Tire went flat in the driveay. Damage?

[mkirsch]

I came out this morning and the left tire on my utility trailer was dead flat. Just came back from a 260 mile round trip, and it was up and fine when I went to bed last night.

The valve stem failed catastrophically during the night. Glad it didn't happen on the road.

Would the tire have sustained any damage from just going flat in the driveway? Tire is only 2 years old.

[CharlesinGA]

For the naysayers who run in circles and wave their hands in the air saying the tire is ruined, etc, etc, the OP stated it was a Utility trailer, which could be ANYTHING from a Harbor Freight 4x8 kit trailer on up. My utility is a kinda typically sized 5x10, angle iron frame with wood floor. Oddly it has 15 inch wheels on it and so I have used an old (unused) spare from the travel trailer, and one tire from off the axle (when I replaced them) and installed both on the utility trailer in place of the 20 year old tires on it. It never goes far or fast and so an older tire is of no consequence on it.

A lightweight empty trailer will not destroy a tire if the tire goes flat. Now if it was towed that way, thats another story, but sitting, no problems that I see.

Charles

[JIMNLIN]

JRscooby wrote:
Can of starting fluid works better than strap, but likely to send old women screaming and waving hands.

LOL..I watch my area truck tire dealer re mount a 18.4-38" tractor tire with two cans of staring fluid. Big flash bang and seats the beads instantly.

I've used the ratchet strap method ...but you gotta' let them loose when the beads seat.

[noteven]

CapriRacer wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:
.... For starters, I would stop buying antique tires built up with multiple cotton plys. 😉 .....

I'm pretty sure only a few people got that joke!

This reader did...

[Bobbo]

Diamond c wrote:
Bobby I call B S on that!

Your refusal to believe does not make it false. Try it sometime.

I agree with the follow on post that says once the ratchet strap has the bead seated, you must put in some air before removing the strap.

JRscooby wrote:
Can of starting fluid works better than strap, but likely to send old women screaming and waving hands.

I've seen that done too, but wasn't about to recommend it.

[JRscooby]

Can of starting fluid works better than strap, but likely to send old women screaming and waving hands.

[BobsYourUncle]

Bobbo wrote:
A strap around the center of the tire with a ratcheting clamp will seat the bead without using air.

This does work, except you gotta put some air in it to hold the beads.
I have used a ratchet strap many times putting a tire back on a rim when just air won't seat the bead.

I have also tied a piece of rope around the tire, insert a tire iron, a flex bar or similar into the rope, making a twist, and then rotate it several times to tighten the rope around the tire. Then hit it with the air chuck.
Another trick is to take the valve core out so the air gets in there faster.

It works!

I used to do all my own tire work a lot of years ago.

[Diamond_c]

Bobby I call B S on that!

[Bobbo]

A strap around the center of the tire with a ratcheting clamp will seat the bead without using air.

[mkirsch]

Had a few minutes today. Getting the bead to seat was the easy part of the job.

[SteveB]

Grit dog wrote:

Unless you replace it with a Colby valve, which are really handy, although quite expensive and IMO, better reserved for emergency repairs.

Colby valve- Now that is neat. Thanks!

[SweetLou]

Grit dog wrote:
The chance it sitting flat, stationary, did any damage is really small, not worth buying a tire if it's only 2 years old. That's just silly.

And no, you cant replace the stem without breaking a bead, although only need to break 1 bead and it doesn't need to go over the rim, so pretty easy driveway fix with a jack, wood block, and your trailer hitch on your truck.

Unless you replace it with a Colby valve, which are really handy, although quite expensive and IMO, better reserved for emergency repairs.

X2

[mkirsch]

JRscooby wrote:
I don't think anybody asking if the tire was ruined would consider breaking their own tire down. And most would not have the ability to deliver the volume of air in the short amount of time needed to seat the bead. So likely he will take wheel and tire to shop. The extra cost to inspect might be worth it for piece of mind.

Well, you'd be wrong on that one. I do most of my own tire work from trailer tires to large tractor tires.

Normally I would just replace the valve stem and go on with my day without a second thought, but then I thought twice. So I asked. A tire guy would say absolutely, you must replace BOTH tires, because they want to sell tires.

[CapriRacer]

valhalla360 wrote:

CapriRacer wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:
.... For starters, I would stop buying antique tires built up with multiple cotton plys. 😉 .....

I'm pretty sure only a few people got that joke!

Probably. Heck even the letter grades are outdated. They give the load ratings in pounds in the modern world and that's what counts.

I think you mean Load Index. The load rating in pounds has been required for over 50 years - when tires came under federal regulation about 1970. Load Ranges were in effect at that time.

And this is where it gets complicated. The Europeans came up with the idea of Load Index, but they still use Ply Rating, not Load Ranges. It's complicated because most tire manufacturers use all 3 on the sidewall (with some exceptions.)

Not to mention that it is also a federal requirement to indicate what the tire is made out of (aside from rubber), so the sidewall will typically say something like: "Sidewall: 2 plies polyester Tread: 2 plies polyester, 2 plies steel, 2 plies polyamide"

[JRscooby]

Grit dog wrote:


And no, you cant replace the stem without breaking a bead, although only need to break 1 bead and it doesn't need to go over the rim, so pretty easy driveway fix with a jack, wood block, and your trailer hitch on your truck.

I don't think anybody asking if the tire was ruined would consider breaking their own tire down. And most would not have the ability to deliver the volume of air in the short amount of time needed to seat the bead. So likely he will take wheel and tire to shop. The extra cost to inspect might be worth it for piece of mind.

[Grit_dog]

The chance it sitting flat, stationary, did any damage is really small, not worth buying a tire if it's only 2 years old. That's just silly.

And no, you cant replace the stem without breaking a bead, although only need to break 1 bead and it doesn't need to go over the rim, so pretty easy driveway fix with a jack, wood block, and your trailer hitch on your truck.

Unless you replace it with a Colby valve, which are really handy, although quite expensive and IMO, better reserved for emergency repairs.