Tire off bead

[Bearpex]

We just purchased a 2008 Sightseer 35J from a large dealer. Drover her about 20 miles home and she has not been moved for the last 3 weeks while we get ready for our first short trip next week. I just checked tire pressures and an outside rear is off the rim. Tire looks to be fine, any ideas how this could happen?

[creativepart]

It is out of air. Flat? That would do it since it’s on a dual axel. Must have a leak.

[Mtn Charlie]

Obviously the tire has no air pressure. From the looks of the rim, there could be some rust on the inside of the rim, where the tire bead makes contact. Removing the tire and wire brushing that surface of the rim my help, but if it were me, I would remove the tire and have the rim sandblasted and repainted.

[Bearpex]

Does anyone think I have any recourse against the dealer. I had some expectation that this would be safe to drive more than 20 miles.

[Mtn Charlie]

PWith a 13 year old vehicle, it is difucult to determine what recourse you have. It all depends on the dealer's presentation of the vehicle and the laws of your states. If sold "as is", you may have no recourse. However, some states have laws requiring that any vehicle sold be free of any safty defects. Your reciept/contract should show the milage at time of sale. If the tire is flat 20 miles later, that is definitely a safty issue. How far you persue compensation, would be governed by the cost of the repair. If you had crashed, I would have hired a lawyer. For a flat tire, I wouldn't go that far, if it is able to be repaired and not replaced. EDIT: Call the dealer and ask them if they will cover the repair. If they agree to, ask them how they want the repair performed. If they refuse to repair it, verbally tell then that they may hear from your lawyer, after it is repaired. Most states also have Small Claims Courts for minor financial disputes. (Usually under $2500).

[Bearpex]

Thank you , that makes perfect sense to me. I appreciate the well thought out detailed response. I think I know the answer to this one but will ask anyway. The spare looks really good, it's a Goodyear, sidewalls and tred look great, but the date stamp is 2007. We are planning a first "shake down" trip this weekend about 80 miles away. If we use a TPMS is it reasonable to use that tire?

[Mtn Charlie]

I'd replace the spare and then mount it. It needs to be replaced anyhow. With a spare, you can drop it off one day and pick it up the next and still be ready by the weekend. Better safe than sorry. What are the dates on all the other tires. Is the flat tire also 2007? EDIT: Most mobile tire services will mount a spare or deliver and mount a new tire for a $40-60 fee over the cost of the new tire, if you are within their service area.

[Bearpex]

All of the tires on it are (4617) so I was hoping to get 2 more years out of them. The unit only has a total of 27000 miles on it.

[Tireman9]

Originally Posted by Mtn Charlie

I'd replace the spare and then mount it. It needs to be replaced anyhow. With a spare, you can drop it off one day and pick it up the next and still be ready by the weekend. Better safe than sorry. What are the dates on all the other tires. Is the flat tire also 2007? EDIT: Most mobile tire services will mount a spare or deliver and mount a new tire for a $40-60 fee over the cost of the new tire, if you are within their service area.

What is the actual DOT date code (last 4 digits) of the spare year 2007 or 2017?


Since you have no way of knowing when the tire lost air you might have driven the 20 miles with one dual flat and the inflated dual 100% overloaded.


BOTH should be dismounted, Internal inspection and if the Goodyear dealer judges as OK remounted and inflated. Be sure to get a TPMS ASAP.
I like and use TireTraker with their Lifetime warranty

[Bearpex]

Thanks for all the info, we replaced the spare with a new matching Kelly and had Goodyear look at the tire that came off the bead and they said it was from a bad valve extender leaking. I did not realize a tire would come off the bead just from having low pressure, but they said it happens all the time. They remounted the tire that came off and I am now using it as the spare with the new tire on the rig.

[NeilV]

Originally Posted by Bearpex

Thank you , that makes perfect sense to me. I appreciate the well thought out detailed response. I think I know the answer to this one but will ask anyway. The spare looks really good, it's a Goodyear, sidewalls and tred look great, but the date stamp is 2007. We are planning a first "shake down" trip this weekend about 80 miles away. If we use a TPMS is it reasonable to use that tire?

No its not reasonable to use a 14 year old tire on a roadway vehicle. Tires even without any use or even being mounted degrade over time simple due to the ozone in the air which can be accelerated in the presence of electrical fields such as power lines, transformers, electric motors, etc. That spare should have been replaced 8 years ago.

Tire engineers in my family are pretty adamant about replacing tires used on roadway vehicles once they are 5 to 6 years old.

Major tire manufacturers can and have pulled franchises to sell their tires if a dealer sells or services a 5 year old tire. I went through this with the local Firestone Dealer when he had to order in tires for my car and found them to already be 5 years old and the dealer refused to install them insisting that they be destroyed and that new ones be provided at a discount to make up for my inconvenience. I heard him through the door of his office chewing out the warehouse for sending him 5 year old tires as the matter was so severe and critical to him and his reputation.

His diligence in playing by the rules saved me from going out on the interstate with potentially dangerous tires plus it also saved me money getting me a more expensive higher quality set of new tires that actually were new for less money than the original set.