New respect for tires after this:

 

 

 Anyone remember GMC split rims? They liked to separate under pressure if they weren't seated properly.

And now we better understand why most reputable tire stores don't want the customers in the shop area.

Talk about a tire enema! I wonder how many were new vs used? I always wear safety goggles but makes me think I should were a bomb blast suit. 

I have an old 4x4 with 35" tires and they hold Heck of a lot of air

Almost all of those failures are in heavy duty truck tires. I worked as a diesel mechanic one summer and dealt with split rims a lot. They can be exceedingly dangerous!!! That ring will take your head clean off if it's not seated properly. They also run really high air pressures. Most over 100-120 #'s. That makes for a dangerous combination. That's why they have those cages to air them up in. To prevent these types of accidents. I wonder if the normal tires that blew up were filled with propane or were severely over inflated?

On a different note, it is amazing how much abuse the human body can take...

5 hours ago, Mark Maras said:

 Anyone remember GMC split rims? They liked to separate under pressure if they weren't seated properly.

My dad's '67 GMC still has its split rims. Doubt I could find anyone who is willing to put new tires on. Easier to just get new rims and tires.