MAIN TIRE TREAD CAME OFF DURING TKOF CAUSING A LOUD BANG AND STRONG RUBBER SMELL THROUGHOUT THE ACFT. AFTER REVIEW OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES; THE FLC CONTINUED TO DEST WHERE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS MADE. THE TIRE TREAD CAUSED A HOLE IN THE TRAILING WING FLAP.

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HVY TKOF (109000 LBS; 86 DEGS F). AT ROTATION (160 KTS); WE FELT A LOUD BANG AND ASSUMED A NOSE TIRE HAD BLOWN. I CHKED ALL ENG/HYD INSTS AND EVERYTHING APPEARED TO BE NORMAL. I ASKED FOR THE GEAR TO BE RETRACTED AND CONCENTRATED ON FLYING THE ACFT AWAY FROM THE GND. BY NOW; THERE WAS A STRONG SMELL OF HOT RUBBER IN THE COCKPIT; NOT UNUSUAL CONSIDERING THE DC9 NOSE BRAKING SYS AFTER RETRACTION. I REQUESTED THE DFW TWR INVESTIGATE RWY 18L FOR TIRE DEBRIS AND TRANSITIONED TO CLB CONFIGN. AT 10000 FT THE FLT ATTENDANTS INFORMED US THAT THE TKOF BANG WAS LOUD IN THE CABIN AND THAT THE SMELL OF HOT RUBBER WAS OVERPWRING. I TALKED TO THE PAX ON THE PA; GAVE THEM MY ASSUMPTIONS; AND TOLD THEM WHEN WE HAVE MORE INFO FROM THE DFW TWR; WE'LL PLAN A COURSE OF ACTION. DFW TWR CONFIRMED RUBBER ON RWY; BUT COULDN'T DETERMINE WHICH TIRE HAD BLOWN. THEY PROMISED TO TAKE THE DEBRIS TO COMPANY OPS FOR EVAL. DISPATCH INFORMED US; JUST PRIOR TO LNDG; THAT A MAIN TIRE HAD BLOWN. WE LANDED AT STL; USING NO REVERSE TO MINIMIZE FORWARD DAMAGE AND HAD THE CRASH CREW CHK THE ACFT FOR DAMAGE. THE R INBOARD MAIN HAD SHED ITS TREAD BUT HAD NOT BLOWN. THERE WAS A CANNON SIZED HOLE IN THE TRAILING FLAP AREA AND THE FIRST ROW OF BLADES IN THE R ENG WERE BENT.