Donk deals death from above (almost)

[Damn True]

Executive summary: Guy driving on US-880 near (big surprise) Oakland, CA is hit by flying "donk" wheel/tire. The wheel/tire penetrates his BMW missing the driver by inches.

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=992964

[2yellow69]

Insane!!

Matt

[EFI69Cam]

I saw a wheel come off a trailer going 70+. It hit a drain and jumped probably 40ft in the air. Figured it could have jacked a car up pretty bad.

Poor guy, good thing he was not too badly injured.

[MrQuick]

aint no joke, I almost got killed by a spare tire that came loose on 101. Watch yourselves and stow your loads.

[vp23271]

He got lucky! I would not have imagined it could do this much damage.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/05/l_00106e0c332f1d047632d884b78cd621-1.jpg

[Young Gun]

i would never have believed that...he got cut up pretty badly, broken shoulder, arm all cut up, and his throught as well... he was on his way to get stuff for beemer fest too...doesnt look like he can make it hahah

[TonyL]

Holy crap. That's scary. A few inches the other way and he'da been done.

[HarleyR]

I hate those damn things.... I take a trip to Memphis each yeah and Donks are like ...nevermind.....

[Damn True]

I'm really surprised there haven't been more cases like this. Who knows, maybe there have been? But think about it. All that mass spinning around, all that extra weight on a car that was designed most likely to run 15"s.......and most of the cars running them are complete POS in mechanical terms with $5k in rims and an Earl Schieb spray-job.

There is a reason that light and commercial trucks have bigger hubs.

[megaladon6]

he's lucky it wasn't a real donk wheel. you know, one of those 30in or larger rims. not to mention this... http://gbodyforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=30763#30763 (not that it could do 70mph.

good to see he's OK

[danbob67]

Im surprised you dont see more of those wheels flying off they are just held on by a spinner tat you beat tight with a hammer.

[Damn True]

I don't recall ever seeing a pin drive wheel on one of those things.

[Tony_SS]

Holy cow that did some damage.

[paul67]

What gets me is where the other car is cause with only 3 wheels it should have been close by.

[CRCRFT78]

My sister is a firefighter in SF and she was called out to a call involving a wheel flying over the center divide on 101. It hit a motorcyclist (minor injuries), bounced off the guardrail and right into the drivers seat of a Ford Explorer I believe. 3 passengers, a mother and her 2 kids. Popped her head like a pimple while the poor kids got covered in the mess. Really unfortunate.

[motorheadmike]

Where are the limitations within design/self expression in respect to safety?

I lost a wheel once by my own ignorance (forgot to tighten the lug nuts) and it was one of the craziest experiences of my life.

However, that was just a 16" wheel/tire that weighed in around 40-50lbs soaking wet. That thing pictured above has to be 100lbs+. Physics is a bitch as weight and speed goes up.

[cheapthrillz]

My sister is a firefighter in SF and she was called out to a call involving a wheel flying over the center divide on 101. It hit a motorcyclist (minor injuries), bounced off the guardrail and right into the drivers seat of a Ford Explorer I believe. 3 passengers, a mother and her 2 kids. Popped her head like a pimple while the poor kids got covered in the mess. Really unfortunate.

WOW, kinda graphic... I love it!

[fast Ed]

Where are the limitations within design/self expression in respect to safety?

I lost a wheel once by my own ignorance (forgot to tighten the lug nuts) and it was one of the craziest experiences of my life.

However, that was just a 16" wheel/tire that weighed in around 40-50lbs soaking wet. That thing pictured above has to be 100lbs+. Physics is a bitch as weight and speed goes up.

I don't know how much the 22"+ wheels weigh exactly, but I can tell you the label on the box for an OEM 07 Navigator 20" chrome wheel showed 49 lbs. ... that's just the wheel, plus ~30 - 40 lbs. for a large tire.


cheers
Ed N.

[vp23271]

Im surprised you dont see more of those wheels flying off they are just held on by a spinner tat you beat tight with a hammer.

