Different Tire Issue (I think)

[Dave_H_M]

I am on my second F250. Can't give details (weights etc)on the first one. This one came with General Grabber HST LT 245/75R 17 LR E. Max wt 3195lb. Other one had General Grabber LR E also.

On the first one, I was cruising down the road and one of the rears went off like a shotgun. Fifth wheel was about the same as the one I have now.

Current vehicle, last winter when buzzing around Charleston SC, The rear got squirrely. TP was 80 psi. Ply separation on left rear, but was able to hobble in and get spare on. On this truck, I have had it on the scales. The rear tires are a tad over 500 lbs to spare before being at max weight recommendation. Tire had 70!% tread left.

I am getting kinda gun shy about hitting the road this winter. Just me.

What do you think?

Other bad experiences with grabbers?

Should i put something else on the rear?

Chalk it off to just my luck?

etc?

[pnichols]

BFL13 wrote:
Phil, if you use "taller" tires than originals, it reduces the pulling power.

That doesn't apply to the tires on a towable. Bigger diameter tires on tow trailers and 5th wheels makes for each portion of the tread contacting the road surface less and for each section of the sidewall to bend less. Less tread contact per mile reduces tread wear per mile and reduces heat from tread flexing per mile. Less bending of each section of sidewall per mile reduces heat from the sidewall material flexing per mile. Both of these effects together add up to less heating of the entire tire per revolution.

Regarding taller drive tires on self-powered RV's ("motorhomes"), of course with a lot of tire diameter increase over stock one would need to use a lower gear to achieve the same pulling power on grades or when wanting to maintain acceleration at any given rate. However, all the time while this is going on less heat is being generated within the tire material due to the lesser revolutions of larger diameter tires.

For our particular small motorhome on it's overkill chassis - the lower rear differential ratio (over the normally used chassis) delivers all the needed pulling power even with larger diameter drive tires. Due to the differential's gearing, I don't need to use lower transmission gears for pulling power or better acceleraton even though the tires are taller.

If we were using a towable RV, I wouldn't use taller tires on the tow vehicle. I'd only use taller tires on the trailer or 5th wheel to reduce the danger of their tires failing from excessive heat generation mile after mile - especially blowouts, which are very dangerous on a trailer or 5th wheel.

[ernie1]

I've gone through 2 Toyo Open Country tires that came apart after 30,000 miles. The worst part was talking to the smart assed chick at the corporate office for Toyo. I won't go into details but will say that these are the very last Toyo's for me. They have cost me plenty!!

[BFL13]

Phil, if you use "taller" tires than originals, it reduces the pulling power.

[pnichols]

What I'm absolutely sure of is the faster that tires rotate in any ambient temperature, the more heat they generate, and more heat they generate the sooner they fail.

That's why I have tried to use larger than stock diameter tires over the years on many of our vehicles. Right now our pickup has way larger than stock diameter tires on it and our motorhome has larger than stock diameter tires on it.

It's no wonder to me that towables often have tire problems in hot weather ... the tires on many of them look a bit too "small" to me! The heat generated from sidewall deflection due to excessive revolutions has got to take an extra heavy toll in hot weather!

[MEXICOWANDERER]

I second the motion. New 1000x20 tires are words apart from regular RV tires but look at the recap debris on any freeway during a hot spell. Even big rig tires hate heat. Having ten tires under me to spread the load is magic. Cuts fuel mileage but I have seen asphalt bubble up north. Yikes.

[CJW8]

RJsfishin wrote:
Maybe don't blame the tires!

IMO, the worst thing is not knowing a tire's history.

But I do know that tires that have been run a lot in very hot weather, loaded w/ even 1/2 their rated capacity, can....and very likely will live a very short life. In past years, I've had a lot of experience w/ tires run is hot weather, and it hasn't been good. To this day, I am reluctant to drive any trailer....motorhome in really hot weather. It has paid off, trust me.

Agreed! I see it all over southern AZ in the summer. Tire debris everywhere in the roadway. Sometimes the tire survives but the damage is done and the tire finally gives up when you are in Colorado at a cool 60 degrees making you think it couldn't have been the heat.

[RJsfishin]

Maybe don't blame the tires!

IMO, the worst thing is not knowing a tire's history.

But I do know that tires that have been run a lot in very hot weather, loaded w/ even 1/2 their rated capacity, can....and very likely will live a very short life. In past years, I've had a lot of experience w/ tires run is hot weather, and it hasn't been good. To this day, I am reluctant to drive any trailer....motorhome in really hot weather. It has paid off, trust me.

[Dave_H_M]

Folks, I appreciate the meaningful input and will not wallow around in the muck with someone who chose to get nasty and hijack this thread.

If someone has anything further in relation to the OP, I would appreciate it.

Thanks

[Dtank]

Old-Biscuit wrote:

westend wrote:
I run Bridgestone's (same co as Michelin) and am getting 60K mi.+. The truck is either towing a trailer or loaded with tools and equipment (or both).

Got Bridgestone confused with BF Goodrich

Bridgestone....Japanese Company

Michelin.......French Company....which owns Uniroyal and BF Goodrich

So - - Michelin owns/flies the Blimps?..:@

.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Yep there's an echo in here!

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Hooooooose on first?

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Hooooooose on first?

[BFL13]

Dave H M wrote:
BLF, I don't know what you ate or lunch. :h

you talking about someone else maybe, or replied to the wrong post.

You are even out in left field on what kinda go juice my truck burns. :R

Yes, I ASSumed a 6.2 was a Diesel. But then I did ask for the actual wts etc which would have cleared that up. The trailer specs I looked up and found about 10,000 dry with 1,800 dry hitch and about 12.8 loaded GVWR so I picked 12.5.

You said you were on the scales so what were the numbers (truck loaded for camping with people, hitch, full tank, etc) and what are the truck specs? Then we will all know what the wt on the tires is compared with the tire ratings. You said 500lbs under, but that seems unlikely based on my own weights, so I would like to know where you got that 500 under from. Once I see that, I will eat my hat as need be.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

I am 3-4 years over limit according to my family's pathetic average longevity.

That bus has a 38,000 lb GVW ten wheels remember?

Not even with a magnifying glass can I see axial micro-cracking near the wheel rim. If a rear blows I'll let the other seven hold up the bus while I pull over. The machine has power in the steering hydraulics that allow me to crank the steering wheel stopped with one finger. The boys recap their tires till the cows come home. 10.00 X 20" load range G is a real tire not a rag playtoy. Being in deep shade is like having SPF one million against UV. the vehicle is on twenty tons worth of jack stands.

Next time you get a fetish about old tires swing on away from that big rig that has four rounds of recapping on the driver axles and trailer. When they were brand new Reagan was in office.