Bad Tire Day - Montana Owners Club

DHenry · 08-18-2005, 04:56 PM

We were returning home from our dealer in Redding and got about a hour away when the entire tread peal off of our Firestone truck tire on the drivers side rear. I was driving around 60mph when it happened. The tire never went flat so I was able to pull to the side safely and call AAA to take care of it. We got home safely about 4 hours later. About 1/2 hour after arriving at home I was by the Montana and heard a pop noise then an air leak, the drivers side front tire valve stem just gave it up and blew all the air out. I took that tire off and left the jack under the axel. About an hour later Sharon came in the house and told me the other tire on the same side of the Montana was doing the same thing. Sure enough it blew the valve stem also. So I got another jack out and took that tire off also. Tomorrow all the tires are getting new metal valve stems for safety sake. Our temperature here and during the drive home was never hotter than 85 degrees so I really do not know what the cause of the problem could have been.

HamRad · 08-18-2005, 05:03 PM

Doug and Sharon,
Wow! I'm sorry to hear about all your tire problems. Fist the truck and then the trailer on the same day..... that is something. I remember reading about the stems being a problem on some rigs. Do you have the steel or the aluminum? Wasn't it the Firestone tires that had the major problem a year or two ago? Didn't they have a big recall or something with those? Guess I'm not being much help. Please let us know when you find out something about what caused these things.

Dennis and Mary Kay

DHenry · 08-18-2005, 05:21 PM

Dennis and Mary Kay, I checked the topics on the stems and I think that the ones that went bad on mine are the same type that went bad on the others. They are the rubber type with the alum. sleeve over the stem. I have the aluminum wheels on our Montana. I do believe you are right about the Firestone tires having a problem in the past. I will be seeing my friend at Les Schawb tomorrow for some new tires and valve stems. My truck tires have about 27,000 miles on them, so I do not know how many miles they should get.

Searchers · 08-19-2005, 04:08 AM

Doug,

Sorry to hear of the tire problems. Been there, done that regarding the rubber stems. Replace all with metal and don't forget the spare.

Thunderman · 08-19-2005, 04:32 AM

Doug,
Sorry to hear of your problems with tires and stems. I had the same thing happen in regard to the stems. Strongly recommend all consider changing to metal stems. Have a good day!
Weldon

drhowell · 08-19-2005, 04:36 AM

That recall on Firestone tires was on the Ford Explorer. We had a 1994 that one came apart on but luckly did not roll over like many others had. Ford and Firestone replaced all our bad tires but it was a hassle. They had to find the manufacture code on the tire and only certain ones were eligable. Three of ours were replaced but we had to buy the fourth. That recall went on for about two years before we finally got reimbursed for all four tires.

I don't think Firestone has had any major recalls in the last few years. Have you figured out why the two on the trailer gave out in the driveway like that? Lucky they both didn't blow on the highway.

DHenry · 08-19-2005, 06:32 PM

I replace the 4 valve stems with the metal ones today at a total installed cost of $6.50 each plus tax. The spare has a metal stem in in as it is on a white steel rim and the others were on the aluminium rims. The guys at the tire shop said that the metal sleeve cut through the rubber valve stem. Now I do not know why both of the valves on the same side failed within about a half hour of each other.

Montana_2785 · 08-19-2005, 11:38 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by DHenry

[...] Now I do not know why both of the valves on the same side failed within about a half hour of each other.

Doug, the only thing I can think of as a root cause would be if you scrubbed tires on that side on a curb or something when you turned a corner somewhere. Even with that, it is still kind'a freaky that they would both fail that soon of each other.

Eric

Fordzilla · 08-20-2005, 01:35 AM

I was at a diesel truck rally in Texas earlier this spring and one of the people that pulled in after we were set up had a similar thing happen to them at the campground. They ended up using a floor jack and some jack stands and took all 4 to the dealer the next morning to replace the valve stems. It was not a Keystone trailer, but none the less it was the same type of problem. I know where I buy tires they will not sell me a tire that is not heavy enough to handle the load I am going to put on it. And they insist on replacing the valve stems every time I buy new tires. IMO, I think there are too many inexperienced people changing tires @ Walmart and other quick lube type places. They probably get barely enough training to get them started and shove them to work.

sreigle · 08-20-2005, 06:38 AM

THe Firestone recall was on the car tires, not the Steeltex used on our trucks. As for mileage, I've had two sets and got 40k to 45k on each.

Doug, it sounds like the sleeve cut the stem and the entire stem did not pop out, right?

I'm sure glad this didn't happen on the road. There probably wouldn't have been control problems unless they both let go at the same time but it might be a bit of a challenge having two destroyed tires on the Montana and just one spare.

Searchers · 08-20-2005, 03:26 PM

I think the rubber stems get brittle and rot after time in the sun. I knocked two off the same day just washing the wheels in the driveway. Went around and wiggled the others and they started leaking too!

H. John Kohl · 08-20-2005, 07:53 PM

I lost a valve stem on the Montana front passenger tire this past May. I thought the Doran tire monitor's transmitters caused it but now I am wondering if it is the aluminum wheels. Luckily for us it happened over night and not on the road. Took about an hour to fix and not a major hit to the pocket book. The service garage was very nice.
Good luck and tow safe.

DHenry · 09-27-2005, 07:02 PM

Here is the update on the Firestone tire failure. I was required to send the tire to Ohio by UPS at a cost to me of $60.20 so they could evaluate it. Well guess what? They sent me a letter saying that it was my fault that there tire failed. The essentially said that I have been using the tire under inflated. That is BULL, as I check my tires every time I tow and about ever other month the rest of the time. My tires have always been inflated to the proper pressures that are stated on the inside of the door. This is the third vehicle and the last that I will ever have Firestone tires on. All three trucks that have had Firestone tires have failed for one reason or other.

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