Michelin LT failure

[SeniorGNC]

Well, I never expected to be writing this but I had a blowout on my second set of Michelin 16” LT load range E tires. They were only a year old.

We were on our way back to Houston Tx a week ago from a long summer vacation loop through the southwest desert. (About a 3000 mile pull.) On the last day just a couple of hundred miles north of home on US 84 we lost a tire to what the tire store manager called a catastrophic blowout. (There were just some inner casing pieces between the beads.) This was during the heat wave, I think the outside air temperature was about 103 degF. I pull at 60 mph, checked my tire pressure in the morning as I started and thought I was good. All that came to an end when a car pulled up next to me and held up a sign saying “blowout”. Bummer.

I could not even tell I was down a tire. There was no indication based on handling. Last time I scaled I was about 8600 lbs total on the two 5200 lb trailer axles.

Now I don’t feel so invincible tire wise. It cold have been due to a bad tire, a leaky valve stem, road hazard, who knows?

Maybe it is time for RIBs on the trailer and a tire pressure monitoring system.

Good thing I carry a tire changing ramp and DOT triangles.

Oh well, time to go fix the damage to the trailer…

[Me_Again]

Kevin. Don't go inside with a steel ply carcass tire!!!

People swear by and at TPMS'! I know people that have thrown in the towel on them because of leaks at the sensors. Chris

[SeniorGNC]

Chris, thanks for the interesting pictures of the Bridgestone Duravis R250. That may well be the way I go. It also matches the recommendation from a small local tire retailer that I spoke with after my tire failure. He is located in the country in central Texas and many of his customers are ranchers with large stock trailers. The overwhelming choice of his customers who pull on both paved and gravel is the Bridgestone Duravis R250. (Full disclosure: this is also his recommendation to them) However, he reports that these customers also replace with the same tire, so that seems to backup his recommendation. Of course, this is all based on his word, but he came across as a no BS good honest man.

The OEM tires/wheels were no name ST225/75R15 LRD. Therefore the LT225/75R16 LRE tires that I am now running are as large as I want to go. My bolt pattern is 655. (6 bolts on a 5.5 inch diameter.)

I do have a question about TPMS for the forum. It seems like all the ones I find are mounted on the valve stem. Some even do both pressure and temperature. I’m not sure how responsive the sensors would be to temperature out in the “cooling wind” as they rotate down the road. Does anyone know of a good TPMS that works with a trailer having the sensors mounted inside on the wheel?

Thanks everyone, Kevin

[Me_Again]

Cummins12V98 wrote:

FastEagle wrote:

larry barnhart wrote:
A trailer tire will look like the G-614's.
chevman

The GY trailer tires are Marathons.

Look Here!

FastEagle

U
Dude what are you smoking?????

The G614 ARE trailer tires as are the GY H tires.

Goes hand and hand with the person that made the last part of this statement. "Running tires designed for trailer use is actually more expensive in the long run, but for serious towers returns re. handling, tracking, and especially fuel economy make the extra expense worthwhile"

Someone actually seems to believe that ST tires provide better handling, tracking and fuel economy? Wonder if they ever towed a trailer, much less a large 5th wheel? Must have read it on the tire racks marketing page! Chris

[milo]

Man ole Man ..you lucked out..If that would have been a ST tire you'd been drug over the coals for not running ST tires, but it being a LT tire, no big deal huh... Stuff like that happens.

[Cummins12V98]

Me Again wrote:

larry barnhart wrote:
A trailer tire will look like the G-614's.
chevman

Larry, the GY G614 and R250 look a lot alike! Chris





Chris

Actually the Duravis looks more like the GY H tires I upgraded to on my MS last summer.

[Cummins12V98]

FastEagle wrote:

larry barnhart wrote:
A trailer tire will look like the G-614's.
chevman

The GY trailer tires are Marathons.

Look Here!

FastEagle

Dude what are you smoking?????

The G614 ARE trailer tires as are the GY H tires.

[larry_barnhart]

Me Again wrote:

larry barnhart wrote:
A trailer tire will look like the G-614's.
chevman

Larry, the GY G614 and R250 look a lot alike! Chris





Chris

I know and the reason for saying it was. It is listed as a trailer tire from GY.
I talked friends into the Bridgestone 250 E load range last summer.
chevman

[Me_Again]

FastEagle wrote:

Me Again wrote:

FastEagle wrote:

larry barnhart wrote:
A trailer tire will look like the G-614's.
chevman

The GY trailer tires are Marathons.

Look Here!

FastEagle

FE, that is Goodyear's economical trailer tire(aka cheap), Larry pointed to their high quality steel ply carcass offering in LRG.

Chris

What prompted my comment was his comment about looks. The Marathon is their trailer (ST) tire and they look much like all other ST tires, which is not like the G614 RST.

FE

I think Larry was referring to a real trailer tire.

The Marathon and other 34 pounders all have similar tread patterns, and that may be one of the issues with them. The tread pattern has not changed in years as the ratings went up and up and away. They may just be ripping the cap off in tight maneuvers!!!!!

Chris

[Me_Again]

larry barnhart wrote:
A trailer tire will look like the G-614's.
chevman

Larry, the GY G614 and R250 look a lot alike! Chris





Chris

[FastEagle]

Me Again wrote:

FastEagle wrote:

larry barnhart wrote:
A trailer tire will look like the G-614's.
chevman

The GY trailer tires are Marathons.

Look Here!

FastEagle

FE, that is Goodyear's economical trailer tire(aka cheap), Larry pointed to their high quality steel ply carcass offering in LRG.

Chris

What prompted my comment was his comment about looks. The Marathon is their trailer (ST) tire and they look much like all other ST tires, which is not like the G614 RST.

FE

[Me_Again]

FastEagle wrote:

larry barnhart wrote:
A trailer tire will look like the G-614's.
chevman

The GY trailer tires are Marathons.

Look Here!

FastEagle

FE, that is Goodyear's economical trailer tire(aka cheap), Larry pointed to their high quality steel ply carcass offering in LRG.

Chris

[FastEagle]

larry barnhart wrote:
A trailer tire will look like the G-614's.
chevman

The GY trailer tires are Marathons.

Look Here!

FastEagle

[larry_barnhart]

A trailer tire will look like the G-614's.
chevman

[Me_Again]

Lots of people are using the Firestone Transforce HT.



It has a better tread pattern for a trailer than all the LTX's from Michelin. More closed outer rib and less sipes.

Chris

[Me_Again]

Let's look at a few Michelin tires.

LTX A/S


LTX M/S


LTX M/S2


The A/S probably has the best tread pattern for a trailer and the M/S2 the worst. Quote from Michelin about the M/S2 "Additional sipes and large lateral grooves for improved snow traction." Sipes are not a good thing on a trailer tire, as they cause tread squirm and created extra drag. The breaks in the outer ribs and sipes grab to much in tight maneuvers. Also all three of these tires are design for ride quality in a truck, and have softer sidewalls.

Now lets look at the XPS RIB that the OP thinks he might install next.



It has a closed outer rib, very little sipes and the steel ply carcass which gives it a lower rolling resistance than any of the LTX offerings.

Moving onto the Bridgestone Duravis R250 and the tread only gets better for a trailer application.



Next time you are in a rest stop walk around the 18 wheels and see what their trailer tires look like. You will see most are similar to the R250's or Ribs, but lean more to the R250's tread pattern.

Chris