Close Call with Tire

[Alf S.]

Originally Posted by 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

Hi: ZachO...I know... I have Japanese tires on my American assembled Ram (Italian EcoDiesel) pickup!!!
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Lynn Eberhardt]

Learned from Experience:
Your pictures show the result of a broken belt - probably a road hazard.
Balance your trailer tires, always.
Inflate your tires to the vehicle spec. Greater pressure in higher rated tires will shake things out of your cabinets.

[Herb Sutton]

The only Japanese vehicle I ever had was built in Tennessee. It was a good SUV.

[ZachO]

Yes. My Tacoma was part of the first year they were assembled in the US instead of Japan. Which is why there was a frame recall. The hadn't put a final coat for rust protection on the frames, and in rusty states, some frames actually snapped in half. Good ol US craftsmanship! Some things we really do quite well, possibly better than anyone else. But not all things by a long shot.

Yeah Lynn that's what I figured. When I jacked up the trailer and noticed the wheel/axle itself wasn't wobbly, I googled it, and one of the first responses on some forum I found was "sounds like the belts are separating or delaminating". Then I removed the wheel, and saw what I posted in the first post. I probably didn't have long before a blowout.

[Jerry Laskody]

Originally Posted by ZachO

How close, I wonder?

Attachment 137136

Attachment 137137

Attachment 137138


I noticed it seemed wobbly. Was worried it was the bearings. But no, just a tire getting ready to blow! I was going to replace them next summer, as that would have been 5 years. Looks like I’m getting new tires early!

I’ll admit, looking at these photos, I’m embarrassed that I didn’t catch this sooner. That’s some major wear.

Classic under-inflation wear! They'll run hot and then you possibly possibly had a de-lamination of the belt/plies. Whatever the cause, check you tires visually every morning before you start out. and regularly check you tire pressures. Even if you do, if your tire has a flaw it might still fail but it won't show those wear signs.

[ZachO]

Ah I wonder how many times I'll need to hear that before people read the whole thread...

[Doctor Harold]

Originally Posted by ZachO

Ah I wonder how many times I'll need to hear that before people read the whole thread...

Infinity plus one, I expect.

[Civilguy]

Originally Posted by ZachO

Ah I wonder how many times I'll need to hear that before people read the whole thread...

Somehow the word "tires" has a narcotic effect on the forum faithful. 48 posts over a damaged tire? We clearly need a life.

[Doctor Harold]

Originally Posted by Civilguy

Somehow the word "tires" has a narcotic effect on the forum faithful. 48 posts over a damaged tire? We clearly need a life.

Yup, after a while it gets tiring talking about tires. I suppose it won't be long before someone suggests the thread is overinflated, has an uneven wear pattern, and should be retired.

That, or someone will bring up the subject of retreads, and how many of the posts have been, or should be recycled.

As in most things, balance is the key. Perhaps the OPs tires were balanced metrically, but were driven on Imperial roads, which clearly creates a conflict, except in Canada.

YMMV



Harold

[Civilguy]

Originally Posted by Doctor Harold

Harold

Ooh, I'd like some of what that gentleman is having!!!

[Doctor Harold]

Originally Posted by Civilguy

Ooh, I'd like some of what that gentleman is having!!!

On any given evening, it might be Drambuie.... might be St. Germain... might be Southern Comfort... might be Jack Daniels...

Or it just might be Canada Dry Ginger Ale....



Not telling....

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by ZachO

Yes. My Tacoma was part of the first year they were assembled in the US
.

AFAIK, *ALL* Tacomas were made in USA, the Japanese-made trucks are called Hilux, and are a different model, smaller like the old pre-Tacoma Toyota pickups (which were in fact Hilux).

my 2008 Taco was the last year they were made at the NUMMI plant in Fremont California, that plant is now Tesla.

[Raz]

Trucks are made here or are subject to a 25% tariff aka " the chicken tax". Some manufacturers have beat the tax by adding seats, like the Ford Transit Connect and Subaru Brat, or shipping trucks in pieces to be assembled here. I think the early Datsun and Toyota pickups arrived that way?

[Herb Sutton]

At first the trucks were imported complete, then to avoid the tariff they came in without beds which were built and installed in California. Next they built the complete truck in the US.

[ZachO]

Yes, something like that. Those rusty beds you see on pretty much all 70s & 80s Toyota pickups were installed in the states. The rest of the truck came from Japan.

I'm not a Toyota historian, I've just pickup up a lot by owning a lot of them and frequenting forums. The story is that my year Tacoma was the first to be built in the US, but I've never verified. All Toyota pickups were Hilux until they named them Tacomas. Before 1995 there was no Tacoma, just Hilux. The first 10 years of the Tacoma are no bigger than the old Hilux pickup. I've had a 78, 83, 86, 92, 94 and now my 98 (the only one that's a "Tacoma"). They were all basically the same size. In 2005 the Tacoma got big. When the Tundra first came out it was only about as big as the short-lived T100. Now they're gigantic.

Well generally I've really enjoyed this thread, it just got off the wrong start and keeps getting pulled back there. It's not that I don't do a lot of things wrong, it's just that I don't like being wrongly accused of it when I'm doing it right!

[Rick L. Harrison]

Hello to all!
After reading the many blogs about "china bombs", They can rip a trailer apart. I was going to buy the Goodyear but after a little more looking. I went with the Hercules. a side by side comparison was enough. Rob said pick up that tire the Goodyear, OK med weight so what. Then said pick up that tire Hercules H-901 oh wow. The h-901 was 3 or more times the weight. This tire is a commercial grade agricultural tire with side walls that are way thicker than the other tire. This shop even offered a "road hazard" and still does. they can be bought at Wal-mart and others. Not cheap. But is your trailer a throwaway item?
My friend who owns a silver Twinkie. Instantly commented on the tires when I was showing him the 25B25FB. I think his next will be the Hercules.

My 2 cents

https://www.herculestire.com/tire-de...cules/H-901-ST

[ZachO]

If you go way more stiff and heavy than the application requires, all you're doing is reducing fuel mileage and bouncing your trailer to pieces.

Our trailers aren't agricultural.

I am all for quality, and buying what's right for my vehicles. Made in China is definitely not a dealbreaker for me, nor is Made in USA a sure win. It depends, company to company.