(Photos by Duchniks Towing) – It was your average, hum-drum ride to school last Wednesday morning for a Pennsylvania family when all hell broke loose. A 1998 Ford truck shot its tire and axle assembly out and being in the wrong place at the wrong time, the family soon found it piercing their windshield like a javelin. Amazingly no one was hurt and the woman driving who did not want to be identified stated that she thought the fact that her son had moved the driver’s seat back the previously night may have saved her.
Obviously the truck was not equipped with a full floater in the back. We did some looking and it turns out that stock 1998 F-150 axles are a C-clip style unit so it makes sense that the C-clip could have failed and the axle walked right out of the housing and then started bouncing and ultimately ending up scaring this family half to death.
Yet another example of why you always need to be on your toes when driving. Thankfully this woman got her car stopped and her kids were fine. We’re sure that there are many others who would have shot across traffic or suffered some sort of major wreck.
The photos above and below were shot by the tow truck driver who responded to the scene. You can imagine his reaction upon pulling up to this mess. The full story is at the link. Crazy!
Click here for the story on this incredible story – axle through the windshield
The article states that troopers might site the truck driver…go figure. “All about the cash, the cash, not about the justice” :p
An axle ? That’s it ? pppppfffffttttttt
Dayum…
Don Lampredi Ferrari’s hitman was getting very creative – its a pity he couldn’t read number plates….
C-clip end clearly visible, the clip per se doesn’t fail but the posi plates wear and sink the side gears into the case so that the clip falls out. It should be standard practice to push-pull on the rear wheels on older posi-equipped Ford 8.8s especially, if there’s more than .06″ play it needs the posi rebuilt….1/8″ play and that axle is coming out any time and as we can see, that’s a safety matter that may affect other people besides the car owner.
Dear dual wheels come off semi’s more than you think. Recently a women was killed when the wheels and tires hit her vehicle head on.
Be careful out there!
Added: See forum post.
I know the first two things I would get after this would be a new pair of pants and a new seatcover.
Another thought is if the diff was just worked on woe onto the dealership or independent…
looking at the very little tread left on tire, I am guessing if it was worked on, it as by the owner.
Full floaters for everyone!