Tire Blowout Questions

dieselenthusiast wrote:
What are the signs that you have lost a tire on a tandem axle? Can you feel it? I'm looking into getting the TPMS for my trailer, but was curious if you can feel it when a tire blows.

Lets set some terms.

Tire Failure - something goes wrong and the tire either goes out of shape or starts losing air - hopefully your pre-tow check is going to spot this.

Deflation - a tire goes down or has low pressure - you won't feel it towing. If you don't catch it - the tire may blowout, or it may catch fire.

Blowout - an explosive failure where a tire comes apart suddenly. You will likely feel it when it happens. But if you don't recognize it then - you might not feel the slight pull while towing if the other tires remain properly inflated.

It really depends upon the TV and the trailer. How close your are to the max limits of each weight wise, how good your anti-sway hitch is, how many axles you have on the trailer. Obviously it will harder to feel on a three axle trailer than a two axle trailer.

Another indication can be stuff 'streaming' from the trailer.

An explosive blowout can easily damage the bottom of the trailer, ripping out the underbelly and letting the insulation stream out. Those trailers with decorative plastic 'fender's around the wheels can have those torn off.

$20-25,000 damage to a Class A DP from an explosive blowout of an inside dual tire is all to common.

Saw a toy hauler once where a blowout opened up the side of the rig - and they noticed when they saw bedding start streaming out the side of the rig in the rear view mirrors.

The purpose of a pre-tow check is to make sure the tires are properly inflated, to feel each tire and see if there are bumps, out-of-round, or non-flat across tread - etc. Those are warning signs of problems. Check the tread to see if the wear is not even - another warning sign.

Of course you've already made sure your trailer is not overloaded, the load is balanced, and you drive within the speed ratings of the tires.

A TPMS is a warning system of low pressure, high pressure, high heat - etc. A TPMS will not prevent problems - but hopefully warn you of a problem so you can get stopped in a safe place.

I also recommend a check at each stop - feel each tire, use an infrared thermometer to check heat on the sidewalls and tread (the TPMS temp might not catch some issue). Check the temps on the hubs and brakes.

Now about blowouts, again there are different types.

Road Hazard - I don't care what type of tire you have. If the vehicle in front of you drops a piece of metal and your truck runs over it, the first tire on that side of the trailer might be cut wide open, or the second tire if the first tire hits the metal first.

This can also be a pot hole, running onto the shoulder, rock, etc.

Those blowouts can be explosive and damaging. And there is nothing you can do to prevent them except avoiding road hazards.

Tire failure blowout - 'Cheap China Bombs' do not fail suddenly without warning. Tires take time to weaken, break belts, separate belts, etc. Proper pre-tow checks, every stop checks and a TPMS will give you sufficient warning of a problem almost always in time to avoid an explosive failure. But you have to be able to recognize warning signs and take action immediately - not put it off until later.

You are still out the cost of a replacement tire - and there might not be many options to purchase depending upon where you are. Your trip has been interrupted for hours due to the tire problem.

But your rig and family are safe and not damaged.

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I was driving a small Subaru on a 300 mile trips on the interstate once (summer 1995). There was a light vibration. It got worse the farther I traveled. I stopped twice to check the tires. I saw nothing wrong and the tire pressure was fine. I did notice one tire felt slightly warmer and seemed to have a hump on the outside part of the tread.

Traveling at 70 mph, the car suddenly jumped into the air, spun completely around and shot off the side of the highway, through the ditch, over a 4 foot high cable catch fence, across a service road with two way traffic between a bobtail coming one way and a sedan coming the other way, over a bar ditch and into an apartment parking lot.

The impacts broke both tie-rods. The left rear tire had lost the entire tread and took about 1/2 of the fender with it - but was still full inflated.

I have no idea why the car didn't hit anything solid, didn't flip, didn't throw me out. All I can think of is the Lord didn't want to take me home that day.

But I got real serious about tires after that.

I have several warnings - vibration, heat, shape - and didn't know how to recognize them.

I do now.