Is it possible to be unaware you blew out a tire?

Not a blow out like boom, but I have had them go flat, then lost the cap and been completely unaware. So ya it can happpen

 

Ya I had it happen just that way a few years back. I he ever looked in the mirrors he probably would have noticed the rubber flying off.

 

I had it happen years ago with Stevens. I started my run at night in Eloy, AZ and was delivering in El Paso early the next morning. I was going on time off so I didn't have to worry about running out of hours. Somewhere between the Lordsburg scale and my delivery, one of my tractor tires went flat and shredded. Being at night, I never saw the rubber flying or the gator come off. I got to my delivery, backed into the dock and was alerted by another driver that I no longer had a drive tire on my right side. Sure enough, it was GONE. Stevens had me go over to the Petro and get a used tire put on before I parked the rig at the drop yard.

More recently I had what I thought was two tires blow at the same time on my trailer. In retrospect, the inner tire may have quietly went out first and the outer one finally went out too but I never noticed the first loss had occured. The 2nd one went out with a bang which is how I noticed. Both tires were inflated at 100psi before I left El Paso that morning.

 

I usually feel a small vibration in the steering wheel if I have a flat

 

Yep! The truck also feels a little 'mushy' in response to steering inputs. While it's possible to have a cap come apart cleanly and rapidly, normally there's enough vibration to feel when things come apart, even if it's a trailer tire.

Saw an empty 3-car behind a one-ton yesterday, sitting on the side of Interstate 90 with all three wheels missing on the right side. I would have loved to hear how he was explaining that to the SDHP parked behind him!

And welcome Flying Milkman!

 

TY for the welcome hammer166

 

I've blown one steer, two drives, and countless trailer tires (probably 4+). Only twice ever did I not know I blew the tire. The steer, obviously, was the worst. My last was a drive that exploded and took out my corner fender and sent chunks of rubber flying up against the back of my sleeper.

The first drive I blew, I had no clue. The whole inside wall had seperated from the tire and the tread had been worn almost smooth from the inconsistent wear on the road flopping around. This was on I-15 just north of Las Vegas where I shut down in very high temps. I had stopped for fuel at Parawan(sp) in Utah and was checking my tires and found it that way. Never felt it. Never changed the steering, ride, etc.

I did have a trailer tire go in Wyoming once and the only way I knew was that another driver told me it was wobbling on the rim. Had just left the TA heading west. Pulled off the next exit and ripped the rear outside tire off the rim and drove back on 17 tires (light load) to the TA to put a new tire on. The tire had blown (gaping hole in the side wall).

I don't call slow leaks 'blown' because they can usually be repaired and if they're really slow you should catch them when doing tire checks.