Featured Event Coverage Clarence misfortune; 10/15/2025

...that's like getting hit by the wheel going 150 mph!
good luck on the rebuild.

 

Yikes. I’d imagine that scared the heck out of you guys. Glad to hear everyone was ok.
I can’t see law enforcement or insurance agency following up on that tire. especially since no injuries were involved.

 

HOLY CRAP!!!

 

Another way to say it is....
It could have been much more tragic

 

Thanks. I didn't have time to be scared as it came toward us. I only saw it for (very small) fraction of one second before it hit us. There was a semi in front of us blocking the view of the tire until just before it hit us. I didn't even have time to move my hands or feet before it went BANG. I'm estimating I saw it about 1/10 to 2/10 of a second.

Thanks and you are so correct. Had it bounced and hit us in the windshield it could have been really catastrophic. Like as in ambulance/hearse catastrophic.

Thanks for the heads-up. I looked at their web site. They do indeed have some of the pieces I'll need. I'll be calling them to talk in person later today.

 

Oh wow, that sucks! What a piece of bad luck, poor old Clarence got punched hard in the nose. That aint gonna buff out. Well, at least it was towards the end of the season instead of the beginning; I know, not much consolation there. Best wishes on a full recovery for Clarence, and glad you guys both came out of it OK.

 

Why do these things happen to the good guys?
I hope for a quick recovery for all involved.

 

Damn, that sucks big time! Glad no one was injured Mike. Good luck getting Clarence back on the road quickly.

 

I am glad you had some luck with your misfortune. That was too close.

 

Glad you guys are safe, that old Ford took it on the chin hard. Dang.

 

Glad to hear you are OK Atch. The man upstairs was looking out for you that day.

Sending good thoughts from across the big pond as you rebuild the damage.

Cheers,
Harv

 

So sorry to hear, but as been said many times before it could have been much worse. Glad you are both ok. Best of luck repairing Clarence!

 

See... this is why I always tell people not to get too happy. Why's that?, they'll ask. Cuz... you're going along just fine, life is good, and what happens...

Shit gets too close to the fan and
BOOM! Tragedy!

So sorry. Glad you're okay. Good luck.

It'd be nice if they moved the tire crossing sign down the road a piece where there's less traffic.

 

Holy cow! That horrific I’m glad you guys are safe. What year is the truck we’ll start hunting parts!

 

That’s crazy, glad you’re both okay.

 

Another chiming in to say glad it wasn't worse!
Please get yourselves checked out, and when it comes time to look over Clarence, make sure to check that the frame and suspension aren't bent a bit, replace the water pump if the fan got bent, check the pulleys, etc. Make sure the engine mounts didn't flex forward. Check brake lines didn't get banged around by inertia.
A hit like that can cause a lot of less visible damage that might not get caught the first go round and it really is a pain to put it together then chase down strange issues after.
A friend got tagged in the LR fender of his F100 and after repairs, the trans mainshaft was found to be bent. It was a fight with insurance!

 

1948; but the parts I need could come from '48, '49, or '50.

After looking it over at home and in the daylight, I need hood, upper valance, grill, lower valance, both right side fender pieces, lower left side fender piece, radiator support, radiator, right side inner fender, fan, belts, and a hundred little pieces.

Midwest Early Ford and Dennis Carpenter appear to have most of the big pieces I need. I haven't checked Bob Drake or anyone else yet.

 

Man blessings counted a very scary moment glad everyone is ok.

 

I've seen it happen a half dozen times in all my travels, trucks in oncoming lanes losing wheels, sometimes duals, that come bouncing into traffic going the opposite direction.
Only once did I see the result of one making contact with a car and it sent an elderly couple to the hospital. I can only imagine what would happen to someone in a roadster or on a bike.
Hate that it happened to you but happy you both came through it, it could have been a lot worse.

 

Man, that's shitty and I guess you just never know, glad you guys are ok but sorry about the truck

 

Wow, Glad you're not injured. If it were me, I would be needing new upholstery!

 

Whew, dodged a bullet big time! Thank God it didn’t hit the windshield and hurt you guys. Now you’ve got another good story to tell along with your other hot rod adventures.
Driving the LA freeways for most of my adult life I’ve seen all sorts of things flying, wood, ladders, mattresses and big rig trailer tires. The outcome is often ugly, glad yours is repairable.

 

Found a hood and a maybe on a grill. I’ll keep you posted.

I believe LMC here in Kansas City has new front fenders.

 

Wow ! That sucks big time! Happy to hear you two have escaped injury.

I think most of the interstate roads (at least in IL) are in worst shape then the other bad roads in IL. The bearing race inside of the brake drum looks pretty shiny, not so sure we can blame this one on the poor roads as much as on poor maintenance of the trailer.

I've seen videos and heard way too many times about of this sort of thing happening on the Interstate highways, its one of many reasons I try real hard not to use them when ever possible.

As mentioned earlier by @RodSrRace, add the water pump to the list of things that need to be replaced, if the fan bent, there are very good odds the water pump shaft was damaged as well. I think I would take the truck in to check and make sure the frame didn't get bent as well, that was a hard impact, lots of seemingly unrelated things get damaged during hard impacts. I've seen glass crack a few months after a hard impact caused by stress cracks from the impact. Lots of stuff moved suddenly, when that tire/wheel took out the sheetmetal and radiator support at 170 mph. Once the insurance pays off, everything after that becomes your problem.

 

People so often don't maintain the trailers well enough.
It's not good. Obviously.

 

I am glad you are both okay @atch

Clearance can be repaired. That's a lot of carnage, looks like he went a round or two with Iron Mike. Can you imagine what that would tire would have done to a motorcycle or a little roadster? Easy fatality.

Fix your truck but count your blessings.

 

Common thinking is if it still rolls it must not need the bearings packed. So glad to see you guys made it out OK.

 

Had to put my delivery into a ditch as I approached a bridge with a wheel from an oncoming semi in the center of my lane, luckily avoided damage, but sure left a life-long memory.

 

Wayward tires/wheels are no joke. I sold my high-school-built hot rod to a friend in '69 (a '58 Ford) and shortly after while he was peaceably driving on a 2-lane 50 MPH secondary road a tire/wheel appeared coming straight for him. No place to go because of traffic, but he and his passenger did have the presence of mind to duck. It hit almost exactly in the center of the windshield, blew most of that into the car and pushed the top of the window opening back over a foot. Buckled the entire roof and the cowl/dash, the car was totaled. The two guys got away with only minor cuts luckily...

The truck can be fixed... I'm glad you're OK.