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vacane's avatar
vacane
Explorer
Jul 05, 2016

Tire Blowout

This past weekend we had two tires blowout on our way back from the Outer Banks. The same thing happened two years ago and at that time I replaced all 4 tires. So these on this trip were only two years old. I keep the psi right under the max of 50psi and don't go over 65mph. Both time happened on the return trip. Could heat be a factor? Maybe I should drop the psi a few pounds? Hope someone smarter than me on tires has some suggestions. Having the family stuck on the side of the road is no fun...
  • Both at the same time? Could have been that one went flat and the added weight caused the other to fail.

    Both on the same side, but at different times? Again, could be that one failed putting extra weight on the other causing unseen damage. And that later caused the other to fail.

    Different times on opposite side? Who knows.

    A tire that destroys itself due to running on low pressure can result in what looks like a blowout. A TPMS will let you know if a tire is losing pressure so that you can stop before it destroys itself.
  • You can get that same tire size in a load range D. That should cover any overweight issues. It would not change anything if this happened due to debris on the roadway resulting in pressure loss.
  • Your listed tire size is "205/75R14C" and are most likely rated at 1760lbs each which is barely adequate (not adequate in my world). You need to upgrade the tire size to at least ST215/75R14 but a 15" wheel/tire swap would be better if it will fit.
  • If you didn't hear a big BOOM more than likely you did not have a blow out.

    Way more likely you picked up nail or screw or whatever and the tire bleeds of pressure, heats up and then comes apart.

    I read about way less "blow outs" since TPMS came out. Funny how that works out that way. :B
  • Certainly no expert, but I had two blowouts on trip at Thanksgiving. One down, one back. Fortunately had spare each time. But, method of elimination:
    Age OK according to your statement
    PSI OK ditto
    Speed OK but, I don't drive over 60
    Weight????? Have you pulled on scales at a truck stop? That would be my first guess.

    The tire shop upgraded all 4 new tires with load range E, I have 15" wheels and 3 different places said no to light truck tires on a 15"wheel.

    Edited by Barb
  • Hard to say without knowing the brand of tires, age, what it says on the sidewall for cold pressure and what weight they are carrying. Sure sounds like they might be heavily overloaded to have two blowouts two years running. What was the cause of the blowouts?
    Letting air out is the LAST thing you want to do.
    One of the reasons I carry two mounted spares.
    Clarification on age of tires. Just because they were installed two years ago doesn't necessarily mean they are two year old. See the DOT info on the tire sidewall.