Tire blowout
I have a 2006, 28' Puma. the loaded weight is aprx. 6800lbs. I thought it was a hitch issue, a lot of bouncing. Turns out it was my second thought, tires. Had hitch adjusted and ten miles down the tol...
Forum Discussion
For those who are reading these threads to expand their knowledge base:
The term "Blowout" is problematic. While it can refer to a rapid loss of inflation pressure - which is primarily caused by a puncture, it can also refer to a loss of structural integrity - such as a "tread separation", where no air is lost and the tire is still inflated after the failure sequence. If you are trying to sort out the cause of the tire failure, you must be aware of those 2 types.
The problem here is that if the cause is puncture related, not only is the puncture not always visible ( sometimes the puncture occurred where the tire is damaged), but also the rate of puncture isn't much different from brand to brand. In other words, blaming a loss of pressure type "blowout" on a particular brand flies in the face of available data.
One type of failure is commonly called a "Run Flat" - that is the tire was operated with little or no inflation pressure. It is characterized by the tire being in 3 pieces: The tread in the form of a hoop, and 2 sidewalls. The sidewalls will have become detached from the tread in the off shoulder region and more loss circumferentially. About 90% of the time, you can find the puncture in the tread, and the other 10% of the time, the puncture must be in the damaged area and is difficult to impossible to find.
Please note there are variations in the "3 piece" scenario. Sometimes the failure hasn't quite reached the point where there is complete detachment - and sometimes, the tread portion has been lost in the failure sequence.
The type that is of most interest is the "tread separation" where there is normally no loss of inflation pressure. Typically, the top belt (and the tread over top of it) detach as a unit from the bottom belt. In my view this is NOT a defect related failure, but a design related failure. In other words, the failure stems from a flaw in the materials and the arrangement of those materials as specified, and not from some flaw in the way the tire is manufactured. In my view the fact the many ST tires are prone to this type of failure is more a testament to lack of sophistication (and experience) in tire design, than it is to manufacturing quality.
And lastly, trying to sort this out can be challenging. There are times when both the tread is lost AND there is loss of inflation pressure. Considering that insufficient inflation pressure can cause a tire to have a "tread separation", it becomes even more difficult to sort out if the tire is at fault or if the puncture caused the failure.
The term "Blowout" is problematic. While it can refer to a rapid loss of inflation pressure - which is primarily caused by a puncture, it can also refer to a loss of structural integrity - such as a "tread separation", where no air is lost and the tire is still inflated after the failure sequence. If you are trying to sort out the cause of the tire failure, you must be aware of those 2 types.
The problem here is that if the cause is puncture related, not only is the puncture not always visible ( sometimes the puncture occurred where the tire is damaged), but also the rate of puncture isn't much different from brand to brand. In other words, blaming a loss of pressure type "blowout" on a particular brand flies in the face of available data.
One type of failure is commonly called a "Run Flat" - that is the tire was operated with little or no inflation pressure. It is characterized by the tire being in 3 pieces: The tread in the form of a hoop, and 2 sidewalls. The sidewalls will have become detached from the tread in the off shoulder region and more loss circumferentially. About 90% of the time, you can find the puncture in the tread, and the other 10% of the time, the puncture must be in the damaged area and is difficult to impossible to find.
Please note there are variations in the "3 piece" scenario. Sometimes the failure hasn't quite reached the point where there is complete detachment - and sometimes, the tread portion has been lost in the failure sequence.
The type that is of most interest is the "tread separation" where there is normally no loss of inflation pressure. Typically, the top belt (and the tread over top of it) detach as a unit from the bottom belt. In my view this is NOT a defect related failure, but a design related failure. In other words, the failure stems from a flaw in the materials and the arrangement of those materials as specified, and not from some flaw in the way the tire is manufactured. In my view the fact the many ST tires are prone to this type of failure is more a testament to lack of sophistication (and experience) in tire design, than it is to manufacturing quality.
And lastly, trying to sort this out can be challenging. There are times when both the tread is lost AND there is loss of inflation pressure. Considering that insufficient inflation pressure can cause a tire to have a "tread separation", it becomes even more difficult to sort out if the tire is at fault or if the puncture caused the failure.
