I am scooting northwest along I-275 about 60 mph. yesterday when my trusty $500 truck gives a bump-crunch-grind kind of sound. Then I notice smoke pouring from the passenger front wheel I go for the brakes which go flat to the floor with no effect. I ease the wheel to the right to hopefully limp along the sholder and coast to a stop but my steering has no response either. My first thoughts were about how it was as good a day as any to die and why would all these systems go at the same time unless it was the will of the entity that created me calling me back from this blacktop covered land. Lucky for me the highway was not crowded and I did get some control at the wheel as my speed dropped by holding the clutch down and going to the next lowest gear. When I found myself near a ramp that is where my aim was fixed. Once I slowed to about 30 mph. I pressed the emergency brake and lowered to the next gear down. The steering became better but very sluggish and I moved onto the ramp.

When I got on the ramp it's slope helped me to a full stop and I got out to see what was going on. When I rounded the corner of the truck I see the wheel is pitched over in a funny angle and smoke is coming from the slots in the wheel. I knew then that the outter bearing must have broke. I know this from equipment trailers that I have used and when overloaded they will do the same thing if your lucky and the axel don't break. I guessed that the breaks were being interupted by the wobble of the rotor pushing my hydraulic fluid away faster than I could pump it to the other working wheels.

I was on a return trip from the recycler and had a small windfall of $88 from scraps of copper wire I have been gathering over the past three months. My fingers are sore from removing the casing insulator plastic and I am just about six miles from home so I decide to try and limp the broken truck home because a tow would use up all my repair money. Riding the KAT bus was on my mind as I drove less than 10 mph. on busy roads hoping for the best and stopping by using the engine and clutch.

I got the friction melting wheel home and made repairs just before the sky broke into a cold rain. It is a good day to be alive!

Damn bro, this sounds like the stuff of nightmares.

Good thing you've got a little mechanical know how- if that we're me I'd probably still be sittin' on the highway figuring out what the hell to do.

Glad you're alright and it is a good day to be alive indeed.

OMG, I'm glad you are okay. You are a wise man to know how to handle that kind of situation and to be able to fix your broken truck to boot. I would have gone straight into panic mode.

Thanks guys! I am forced by circumstances to fix it my dang self. I have always thought how wonderful it would be to just call the plumber, hvac guy or the car shop and tell them to fix it.

I got stranded in a van with my two nieces at a Wal-Mart parking lot about two weeks ago.
I became instantly homicidal.
I went to the tire center to ask for one of the doohickeys that recharges your battery.
They didn't have one (right) and told me to go buy a set of jumper cables.
It wasn't my van and I really didn't want an extra set of cables.
Thank God for a man who took mercy on my nieces' faces (they were really grouchy but good.)
I really hate Wal-Mart and wouldn't have gone if I hadn't been in a pack.
Your day sounds infinitely worse.I'm definitly glad you are still alive.

You are a man of all kinds of knowledge and it paid off well, so glad it did! Glad you didn't have to dodge in your dodge and that you didn't have to bus it either!
I'm glad you are fine! The Pretty Lady upstairs needs you around a while longer for sure! And so do your family and friends.

Oh, man, that's my nightmare - breaking down on the freeway. In this city of violent, gun-toting motorists, you definately don't want to make anybody late. Glad to hear you made it out alive.

DAMN! Ida had to thro my underware away!