Same Tire - replaced 3 times

Semiretired · 09-15-2011, 05:28 PM

We camp a lot with our friends and their TT - just came back last week and he had to replace a tire again.

The TT is 3 years old - they put about 6,000 miles a year on their unit. This is the 3rd time that this same tire has had to be replaced (none of the others have ever had a problem).

The first time was a bubble when it was a little over a year old. The second time was about a year later and it blew out as he was pulling into the park. This time another blow out as he was pulling it down the highway.

With my suggestion after we got it changed (Sams Club) and got to our destination he took it to a tire shop to have the wheel checked for problems plus put the new tire on (I talked him into upgrading to an E rated tire). - they claimed they could find nothing wrong with the wheel - the mechanic that changed the tire saw nothing wrong with the hub or surrounding area.

What can make the same tire have problems over and over again? Can it really just be bad luck?

TXiceman · 09-15-2011, 05:40 PM

I would look around for someone with portable scales and get individual wheel weights. Make sure you are within weight limits for each wheel. Check the tire rating at maximum pressure (stamped on the tire sidewall) and make sure it is not over the rating.

Another issue is could he be inadvertently clipping the corner of a curb and damaging the tire. Radial sidewalls are easy to damage from pinching.

Ken

Francesca · 09-15-2011, 05:46 PM

Weird!
The bubble was an obvious flaw...
But two blowouts on the same wheel?
If those were two different tires, I'm guessing that your friend is consistently getting the air pressure wrong.
The number one cause of blowouts is improper inflation...
Maybe he should look real hard at proper inflation for the tires, about which others more expert than I can advise him.

Francesca

450Donn · 09-15-2011, 05:48 PM

What brand and size of tire is he putting on? I would guess China bombs and that in itself is probably his problem. Now, like TXiceman said get it weighed. Weigh each axle, each side and each tire if possible. i know it is a pain in the neck, but the only sure way to tell you if he is overloading one tire. You might suggest he crawl under the trailer and check how much clearance there is between the tire and the suspension parts. Something as simple as a bolt sticking out the wrong way could be rubbing the tire and causing the failures.

Semiretired · 09-15-2011, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TXiceman

I would look around for someone with portable scales and get individual wheel weights. Make sure you are within weight limits for each wheel. Check the tire rating at maximum pressure (stamped on the tire sidewall) and make sure it is not over the rating.

Another issue is could he be inadvertently clipping the corner of a curb and damaging the tire. Radial sidewalls are easy to damage from pinching.

Ken

Weight is why I had him upgrade his tire to E instead of D rated tires and he promises he will upgrade the rest as they come needed to E.

While he does not believe he is over weight (he has not weighed it since his original load when he bought it and loaded it up for the first time) - he may be lop sided, but would that not fit the bill for both wheels on that side???

TXiceman · 09-15-2011, 07:37 PM

Lop-sided is what I am considering. If it is loaded lop-sided, that one tire is overloaded and also could be hitting the frame . Is there any apparent rub locations?

Ken

Ramblin · 09-15-2011, 07:55 PM

Check for inner sidewall rubbing against wheel well. If the tire has unusual wear it might be a misaligned or bent axle. I had a flat bed equipment trailer that had both these problems and blew one tire more often than the rest. The inner sidewall rubbing was due to improper offset in the wheels, which the previous owner had replaced with chrome ones. The unusual wear was caused by a slightly bent axle.

njs42 · 09-15-2011, 08:37 PM

All the suggestions make sense---I'll give you one that does not-----so it is something I would do------the way I understnd the situation is that three tires have preformed just fine. I would rotate tires and wheels and get one without problems in the problem position. If it goes bad then it is the trailer or weight etc; if not then just bad tires.

Weird problems may take weird solutions.

Semiretired · 09-16-2011, 03:09 AM

Rotating the tires sounds like a good idea to try since he has already had a mechanic look for rub and stuff, but I think that the weight distribution is probably his problem.

Now that I think about it that tire is under his frig and it is always full...

wa8yxm · 09-16-2011, 10:29 AM

Generally if you have to replace the tire over and a over and a over again. The weight is really a drag.

Upgrading the weight rating may well fix your problem. On both my trailers I tended to run a bit heavy, these were single axle trailers and there was room for a larger wheel so I went to the next size up rim and tire.. Since then I had only 3 flats.

1: AGE, the tire was way over the age limt,, the trailer was empty, I was, in fact, on my way to the dealership to pick up six brand new 22.5" Mitchlin tires.. with a brand new Class A attached to them, when it blew.. I traded it in with a flat spare

2: had "Stripped' the trailer down to a utility trailer (different trailer than 1) and hit a pot hole while hauling household goods.. Bent the rim.. Put spare on, hammered the rim back into shape and re-inflated.

3: Blew a valve stem (Old age, tires on this one were older than #1 after all) put spare on and towed to junk yard. Turned the keys to the house over to the bank and went FULL TIME in the aforementioned Class A, where I happen to by typing this (no need for that little trailer any more and no place to park it)