True story.  Moderators please don't move or delete this, people need to read what can happen to you!

Yesterday I was driving home from the beach in my Tracker.  Traveling on a 4 lane highway (A1A) along the ocean going about 60 mph.  Moderate traffic in all four lanes in both directions.  Light rain.

Felt a little vibration from the front end. . .

I was thinking "this is a bit unusual" and instantly my left front wheel was gone!
 My Tracker dropped onto the left front brake rotor and I was sliding  at 55 plus and not slowing down!  My wheel took off for parts unkown with  cars sliding and dodging in both directions to keep from hitting it or me! 

My tracker slid on the left front rotor for over a quarter mile and finally came to a stop as I coasted down and gently pumped the brakes.

My tracker slid for over a quarter mile without spinning or flipping!

The truck slid on the brake rotor shroud and stopped sliding before grinding off the shield and destroying the brake or suspension. 

Cars all around me had to maneuver drastically to keep from hitting me and each other.  No one hit anyone else!

When my Tracker came to a stop it wound up in a turn lane out of the way of all the  high speed traffic!

A nice lady, who almost hit my wheel, stopped and took me back to get my wheel.  It was not damaged at all!  we also found 1 lug nut.

After examining everything I discovered my jack and tools were gone!  I had been sabatoged!

Someone had intentionally done this!  Probably while I was surfing at my local break!  I have no idea who I pissed off!
Heres the amazing part.
My tracker slid straight as an arrow and did not go out of control or spin out or flip!

The road was wet which helped keep the brake rotor shield from grinding down and destroying the rotor and other suspension parts.

The wheel studs were not damaged.

The suspension was not damaged.

It was raining cats and dogs but stopped while I fixed the truck.

Another pair of good samaratins came along with a jack and helped me fix the truck.  They would not even take any money, just glad to help!

Traffic was everywhere but no one got hit!  At 60 mph a car going the other direction would have hit that wheel and the results would have been disasterous!  It missed everyone! 

I had spare lug nuts on my spare tire to use to get home.

when the wheel flew off it went straight out to the left instead of under the truck which could have destroyed everything and sent me spinning.

The wheel missed every car as it crossed 4 lanes of traffic, then returned across all 4 lanes of traffic and came to rest in the shoulder!

When the wheel flew it did not wobble on the studs and self destruct, it just took off clean and straight!

It seems that most of the vehicle weight must have stayed on the other 3 wheels minimizing the grinding on the brake shield.!

All of these factors saved my life and maybe someone elses!

I have seen cars lose a wheel before and most often they spin out of control and sometimes flip.

I have to wonder if there is something about a Tracker inherently that kept mine in line and in control?

Also thanks to god for watching out for this little truck and this grateful driver!

And if you "feel something funny" happening when you are driving your rig, stop, check it out, carefully! 

Be Safe out there!

glad to hear youre ok, heard of this happening to several people, a fdreinds mustang lost a wheel after he did the brakes, at 35mph the rear wheel came off and went in the other lane and TOTALLED a kia. 

Someone up there is looking out for ya man...



WOW...  glad you are OK. Things could have gone completely differently.

Do you have nice wheels and tires? Maybe you surprised a thief??  Did you check all the other lug nuts??

Glad to hear things worked out in the end. Not sure how to take the intentionally messing with you part. Don't know what to suggest there. Is it possible that someone recognized you and has a problem with your profession?

Damn, good to hear you are OK. Combo of a great ride and great driving kept everything under control. THere are alot of freaks out there as you well know. So watch your back and keep up that good clean livin'  Only somebody with a long list of helping others slides his way through an accident like that (and drives the ride home).

Good to hear all is OK.

PS, when are we hitting 3 lakes again? I remember promises of large reptiles with BIG teeth 

(this weekend is out, I have family coming in)

L8r,
Zig

One morning while driving to work on the interstate, a dumptruck lost a left side dually with the axle attached!   The sucker bounced over the concrete barrier into oncoming traffic, then bounced back over the barrier into the busy inbound traffic and onto the shoulder right in front of me.  Amazingly, nobody was hit by it.

I guess somebody forgot to install the C-clip... 

Glad to hear you're okay man! Sounds to me like you came up to your car while a thief was in the middle of steeling your wheels.

I dont think it was a theft.  I think it was a message!  They took my jack, jack handle, lug wrench from under the seats and left my $300 cell phone, my money, my comb-along, Binos, other odds and ends etc. 

All the other lugs were tight as could be.

It's an old school revenge thing (from my old Chicago days) to loosen lugs on one wheel and take the jack.  But I can't think of anyone I pissed off, unless it was a short boarder who didn't like an old guy longboarder taking up space in the lineup at his favorite beach!   The longboarders were kinda ruling the lineup this weekend so maybe that was it.  You just never know who you can piss off and why.  I am still very grateful for the nice people that helped and thank god no one was hurt by my tire.

Thanks for all the nice comments people wrote.

One thing I learned is to keep the foot off the brake as long as possible if this happens to you.  If the car is tracking OK just let it slow down nice and easy rather than slamming on the brakes.

Something else occurs to me.  Someone would have to know Trackers to know where the jack and tools are.  They are in an unusual place compared to most cars and SUVs

that's exactly what i was thinking.  Heck 99% of people can't find the hood release, including mechanics.  you would totally have to know about Zuki's to know where to find that stuff.

Well thank God you were ok that was pure luck.

that is amazing it worked out so well. what really gets me is that it stopped rainig so you could put it all back together. you are one lucky dude for that but on the other hand it's really too bad there are people out there that will mess with people's crap

I have scratches and dents on my zuk from parking lots and noone will fess up. nothing compared to what happened to you but bottom line is people need to respect people's stuff

ok. now you guys got me worried, I Cant find my jack and tools, but never knew where to look, guess I will continue to carry a hilift behind the seat LOL.. probly was gone before I bought the thing though.... ok where are they supposed to be?

yea, where is the jack and stuff. on my 2nd gen it seems like a reasonable not too non-obvious spot

Hey lPC, under the pass seat for the jack and wrench.  In mine the jack handle is under the drivers seat.  All were clipped in place last week when I went wheeling and had to move some chains that wre stuck on the jack under the seat so I know it was there before this happened.

I always leave mine open at the beach cuz I would rather have stuff stolen than the top cut!  Just never thought someone would try to kill me!