car fires?

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.s...e_buffalo.html

SUV smoking on the highway. They pulled over, got out, and the vehicle
flamed up. The story says the smoke was initially coming from a wheel.
So, it could be a brake or bearing getting (very) hot. But, how does it
go from there to the whole vehicle burning? Even if they left the
engine running when they got out, the fuel lines would still have been
intact.

Any thoughts?

On 9/4/2014 3:19 PM, George wrote:
> http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.s...e_buffalo.html
>
> SUV smoking on the highway. They pulled over, got out, and the vehicle
> flamed up. The story says the smoke was initially coming from a wheel.
> So, it could be a brake or bearing getting (very) hot. But, how does it
> go from there to the whole vehicle burning? Even if they left the
> engine running when they got out, the fuel lines would still have been
> intact.
>
> Any thoughts?
>

comments section below the article has some good hypotheses.

--
Andrew Muzi
<www.yellowjersey.org/>
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Thu, 04 Sep 2014 15:35:47 -0500, AMuzi > wrote:

>On 9/4/2014 3:19 PM, George wrote:
>> http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.s...e_buffalo.html
>>
>> SUV smoking on the highway. They pulled over, got out, and the vehicle
>> flamed up. The story says the smoke was initially coming from a wheel.
>> So, it could be a brake or bearing getting (very) hot. But, how does it
>> go from there to the whole vehicle burning? Even if they left the
>> engine running when they got out, the fuel lines would still have been
>> intact.
>>
>> Any thoughts?
>>
>
>comments section below the article has some good hypotheses.

That's funny - I'd given up on reading them. Usually, whatever the
subject, they pretty quickly get to debating who's the bigger whatever.
I guess I over-generalized.

George wrote:
> http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.s...e_buffalo.html
>
> SUV smoking on the highway. They pulled over, got out, and the vehicle
> flamed up. The story says the smoke was initially coming from a wheel.
> So, it could be a brake or bearing getting (very) hot. But, how does it
> go from there to the whole vehicle burning? Even if they left the
> engine running when they got out, the fuel lines would still have been
> intact.
>
> Any thoughts?


Very easy on todays vehicles.
Brakes hang up. Rotor gets red hot. Transfers the heat to the hub and
outer CV joint/boot. Caliper heat goes into line coupler that starts to
soften the line.
Heat causes the grease to heat up and the boot to melt. Grease ignites.
The brake line fails dumping brake fluid into the mix. Brake fluid ignites.
They stop. Now the airflow that was keeping the heat lower stops. Heat
and flames now git the inner fender area and the plastics used all over.
That stuff melts and ignites. Then it escalates into the wiring,
plastics under the hood.

Doesn't take long in a newer vehicle. They burn FAST and HOT.

--
Steve W.

On Thu, 04 Sep 2014 16:19:53 -0400, George > wrote:

>http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.s...e_buffalo.html
>
>SUV smoking on the highway. They pulled over, got out, and the vehicle
>flamed up. The story says the smoke was initially coming from a wheel.
>So, it could be a brake or bearing getting (very) hot. But, how does it
>go from there to the whole vehicle burning? Even if they left the
>engine running when they got out, the fuel lines would still have been
>intact.
>
>Any thoughts?

Yeah. In most cases, nothing forces the driver to pull over only one
"lane" on a limited access highway. When I pull onto the grass, I
pull over two, two and a half, or even three lanes' worth.

So he should have pulled over when the problem was noticed and not
waited for a rest stop etc.

I saw this on the news and did have a flicker of wonder how it spread,
but then I went back to eating. I can't imagine how it spread.

This is surprising The laptops didn't make it, but the drawings,
wrapped in plastic sleeves in a plastic binder inside a backpack the
21-year-old got in middle school, did.

This less so:
So did the military mementos, the bible and the rosary beads. All the
items were in the back of the SUV, which had been spared from the worst
of the fire. The roof of the SUV collapsed, stifling the flames enough
to keep the fire from reaching the back, Ann Suchyna said. "


Speaking of very hot bearings, as you did, when cars had rear wheel
drive, ariound 1972, I once didn't tighten the lug nuts on the right
front wheel properly, and then I drove 2 hours. After the first hour,
when it started going bump bump bump, I thought it was something else so
I didn't stop. When I got to my destination, I found I had broken 1 of
the lug studs and damaged the threads on two others.

Rather than take it to a shop, and since I didn't yet know how to
replace studs, I got another wheel drum at a junk yard. I had read that
one shouldn't mix one half of a front wheel bearing with the other half
of a different bearing. But I thought, ehh! I was 25.

So I put the drum on and a few days later started a 14 hour trip NYC to
Chicago. I had found two riders to go with me, to share gas and
driving. We were on I-80 in Pa. and almost to Ohio. The girl who iirc
worked for Mayor Daley's machine, and who therefore I didnt' like, was
driving when she told me that when the wheels were pointed straight
ahead, there was a squeak, But when they were turned a bit in either
direction, it went away. I said, Let me drive. She was right, of
course. Now I disliked her more.

So I pullled over and I touched the wheel bearing area for a second and
it was burning hot. But only 100 yards ahead was a ramp, with a gas
station at the top. What luck. I drove there, and it took him 10
seconds to say, I can't fix that. You have to go to the dealer.
Amazingly in this rural area, the dealer was only two miles away in a
tiny town of about 1000. More luck.

So we went there. And when I told him the problem, he looked at the
clock. It was 4:45., and I realized. Oh no. We're going to have to
spend the night and I'm going to have to pay for motel rooms for the two
other people. My luck has run out.