Not sure how the wheel is attached exactly, but if it's just the spinner ... that would be like just using one freaking lug nut! With that large of a wheel (projectile) and the stories of other motorists dieing, I am sure some law will be made banning them.

A soccer mom loosing her life because of a oversized wheel on a car that can't handle the stress, is just wrong.


https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/05/l_fab104e39310fc12334d4a86c52cbb59-1.jpg

[MrQuick]

looks like a knock off to me.

[Damn True]

I'll be damned. It sure does. That is terrifying.

You couldn't get me in one of those cars on a bet.

[silver69camaro]

That reminds me of some 55" (or so) DOT off-road tires I saw the other day. Get this: the tire weighs over 220lbs! Add a 20lb steel wheel, and you're looking at 1000lbs of rotating mass. Absolutely stupid. Most people would have no clue what effect this can have on their car.

[Boulder69]

I was lost in a bad part of downtown Phoenix once for work and was sitting at a light staring at the Hertz map when I hear honks and screeching tires. I look up and see a gold Dayton rolling across the intersection with a G-body hoopdee running tripod style behind it. It was so hot that when he braked the LCA just augered into the asphalt 6 inches deep and stuck. I didn't stick around to see the aftermath...

[danbob67]

looks like a knock off to me.


yeap knock off the spinner just "spins" on like one lug nut back in the day a buddy of mine had some 13" daytons on his mini truck you would just beat the spinner on with a dead blow hammer and ride I never thought they were safe a guy I work with seen one come off before so there is 2 cases right there of failure.

[6'9"Witha69]

Anyone wanna bet it was from the left side of the car?

Seen this before around LA. Good for the people in the replacement rotor business.

[Kustom_dude]

Bob "cooter" Johnson's Cuda has spinner knock offs and that’s they way its bolted up. Some Hot Rods run halibrands with the same style three prong lug nut.

Quote:
Originally Posted by cooperzcarz
Yes, that is the wheel design from Bob's Cuda. Available exclusively from Johnson's Hot Rod Shop 256 492 5989
they are a bolt on version...mine were knock off style..That imitating "Real" wanted to do something different from me..lol

We had a set of big hex nuts we were looking at using in lieu of the knock offs but I liked the look of the knock offs best.

Bobby the real "Bob Johnson" wanted bolt ons for some reason...I think he was afraid of the knock offs..Colorado can make them several ways...

[Damn True]

A real "pin-drive" wheel with a knock-off is something entirely different from a dayton.

[bobbaganoosh]

Im surprised you dont see more of those wheels flying off they are just held on by a spinner tat you beat tight with a hammer.

I've seen lots of them fly off. Apparently when these things are installed people get the hub adapters mixed up (even though they are stamped & color coded as to which side they go on). I used to sell alot of those things when I lived in Houston, and while driving down the highway I'd see lots of them on the side of the road missing a wheel. Just by the color of the adapter left from where the wheel vacated I could tell they had them on backwards. If they are on wrong they will loosen as you drive them.

[Kustom_dude]

Either way you still have to have a big set of Balls to run them on the street ..... i have freinds that have roadsters and some are running Halibrands and some have old school race wire wheels. i dont know if they are pin or not.

Kustom_dude

[bigvegan]

Is anybody else surprised about the way the roof on that BMW caved in?

I thought with BMW's performance history, there would be some level of rollover protection built into the roof.

The way the roof and the A pillars folded in is a little concerning.

I know that rollovers are a fundamentally different type of stress than a ballistic donk wheel, but it's still pretty amazing to see how much damage was done to that car.

[southernfriedcj]

Safety wire.

http://performanceunlimited.com/cobravalley_tools/safetywireinstructions.html

[Damn True]

Yeah, but you don't want to use wire-pliers for anything critical. You should do it by hand.

[insane1]

Anyone wanna bet it was from the left side of the car?



Knock offs work as right, and left handed threads depending on what side of the car. They always tighten as the tire moves forward. That part wont just come loose, I've had the unfortunte experience of beating the hell out of the tool to try and get them off.

The other poster was right that if the rotor piece is installed on the wrong side they will come off no doubt about it.

[WTRacing]

HOLY hell, thats insane