Recently a tyre came off my tuck

[Gavzach]

I was driving around Wilkes barre pa today and as I went around a corner on public square my tyre came off. No one got hurt. I have no idea how it happed the studs for the wheels got sheared off the sway bar end link broke the quarter panel got messed up from the tyre the rim and tyre are fine. I'm wondering if this happend to any of you and what could be the cause?

 

[1996xlt]

My truck was originally up from where you are (around Philly I believe) and the likely cause is corroded hardware of the end links + hard impact = sheared hardware, mine did the same thing as I was coming into my driveway a little quicker than usual. As far as the wheel studs if they were original to the truck, a series of over-torqued wheel studs over time could've stretched/weakened them and the weight transfer as you were going around the corner was too much for them and sheared off due to stress.

 

[don4331]

Finding a Ranger of your vintage (or older) with end links of sway bars intact is more exception than rule - of the 8 Rangers that I have had, only 2 have had them working.

I would suggest Ford undersized the hardware, then time, elements and fatigue take their toll. You get a little play in the connection and the resulting 'impact' load breaks the links.

The older (pre-'98) solution was less likely to fail. Bolts were in shear, not tension.

I would like to see a picture (close up) of the bolt remnants. It is unusual for them all to fail so close to the hub. Usually, some remnants of the last bolt remain...

 

[adsm08]

I have not personally experienced this, but have seen it twice before, both times in the Lewisburg area (much closer to Wilkebarre than Philly is). One was an Explorer, one was a Ranger, both have the same hub/bearing assembly.

It is not common, but not unheard of.


As for that sway bar link, that looks like it has been that way for a while, and as said, is more the rule than the exception anymore. It was a poor design with undersized hardware and a cosmetic driven design that retains water, corrodes the bolt, and lets them snap off.