But he said nothing about the time and started to work on it. Then he
said he couldn't get the bearing off, he'd have to get his boss. His
boss said, Not sure if I can get the bearing off without ruining the
spindle!! If you need a new spindle, I haven't got one. So he lit
his torch and started. Well, he got it off without damaging the
spindle. Then he said, I don't have a hub like you need. Fortunately
I'd taked all the unused parts with me, so I had the original brake
drum. I guess he put in a new bearing. Can't remember now. I know
he didn't put in replacement studs, so this part of the story must be
wrong.

Anyhow, he finished at 5:15, and he charged me $6, because I had
supplied all the parts. I thought it would be 30, worth maybe 250 now.
I apologized for keeping him late, and he said, it only takes me 5
minutes to go home. I paid the bill and paid more. He didn't want it
but I told him to put in the coffee fund. So he took it.

And we were back on the road, the whole thing taking only an hour.

Boy am I stupid, but lucky.

On Saturday, September 6, 2014 1:45:01 AM UTC-5, micky wrote:
> On Thu, 04 Sep 2014 16:19:53 -0400, George > wrote:
>
>
>
> >http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.s...e_buffalo.html
>
> >
>
> >SUV smoking on the highway. They pulled over, got out, and the vehicle
>
> >flamed up. The story says the smoke was initially coming from a wheel.
>
> >So, it could be a brake or bearing getting (very) hot. But, how does it
>
> >go from there to the whole vehicle burning? Even if they left the
>
> >engine running when they got out, the fuel lines would still have been
>
> >intact.
>
> >
>
> >Any thoughts?
>
>
>
> Yeah. In most cases, nothing forces the driver to pull over only one
>
> "lane" on a limited access highway. When I pull onto the grass, I
>
> pull over two, two and a half, or even three lanes' worth.
>
>
>
> So he should have pulled over when the problem was noticed and not
>
> waited for a rest stop etc.
>
>
>
> I saw this on the news and did have a flicker of wonder how it spread,
>
> but then I went back to eating. I can't imagine how it spread.
>
>
>
> This is surprising The laptops didn't make it, but the drawings,
>
> wrapped in plastic sleeves in a plastic binder inside a backpack the
>
> 21-year-old got in middle school, did.
>
>
>
> This less so:
>
> So did the military mementos, the bible and the rosary beads. All the
>
> items were in the back of the SUV, which had been spared from the worst
>
> of the fire. The roof of the SUV collapsed, stifling the flames enough
>
> to keep the fire from reaching the back, Ann Suchyna said. "
>
>
>
>
>
> Speaking of very hot bearings, as you did, when cars had rear wheel
>
> drive, ariound 1972, I once didn't tighten the lug nuts on the right
>
> front wheel properly, and then I drove 2 hours. After the first hour,
>
> when it started going bump bump bump, I thought it was something else so
>
> I didn't stop. When I got to my destination, I found I had broken 1 of
>
> the lug studs and damaged the threads on two others.
>
>
>
> Rather than take it to a shop, and since I didn't yet know how to
>
> replace studs, I got another wheel drum at a junk yard. I had read that
>
> one shouldn't mix one half of a front wheel bearing with the other half
>
> of a different bearing. But I thought, ehh! I was 25.
>
>
>
> So I put the drum on and a few days later started a 14 hour trip NYC to
>
> Chicago. I had found two riders to go with me, to share gas and
>
> driving. We were on I-80 in Pa. and almost to Ohio. The girl who iirc
>
> worked for Mayor Daley's machine, and who therefore I didnt' like, was
>
> driving when she told me that when the wheels were pointed straight
>
> ahead, there was a squeak, But when they were turned a bit in either
>
> direction, it went away. I said, Let me drive. She was right, of
>
> course. Now I disliked her more.
>
>
>
> So I pullled over and I touched the wheel bearing area for a second and
>
> it was burning hot. But only 100 yards ahead was a ramp, with a gas
>
> station at the top. What luck. I drove there, and it took him 10
>
> seconds to say, I can't fix that. You have to go to the dealer.
>
> Amazingly in this rural area, the dealer was only two miles away in a
>
> tiny town of about 1000. More luck.
>
>
>
> So we went there. And when I told him the problem, he looked at the
>
> clock. It was 4:45., and I realized. Oh no. We're going to have to
>
> spend the night and I'm going to have to pay for motel rooms for the two
>
> other people. My luck has run out.
>
>
>
> But he said nothing about the time and started to work on it. Then he
>
> said he couldn't get the bearing off, he'd have to get his boss. His
>
> boss said, Not sure if I can get the bearing off without ruining the
>
> spindle!! If you need a new spindle, I haven't got one. So he lit
>
> his torch and started. Well, he got it off without damaging the
>
> spindle. Then he said, I don't have a hub like you need. Fortunately
>
> I'd taked all the unused parts with me, so I had the original brake
>
> drum. I guess he put in a new bearing. Can't remember now. I know
>
> he didn't put in replacement studs, so this part of the story must be
>
> wrong.
>
>
>
> Anyhow, he finished at 5:15, and he charged me $6, because I had
>
> supplied all the parts. I thought it would be 30, worth maybe 250 now.
>
> I apologized for keeping him late, and he said, it only takes me 5
>
> minutes to go home. I paid the bill and paid more. He didn't want it
>
> but I told him to put in the coffee fund. So he took it.
>
>
>
> And we were back on the road, the whole thing taking only an hour.
>
>
>
> Boy am I stupid, but lucky.

1950 Ford car I owned in the 1970s. I haden't had that car long, one day I heard a bumping noise. The left rear nuts were loose. When you buy a used car, always chech the wheels/nuts.