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Old 04-26-2021, 03:03 PM   #1
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Why do tires fail?

As an actual Tire Design Engineer w/40 years experience I offer the following.


Low air pressure
and/or
Long term degradation of the rubber usually from excess heat.

Low pressure (active leak from puncture or loose valve stem or valve core are most common reasons) can lead to a Sidewall Flex failure or more commonly called a "Blowout". The sidewall cord can melt (polyester) or fatigue (steel). Many TT owners fail to realize that they will never "feel" the results of a tire loosing air till it is too late and they are surprised when the sidewall lets go. The rapid air loss "bang" even when the tire only has about 10 to 20 psi in it, is a big surprise IF they even hear it. HERE is a post on how to know if you have a run low flex failure. A TPMS can provide warning of air loss so is good insurance and can easily pay for itself.

The long term degradation of the rubber at the edges of the belts can lead to a belt and/or tread separation. Even if the tire keeps its air you can have this type of failure so a TPMS will not provide a warning. This degradation comes with age as rubber is always loosing flexibility. Just think of those rubber bands you found in the back of the desk drawer. Even in cool and dark they got brittle. HOWEVER running at or near or above the load capacity of a tire will result in increased heat generation. Increased heat actually can accelerate the aging process with a doubling of the rate each increase on 18F. Running a margin of at least 15% between capacity and measured load is a good first step. Running at higher speed will also generate excess heat.

Realizing that over half of the RVs on the road have one or more tire in overload is one main contributor to the high tire failure rate. Simply thinking that a tire will fail because the tire plant building is painted blue rather than green is not logical.

Buying the lowest cost "no-name" tires is IMO a major contributor to poor results. If the main objective is the lowest cost tire why would anyone be surprised with short tire life.
Just paying more however is no guarantee of better quality. I believe the best tool available is comparing Warranty and service support.

Can you get multi year warranty on the tires? Is it possible to get Road Hazard coverage? Is there a nationwide network of dealers who stock the brand you are considering?
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Old 04-26-2021, 03:24 PM   #2
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Hi Tireman9,
When I worked at a Phillips 66 Station, one of the commercial drives would always check his tires by tapping upon each tread surface with a mallet. I thought that was a great idea.
Thanks, Eagle5
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Old 04-26-2021, 10:58 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Eagle5 View Post
Hi Tireman9,
When I worked at a Phillips 66 Station, one of the commercial drives would always check his tires by tapping upon each tread surface with a mallet. I thought that was a great idea.
Thanks, Eagle5
Only works on duals and only reliably finds flats on trucks usually on the drivers. Trailers can be different they can sit there and not even show a flat on a set of duals until you give them a good whack or watch the tire rip apart in your mirrors.

Thumping a on a single axles which may be only down 10 psi but might be getting hot will not tell you anything. Nothing beats either a good tpm or a good old fashion gauge that reads up over 100 psi accurately and seeing if something is heating up or is starting to fall apart.

Whenever you stop do a quick check and things will make sense. If a tire is warmer than the rest then find out why right away even if you have a tpm installed. They do not tell you if a delamination is occurring or is starting to occur on bias ply tires like st rated tires. Watch for bulges, scubs and wounds and do it on a regular basis as part of driving a trailer.

The transportation manager's words about safety checks under load still echo in my ears from a great driving teacher who trained me on heavy gear a very long time ago.
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Old 04-26-2021, 11:07 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Eagle5 View Post
Hi Tireman9,
When I worked at a Phillips 66 Station, one of the commercial drives would always check his tires by tapping upon each tread surface with a mallet. I thought that was a great idea.
Thanks, Eagle5



Well it may seem like a good idea but all you can learn is if the tire is flat (lost 30% or more of the air) Thumping a tire can not tell you withing 20 psi of how much air you have in your tire. I have seen controlled tests that prove this.
a digital pressure gauge or a TPMS is what you should use.
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