I started a new thread since I thought this was important information to share, and some might not see it in the old thread.

What I hit was a piece of that added-on-after-the-fact molded asphalt shoulder material that they put along the edge of roads these days. I went back and looked yesterday, and nothing was out in the road. But that curb was all broken up into chunks that were lying about loose. There is no way I could have hit what was lying there last evening, but I have concluded a chunk of that was out in the road the day I came through, and someone later threw it back to the edge. How did it get out in the road? I assume maybe a truck pulled off the road and knocked it over into the road. I guess some vandal might have put it there, but I chose not to think it was malicious. I know I did not travel anywhere near the chunks where they currently lie.

The chunk of asphalt I hit had to be turned sideways in the road to cause the damage to this wheel. The sloped side would not have caused it, but a sharp end edge shape could have. The wheel needed to pick something very square and hard. And it would have had to be far enough out in the road for my right wheel to travel to the right of it, since it was the inner rim that was damaged, and the tire did not appear to have been hit at all.These tires cost twice as much each as I paid for each of he new wheels, so that was a bit of luck I guess.

So, mystery solved. This explains why it did not seem to shock the car much. All I heard was a bang, the tinkle of the metal chunk coming off the wheel, the air escaping the tire immediately, and it was over. Luckily there was a driveway right there to pull into to change the tire.

Anyway, watch out for that stuff! It can be lethal.

Sam

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Thanks for the heads up, Sam.

Lou

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