Close Call with Tire

[ZachO]

Thanks. I’ve got the chart for my tires above.

I guess my point is that the tire is evenly worn, except that one spot. The other tire is evenly worn all around. There is no sidewall wear. I don’t understand how under inflation could cause even wear 80% of the way around a tire, and uneven wear on one small cross section, from inside to outside.

If the argument is that the wear was even, but the tires were under inflated just enough to cause some overheating, and the overheating caused a bulge/tread delamination, I can follow. I just don’t follow that a small section of tire, surrounding a bulge, which has wear on the outside but not the inside means the same thing as a tire with that type wear around the entire circumference. Know what I mean?

[redbarron55]

The first picture looked like under inflation but the rest of the tire looks relatively OK.
The separated part obviously has been bad for a long time to wear in such a manner.
Perhaps this tire was not under inflated for the load, but it has little to do with the failed tire.
Still what brand of tire was this? Just wondering.
The bad section has all of the hallmarks of under inflation, but obviously it is an aberration.

[wilyoung]

Originally Posted by ZachO

Thanks. I’ve got the chart for my tires above.

I guess my point is that the tire is evenly worn, except that one spot. The other tire is evenly worn all around. There is no sidewall wear. I don’t understand how under inflation could cause even wear 80% of the way around a tire, and uneven wear on one small cross section, from inside to outside.

If the argument is that the wear was even, but the tires were under inflated just enough to cause some overheating, and the overheating caused a bulge/tread delamination, I can follow. I just don’t follow that a small section of tire, surrounding a bulge, which has wear on the outside but not the inside means the same thing as a tire with that type wear around the entire circumference. Know what I mean?

I was answering your statement, "Well I’ll admit that I’m not sure why people are so certain it was under inflated," which I took to be your answer to my, "From your first three pictures I was ready to say "underinflated." But your last picture showed good wear patterns on a good part of the tire. Now it looks like out of round or unbalanced, both of which I have experienced, or some other tire fault."



I was agreeing with you that my first impression, based on incomplete data, was incorrect. Your second posted picture showed even wear on most of the tire, not seen in the first posted pictures. I would agree that it appears to be a delamination of some sort. With a bubble of air between the tread and the inner casing of the tire.


Peace

[ZachO]

Yes it’s easy to miss posts or points.

Thanks.

The tires are Maxxis (another missed post ). They have good reviews and were good for me...till now.

I noticed a wobble a few weeks back, pulled over but didn’t see that wear and the wheel didn’t feel loose (I always assumed that kind of wobble could only come from an axle/bearing issue, so I figured “well, maybe it’s just uneven mud on the tire making it look like its wobbling”, then forgot about it.

I haven’t gone more than 30 miles since first noticing it, but I don’t know how long it had been like that before noticing it. It must have always been down on the road when I parked, otherwise I’d like to think I would have noticed...

[redbarron55]

I wondered about the brand mostly because I have had problems with a particular US brand. I have noticed when driving a car a "wobble" when almost stopped and have traced it to a bubble in the tire, usually a front tire.
These tires were Goodyear back before I gave up on them.
I noticed the wear pattern (on the bubble ssection) as I saw that on a set of cheap Chinese tires that came with my Pep Boy wheels with tires.
I ran the pressures a bit "low" for a smoother ride (the wheels and tires are "oversized" for my Scamp) and I aired them up when I started on a long trip out West. I noticed that same wear pattern when we were in Taos and had them swapped for a set of Carlisle radials to feel more comfortable in the wide open spaces out there.
The problem with this particular pattern is that the edges are more likely to fail more unexpectedly, perhaps.
I prefer the radial tires as the tread will lay flatter and wear more even with changes in air pressure.

[ZachO]

Gotcha.

I’m hoping just going to 8-ply will be enough to keep me safe.

[johnlochbuie]

Tire is under inflation edges of tire are making contact with road center of tire is not making has much contact you should always inflate tires to the max

[Tug Hercules]

I recently replaced the tires on my Bigfoot, 25B175CB.

I purchased the 15 inch Goodyear Endurance and use their load rating E; Tire size: ST225/75R15.

I run these at 80 psi.

This is all, after a major (painful) learning curve on modern tires;

I learned (the hard way) that most Chinese Tires, though sold as 10 ply; you need to read the side walls and it says "equivalent to 10 ply", and are in fact only 4, 5 or 6 ply, depending on manufacture.

