Tire Experts Please Weigh In

"SBA Thanks You For All The Fish" (santabarbarianlsx) 06/11/2020 at 12:12 • Filed to: None

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How many of those plug patches will I need on this one?

Trailer Tire blowout on the I-8 west of Gila Bend the other day. Looks like a road hazard shrapnel tear in the sidewall blew it out. I’d never seen the tread remain completely intact— and in fact it was all wrapped around the inner axle, and it quickly started to smoke.

It was hot, but not outrageously so, that day. But I did see almost a half-dozen utility trailers with tire issues during a long day of freeway driving to the desert.

dogisbadob > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish 06/11/2020 at 12:22

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Firestone? :p

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > dogisbadob 06/11/2020 at 12:27

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I thought it was an “OK” grade tire... but...

Lately I’ve gone to “10 ply or better” because it sucks to be changing tires on a loaded trailer next to the I-10 in 115 heat.

Azrek > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish 06/11/2020 at 12:35

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Gonna be a wildcard and say 1 patch should be enough! 

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Azrek 06/11/2020 at 12:38

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Maybe just a spray can of that foamy stuff?

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish 06/11/2020 at 12:39

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No patches, just lots of the silvery stuff

Azrek > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish 06/11/2020 at 12:40

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I think that would require a tire stem and I don’t see it? 

This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja: > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish 06/11/2020 at 12:40

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I think I know what happened...

Nom De Plume > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish 06/11/2020 at 12:43

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Nice retread.  Maybe get some sidewall on the next one.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Azrek 06/11/2020 at 12:46

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Yeah, this is the hub face side.  I’ll find out how the stem is when I mount a new (10-ply) on it this afternoon.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Nom De Plume 06/11/2020 at 12:52

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yeah, the whole thing was wrapped around the axle... I’m stunned it didn’t flip off the wheel the other direction and join all the other retread pieces on I-8.

I had some epic smoke going, BTW, before I got it off to the side. REALLY smoking. It’s like “oh shit, I don’t mind my trailer burning but I’m gonna feel bad for the new project car... and EXTRA bad for my tow rig...”

So, yes, I got off very very lucky.

Nom De Plume > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish 06/11/2020 at 13:00

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How much heat damage was done to the grease and bearings on that side of the trailer?

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish 06/11/2020 at 13:09

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Yes.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Nom De Plume 06/11/2020 at 13:10

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You know, that’s a GREAT point. I haven’t pulled it yet— it’s a nice 3500# Dexter axle— but it did boil a bit of grease out through the fitting.

It “feels” good, but it did get damn hot.

I threw the wheel, which was blazing hot, into the project car trunk.  Eventually.  But it was close to being a conflagration.  

Nom De Plume > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish 06/11/2020 at 13:32

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Corrosion and a few other unsightly things usually go hand in hand with this scenario.  Grease is great until it and the item it is supposed to lubricate get that hot and chemically change each other.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Nom De Plume 06/11/2020 at 13:44

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Before my next project/rally trip I will completely re-pack it. The tow rig always carries a spare bearing and a spare bearing to back up the spare bearing...

At minimum this shit teaches you to be prepared for most anything.

Jb boin > This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja: 06/11/2020 at 14:54

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Jb boin > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish 06/11/2020 at 15:02

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This is what happens when you forget to put oil on the gasket !

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind 06/11/2020 at 20:29

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Hey, what DOES happen when you JB Weld a few layers to the rim and keep going????

Old-Busted-Hotness > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish 06/11/2020 at 21:40

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Trailers sit outside for months just soakin’ up those UV rays, nobody ever checks pressure and the tires are always the cheapest available. Flat-spotting (especially if the p re ssure is low) makes it worse as the flexed sidewall exposes some inner rubber to the UV. Then you get extra heat in the tire from the flat spots working themselves out as you drive. Trailer tires have a tough life. It’s pretty rare to see one actually wear out the tread.