look like that were on a friend's car that had two out of three go flat, and one cut enough to start losing air, on 285 at cruising speed (sharp debris in the road, we suspected). Rims cut the sidewall right around, just like what yours look like.

I'd check very carefully around in the treads to see if anything started a small hole that let it get low enough to lose it completely. In another scenario, I've seen dryrotted tires give along the sidewall where it meets the tread too. Obviously, wihtout looking at it firsthand, these are just guesses, but it's a theoretical starting place.

Bottom line, though, is that it's good that you got out of it intact. :thumbup:

I live in an apartment complex so its outside parking only. I don't even know my neighbours and there's only small kids around, so probably not vandalism.

Maybe it was defective????? Does that sound like a possibility?? Thanks, Dr -- I will check and see if it may have gone flat overnight somehow??? I didnt check this AM because i was in a rush. Man I hope CostCo pulls through.

Sounds like the tire was already basically flat (or at least very low). Driving on it will cause what you experienced. (see also: ford explorer blowout issue.) Highway speeds on a flat tire is generally a bad idea. it "feeling funny" going down the road was your first hint.

check the tread for any debris or punctures. Beyond that, it blew because you drove on a flat. Not sure if costco or any other tire company would have any sympathy.

I had a rear Bridgestone S-02 tear about a little more than halfway around the inside of the tire about three years ago. It was one of the tires that came on the car at the point of purchase and had about 40% of the tread left. Since then, I've used only Michelin Pilots........

I stopped off to help a fellow Bimmer driver with a blue Estoril E36 M3 that had pulled over on GA400S (thinking that it was Dean) with a flat. The guy was in a bind and for some reason didn't a have a spare in his car, so I lent him my spare 10 spoke as he was late to pick up his kids. He was cool and brought to my office two days later after he brought the wheel and tire and had cleaned it very well, including the inside of the rim.

Do you have an LSD rear diff?

Sounds like the tire was already basically flat (or at least very low). Driving on it will cause what you experienced. (see also: ford explorer blowout issue.) Highway speeds on a flat tire is generally a bad idea. it "feeling funny" going down the road was your first hint.

check the tread for any debris or punctures. Beyond that, it blew because you drove on a flat. Not sure if costco or any other tire company would have any sympathy.

:banghead: Man the only thing i can think of is that it somehow went flat overnight b/c I done visually checked that shit yesterday afternoon when I was admiring my car.

If the tires now look like that, do you think there is any way I can tell whether a puncture was there before??

Do you have an LSD rear diff?

Me? No, why? Something to do with tread wear?

Actually it does not have to do with LSD... But it does have to do with the axle flange on that side of the diff. Jack up the car and look at the axle flange coming from the diff. Is it in all the way. I had a customer that had the exact same damage to his tire. Basically the axle flange comes out of the diff and causes the tire to go to 10 degrees negative camber.. and it hits a piece of metal cutting it like a knife.

Dude Im an idiot i couldnt even find my diff if I looked. Where exactly is it? at the "T" (i dont konw how else to describe it...)?

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y107/ranvy/PICT0007.jpg

Nice shoes ;)

Dude Im an idiot i couldnt even find my diff if I looked. Where exactly is it? at the "T" (i dont konw how else to describe it...)?
If you want I can take a look at it for you at no charge.. PM me if you are interested.

Thanks for the offer. Went to CostCo this weekend and they were awesome about the refund. Because the tires were so new I only had to pay up $10 and they installed it for free!

Wow! Sounds like someone cut you a break. Very nice! :thumbup:

Yeah -- you've gotta love apathetic workers!!