[GaryM]

Originally Posted by redbarron55

What brand is this tire?
Is it one of the cheap Chinese tires or is it US made?
Looking at the wear pattern 45 is low and quite possibly a 50 PSI load range C tire.
A 205 80 14 tire is good for 1760 lbs at 50 psi. at 45 psi it is good for about 1450 lbs.
I don't know what your trailer weighs, but this tire has been running at a low pressure for the load applied.
Moving to a 15" tire with an 8 ply rating (load range D) is probably a good move.
I went from a 13" to a 14" on my Scamp 16 because I did not think that there was enough margin on the original setup.
I am running 205/75R14 Carlisle radial tires (D) at 55 psi. They are rated 2040 at 65 PSI. I run them at 55 PSI and my Scamp weighs about 2900 lbs loaded.
A radial tire will plant the tread more evenly with changing air pressure than a bias ply tire.
A tire running at low pressure FOR IT"S ACTUAL LOAD will flex more than it should and will heat the sidewall/tread area more and contribute to the separation issues.

Carlisle specifies that their load range D tires are to be inflated to max (65psi) pressure, no matter the weight of the trailer

[Doctor Harold]

I just put a pair of new National radials on my Scamp 13, and it says on the sidewall: "Maintain 65 psi Inflation Pressure" and "For Trailer Service Only"

A bulge in the tread of a radial tire is always a belt separation, which is the cause of the "wobble". We used to describe it as driving on square tires. When installed on the front wheels of a vehicle, a belt separation will cause the car to pull to one side. Pulling is almost never caused by bad alignment.

Harold

[redbarron55]

Also if the belt has separated and there is a bulge on a front tire it will bob just a little bit and you can notice it at low speeds.
I know that with the advent of radial tires on race cars the effect of air pressure really changed. In the old days you adjusted the tire pressures to get an even temperature at the cord across the tire. Low temp at the center, too low, etc.
Now the pressures in the tire are used to tine the spring rate of the suspension and 1/4 psi makes a big difference. The radial tire keeps the tread flat against the road.
I liked racing better on bias ply tires!

[Herb Sutton]

If you get far enough into the boondocks it becomes very difficult to buy replacements.
Never leave home without a spare. I learned this on a trip to the Baja.

[ZachO]

Originally Posted by johnlochbuie

Tire is under inflation edges of tire are making contact with road center of tire is not making has much contact you should always inflate tires to the max

Read the whole thread.

[ZachO]

Got a call from the tire shop late yesterday that my new tires and wheels were in. I think Thursday will be my first slow enough work day to get in there. I'm excited to get them on.

[thrifty bill]

Originally Posted by WaltP

I know many think so, yet Bigfoot and Escape both state specific PSI values that are lower than the max for most tires. I always purchase Carlysle Radial Trails, load rate E, 10 ply. The max PSI is 80 and I run them at 60. Some tire manufacturers publish graphs of recommended pressure by load weight.

I’m a big fan of Carlisle’s. For those concerned with country of origin, my Carlisle’s were made in... China! My own experience with manufacturing stuff in China, it’s not about where it’s made. It’s all about what the customers are paying for. All those expensive Nike shoes are made in China along with a lot of crappy ones sold in Walmart.

[ZachO]

It's important to remember that most "junk" made in China is made by US-owned companies, using cheap, overseas labor. Chinese factories are completely capable of producing high quality goods, and many of them do. It's all about how much training and quality control the US representatives are willing to pay for to actually train the workers on how to make the product, and what quality materials they're willing to pay for.

Usually they're in China to make the cheapest product possible for as much as they can charge (which is typically not much).

[Jon in AZ]

Ply ratings are a carryover from old bias ply tires. All radials, regardless of country of origin, are not literally 4, 6, 8, or 10 ply. They have steel belts giving a load range (B, C, D, or E) which is equivalent in weight carrying capacity at max inflation to the old ply rating of a similar sized tire.

[CarlD]

If you can feel the wobble in the TV then there must be a force elsewhere interacting with the road, which is most likely the bad tire pushing the trailer back and forth sideways while going down the road. This action would cause the wear on the outer treads in that area. (the rest of the tire looks normal) My guess is that the wear on the tire is from the wobble motion, which is from a broken belt, which could be from a pothole, which is a major killer of tires, which is bad, which, which. I have run out of whiches.

[Alf S.]

Originally Posted by ZachO

It's important to remember that most "junk" made in China is made by US-owned companies, using cheap, overseas labor. Chinese factories are completely capable of producing high quality goods, and many of them do. It's all about how much training and quality control the US representatives are willing to pay for to actually train the workers on how to make the product, and what quality materials they're willing to pay for.

Usually they're in China to make the cheapest product possible for as much as they can charge (which is typically not much).

Hi: ZachO... IDK that "Bald one" made trailer tires. I'm retired and replaced my Carlyles "Made in China" with GY. Endurance tires "Made in USA". Cost a bit more but as I always say "A lot is riding on my tires"!!!
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[ZachO]

Quality is quality, no matter where it's built. The US doesn't have a monopoly on quality. Which is why I've always driven Japanese vehicles