China Bombs Got Me
I have read many posts about the poor quality of tires RV manufacturers are putting on new RV's. Well these tires (the infamous Tow Max Power King) blew on my 5er causing damage. I always check for p...
Forum Discussion
Sorry for the severe truncation, but I only wanted to comment on one part:
I disagree. I am of the opinion that the standard DOT testing requirement doesn't mean the tires are safe - meaning relatively free of structural failure. In fact, it has been recognized within the tire industry that tires have to greatly exceed the DOT minimums in order to perform up to consumer satisfaction levels of nearly zero structural failures.
And just so you know, it appears that consumers expect tire failure rates to be less than about 0.01% - 1 out of 10,000 and the value has been dropping over time. You can not get that if you only meet the minimums.
I am also of the opinion that ST tires can easily pass the LT tire DOT minimums - and vice versa. Where I think the problem lies is inexperience with what levels are acceptable in the marketplace. Many manufacturers think that passing the minimums is enough to assure the product (and this is not just about tires) is good enough - and that is just not so. While price drives a lot of initial acceptance, it is difficult to overcome a poor quality reputation.
I'm afraid the Chinese have just started to learn this lesson - and in the case of tires, it requires a lot of effort (and cost) to figure out how get to that higher level. They will get there eventually, but by then some other country will have entered the market with low ball pricing (and poor quality). This is a pattern that I first saw with Japanese products in the 1950's and 60's - and continued with the Mexicans and the Koreans. I expect India to be next.
JJBIRISH wrote:
.....The real problem is the standard for DOT certification that sets minimum requirements for the tires safety… those minimum standards are the target that many aim for and all must meet….......
I disagree. I am of the opinion that the standard DOT testing requirement doesn't mean the tires are safe - meaning relatively free of structural failure. In fact, it has been recognized within the tire industry that tires have to greatly exceed the DOT minimums in order to perform up to consumer satisfaction levels of nearly zero structural failures.
And just so you know, it appears that consumers expect tire failure rates to be less than about 0.01% - 1 out of 10,000 and the value has been dropping over time. You can not get that if you only meet the minimums.
I am also of the opinion that ST tires can easily pass the LT tire DOT minimums - and vice versa. Where I think the problem lies is inexperience with what levels are acceptable in the marketplace. Many manufacturers think that passing the minimums is enough to assure the product (and this is not just about tires) is good enough - and that is just not so. While price drives a lot of initial acceptance, it is difficult to overcome a poor quality reputation.
I'm afraid the Chinese have just started to learn this lesson - and in the case of tires, it requires a lot of effort (and cost) to figure out how get to that higher level. They will get there eventually, but by then some other country will have entered the market with low ball pricing (and poor quality). This is a pattern that I first saw with Japanese products in the 1950's and 60's - and continued with the Mexicans and the Koreans. I expect India to be next.
