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Old 11-29-2012, 02:40 AM   #1
timandsusan
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What to Check?

We had our first blow out this year on a tire that was about 1 year old with about 4000 miles on it. It completely blew up and did about $1500 damage--all repaired. I was wondering if I should have my axle alignment checked--I have checked the tires and weights. Any suggestions?
 
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Old 11-29-2012, 03:11 AM   #2
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First questions would be: Are they Marathon tires? Are they showing any signs of unusual wear?
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Old 11-29-2012, 06:05 AM   #3
Art-n-Marge
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Another thing to check is the Date code part of the DOT code on the tire. IIRC, it is the last four characters of the DOT code. If there are only 3 characters, then these tires were built before 2000 and are too old anyway. There's no telling how long a tire sits at a factory before it's installed onto a rig. Then there's the risk that the RV transporter drove too fast in order to deliver the rig to the dealer and therefore the abuse already started.

The worst consideration is that tire rot or some tire abuse mostly occurs inside the tire and we can't see it. The tread may look great but the tire will explode if there's enough rot when rotating at highway speeds and heat builds up and psi pressures change and well, you get the idea.

If there is any other cause (suspension, shocks, etc.) then the tread might indicate this. Otherwise, long term storage, sitting idle, exposure to the elements and supporting the weight of the trailer on a single spot of the tire, all can contribute to premature tire wear.

Then there's the distinct possibility of poor tire quality, hence the term "China Bombs" for many tires made in China, that meet the specs on paper, but not necessarily in the real world usage, coupled with ownership that is less than stellar. Understandably, it is very difficult to keep tires inflated properly when stored and rotating the tires somehow to prevent "flatspotting", but we can only do the BEST that we can.

I'm guessing you are on the favored side of tire care and had an unfortunate tire incident (I've had a few myself and I'm an absolute nut about this stuff) and when I towed for a living, even brand new rigs had tire problems, the latest one was a bulge the day after I had a late pick up from the manufacturer's yard. Getting ready to drive off the next morning (150 miles away) and a routine inspection revealed a baseball sized bulge was there, when the previous night's inspection all was fine! Fortunately I tow with all the tools and compressor for repairs like this - the bad news is that the manufacturer would not replace the spare! I was forced to tow the remaining 600 miles with NO spare. Fortunately, there were no further mishaps and delivery was made as planned other than the several hours of my repair work and time lost from communications and stops to check things out. I'll add I have never exceeded 65mph with tany rig, but that doesn't mean I haven't witnessed other rig drivers blow by me at faster speeds.
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Old 11-29-2012, 07:49 AM   #4
Tom S.
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The probability the blowout was due to your axle being out of alignment are slim, unless you noticed unusual wear on the tires. However for peace of mind, I would check the spring hangers to make sure they weren't damaged, the torque on the lug nuts of any tire/wheel that was removed, as well as the axle u-bolts. Also check the air pressure in any replaced tires.
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Old 11-29-2012, 09:08 AM   #5
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I too am curious about the tire brand. A good friend kept his Missions for 3 years before finally getting worried enough to replace them with Marathons. Had a blowout on a Marathon in less than a year with trailer damage. No failures on the Missions.
He actually thought he was buying American since they were Goodyear branded. Was not pleased to see "Made in China" on the side.
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Old 11-29-2012, 01:27 PM   #6
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What brand were they.. was it? 40,000, probably Missions. If so, get another set for safety. Not Missions..
Can they tell what blew the tire?
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Old 11-30-2012, 01:15 AM   #7
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What was the air pressure in the tire at the time it went south on you. Not always a known. Possible low tire, threw the tread, then blew up and went to pieces. Could have hit something on the road that destroyed the tire. I would think that if the axles were out of alignment you would notice tire wear before it got real bad and caused a tire to come apart. Glad for ya'll damage was not worse.
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Old 11-30-2012, 01:19 AM   #8
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Almost all blowouts seem to be caused by speed, overload heat and incorrect air pressure, and maybe once in a while road hazards, but not alignment issues. As indicated, bad alignment gives you advance warnings via tire wear. Better the tire, the more forgiving it is to those things. Unfortunately Montanas do not come standard with "better tires".
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Old 11-30-2012, 11:50 AM   #9
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by 1retired06

...Almost all blowouts seem to be caused by speed, overload heat and incorrect air pressure, and maybe once in a while road hazards...
...and lousy, pieces of junk, Chinese tires.
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Old 11-30-2012, 04:02 PM   #10
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X2 on that. You have road hazards and then you have the crappy original equipment hazard!
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Old 12-01-2012, 03:05 AM   #11
timandsusan
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Ok--all good comments.
Air Pressure--80PSI--checked before I departed--blow out happened after 200 miles of driving on US 281--many small towns to slow to fast(62 mph for me is fast!)
Lug Nuts--all torqued before I left. 120 FT-LBS
Tire Make--NOT MARATHON--ditched those about 4 years ago. But I don't remember the tire MFG--Since I bought it in Bangor, ME about 8 months prior to BO.
Road Hazard--???--I can't remember seeing anything BUT maybe.
Wet Bolt Kit Installed--Yes--everything was in place before and after BO.
Alignment--no wear issues on any of the tires--atleast none that I could see.

My Conclusion--just keep monitoring the all the tires for the usual issues--wear, tire pressure, lug nuts.

Thanks for the input.

Tim
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Old 12-01-2012, 06:36 AM   #12
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This is why I appreciate having a TPMS. No matter how often you check your pressure while stationary, once those tires start to roll they can become a target for road hazards or start to leak at the valve stem. The tire can deflate slowly causing heat buildup and eventual failure or immediate catastrophic failure. In either case it can go undetected and be causing damage to the trailer until we become aware and pull over. Also early warning can provide time to find a safe place to pull off the road and tend to the problem possibly while the tire is still serviceable. JMHO I'm wondering now if anyone who does have a TPMS has ever had a blowout and still experienced major damage to the trailer?

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