Tire Problems

[avvidclif]

My project for the day was to install the steel valve stems for my TPMS system. My son brought over some ramps made from crossties and we ran the front wheels up on them and took the back tires into town. New stems mounted, balanced, and back home. As a note each tire took about 5.5 oz to balance, opposite the stem. Moved ramps and took in the front tires. Tire guy noticed right off tread separation on one of them, about 12" long. Other one had a flat spot where the tread was about 1/3 the depth of the rest of the tire, probably brake lockup. Anyway 2 new tires later we're back home, the other 2 new tires will be at the dealer on Mon.

Tires were 235/80-16 Load range E Trail Express mfg in 2010 in china, probably had 5,000 miles on them. Replaced with Carlisle in same size. Interestingly enough the Carlisles took about the same amount of weight to balance, 5.5-6.0 oz, it was opposite the steel stem and TPMS monitor. I did have them balanced with the TPMS monitor on the tire.

From reading the history of the chinese trailer tires on the web I was seriously contemplating new tires before we took off for the summer but had decided to not do it yet until I found the separation. The tires are rated 3520lbs each x 4 for 14,080 of carrying capacity and since I know my weight on the trailer tires is 7800lbs I thought they might last. Wrong. The separated tire had 72 lbs of air when replaced and had never been run low.

I just hope the Carlisles do better.

Sigh