I commented a few days ago about seeing a diesel truck burned out. Well, early this morning a truck carrying 9 cars caught fire on a Miami highway, burning all the cars. Pretty impressive blaze. Article said it may have been started by brakes locking up. Huh?
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/09/13/3000588/truck-carrying-used-cars-explodes.html
May have been a combination of issues starting with the brakes. Either way, strange. Florida is just the place for it...
Oh phew, just a bunch of boring-looking Ford SUVs and sedans.
Truck probably had air brakes and they fail "applied". There was a pretty bad fire in the Channel Tunnel that was caused by overheated truck brakes due to air brake failure.
I was behind an empty flatbed semi once that had a proportioning valve or something fail on its brakes so that every time he so much as tapped the brakes the trailer's brakes locked up. They would let go when he let off the brakes but as soon as he got back on them they would lock up and the tires would smooooooke up a storm. That went on for a number of miles and I couldn't get his attention, being stuck behind him in heavy traffic. Who knows how long it took him to figure it out. I imagine a set of 8 new tires is not cheap.
In reply to dculberson:
Probably wasn't his flatbed and didn't give a E36 M3.
GameboyRMH wrote: Oh phew, just a bunch of boring-looking Ford SUVs and sedans.
Not all, the last one looks to be a Nissan Xterra. I mean, still no loss....
Bobzilla wrote:GameboyRMH wrote: Oh phew, just a bunch of boring-looking Ford SUVs and sedans.Not all, the last one looks to be a Nissan Xterra. I mean, still no loss....
He should get extra points for taking that one out of circulation.
A lot of big truck wheel bearings run in an oil bath instead of grease and oh yes they can catch fire.
Am I the only that is thinking somebody should try to back that last car off the back real quickly and save it?
BoxheadTim wrote: Truck probably had air brakes and they fail "applied". There was a pretty bad fire in the Channel Tunnel that was caused by overheated truck brakes due to air brake failure.
sorta. parking brake fails "on", it is applied air pressure to release the brakes, that way it can be set even if the air system fails. the other brakes work the same as regular hydro brakes, apply pressure to activate brakes.
I was traveling down I-95 around Santee, SC one day and a fuel tanker had pulled over with a burning front right brake. I grabbed my fire extinguisher from my truck and ran to help the guy put the fire out. He had already emptied two large extinquishers with no luck, looked at my tiny one and just laughed. I said "see ya" and took off.
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