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Another Tire Failure [message #267119] Wed, 03 December 2014 22:00 Go to next message
Carl S. is currently offline  Carl S.   United States
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Registered: January 2009
Location: Tucson, AZ.
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I just had to pull another separated tire off of my coach. This makes the fourth one in s the six and one half years I have owned the coach. This one was a BFG Commercial TA with a date code of 4510, just a little over four years old. The last one was another of the GFGs that was only about three years old. The other two were Kumho's that were on the coach when I bought it, both failed at a similar age to the BFGs. None of these tires showed much, if any wear and had less that 15,000 miles on them. I will try Coopers next, replacing two tomorrow before heading to the GMCSJ rally in Ajo, AZ.

These tires were all on the rear or mid wheel positions. I can't figure out why they are going bad like this. I am very careful about inflation and run them a little hard (65 psi) if anything. Fortunately, none of the four actually blew out. They just started to thump a little and got progressively worse. Upon checking them when I got home, or at the next stop, they all had noticeable out of round spots in the tread.

Am I just unlucky or doing something wrong?


Carl Stouffer '75 ex Palm Beach Tucson, AZ. Chuck Aulgur Reaction Arm Disc Brakes, Quadrabags, 3.70 LSD final drive, Lenzi knuckles/hubs, Dodge Truck 16" X 8" front wheels, Rear American Eagles, Solar battery charging. GMCSJ and GMCMI member
Re: Another Tire Failure [message #267120 is a reply to message #267119] Wed, 03 December 2014 22:39 Go to previous messageGo to next message
roy1 is currently offline  roy1   United States
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Location: Minden nevada
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I would go with unlucky but living in the southern Arizona desert probibly has a lot to do with it. A four year old tire still shouldn't have separation problems. All the tire separation problems I have had over the years have happened in the Southern California and Arizona desert in the summertime but most tires were 6 or more years old and they were all rear tires and most damaged fiberglass.

Roy Keen Minden,NV 76 X Glenbrook
Re: [GMCnet] Another Tire Failure [message #267122 is a reply to message #267119] Wed, 03 December 2014 22:33 Go to previous messageGo to next message
emerystora is currently offline  emerystora   United States
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Registered: January 2004
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Have you considered that perhaps it's not the tires but perhaps an alignment problem.

Many of us are using the BF Goodrich and others are using Kumho tires without the problems you are having You'll probably have the same problems with Coopers.

Better check your shocks and rear alignment.

Emery Stora
77 Kingsley
Frederick, CO


> On Dec 3, 2014, at 9:00 PM, Carl Stouffer wrote:
>
> I just had to pull another separated tire off of my coach. This makes the fourth one in s the six and one half years I have owned the coach. This
> one was a BFG Commercial TA with a date code of 4510, just a little over four years old. The last one was another of the GFGs that was only about
> three years old. The other two were Kumho's that were on the coach when I bought it, both failed at a similar age to the BFGs. None of these tires
> showed much, if any wear and had less that 15,000 miles on them. I will try Coopers next, replacing two tomorrow before heading to the GMCSJ rally in
> Ajo, AZ.
>
> These tires were all on the rear or mid wheel positions. I can't figure out why they are going bad like this. I am very careful about inflation and
> run them a little hard (65 psi) if anything. Fortunately, none of the four actually blew out. They just started to thump a little and got
> progressively worse. Upon checking them when I got home, or at the next stop, they all had noticeable out of round spots in the tread.
>
> Am I just unlucky or doing something wrong?
> --
> Carl Stouffer
> '75 ex Palm Beach
> Tucson, AZ.
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Re: [GMCnet] Another Tire Failure [message #267123 is a reply to message #267119] Wed, 03 December 2014 22:33 Go to previous messageGo to next message
sgltrac is currently offline  sgltrac   United States
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Maybe it's the az heat??

Todd Sullivan

Sully
77 royale
Seattle

> On Dec 3, 2014, at 8:00 PM, Carl Stouffer wrote:
>
> I just had to pull another separated tire off of my coach. This makes the fourth one in s the six and one half years I have owned the coach. This
> one was a BFG Commercial TA with a date code of 4510, just a little over four years old. The last one was another of the GFGs that was only about
> three years old. The other two were Kumho's that were on the coach when I bought it, both failed at a similar age to the BFGs. None of these tires
> showed much, if any wear and had less that 15,000 miles on them. I will try Coopers next, replacing two tomorrow before heading to the GMCSJ rally in
> Ajo, AZ.
>
> These tires were all on the rear or mid wheel positions. I can't figure out why they are going bad like this. I am very careful about inflation and
> run them a little hard (65 psi) if anything. Fortunately, none of the four actually blew out. They just started to thump a little and got
> progressively worse. Upon checking them when I got home, or at the next stop, they all had noticeable out of round spots in the tread.
>
> Am I just unlucky or doing something wrong?
> --
> Carl Stouffer
> '75 ex Palm Beach
> Tucson, AZ.
> _______________________________________________
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Sully 77 Royale basket case. Future motorhome land speed record holder(bucket list) Seattle, Wa.
Re: [GMCnet] Another Tire Failure [message #267126 is a reply to message #267119] Thu, 04 December 2014 01:30 Go to previous messageGo to next message
USAussie is currently offline  USAussie   United States
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Location: Sydney, Australia
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Carl,

Where do you store your GMC?

If it is outside do you cover the tires to shield them from sunlight?

Regards,
Rob M.
The Pedantic Mechanic
USAussie - Downunder
USA '75 Avion - Double Trouble TZE365V100426
AUS '75 Avion - The Blue Streak TZE365V100428

-----Original Message-----
From: Carl Stouffer

I just had to pull another separated tire off of my coach. This makes the fourth one in s the six and one half years I have owned
the coach. This one was a BFG Commercial TA with a date code of 4510, just a little over four years old. The last one was another
of the GFGs that was only about three years old. The other two were Kumho's that were on the coach when I bought it, both failed at
a similar age to the BFGs. None of these tires showed much, if any wear and had less that 15,000 miles on them. I will try Coopers
next, replacing two tomorrow before heading to the GMCSJ rally in Ajo, AZ.

These tires were all on the rear or mid wheel positions. I can't figure out why they are going bad like this. I am very careful
about inflation and run them a little hard (65 psi) if anything. Fortunately, none of the four actually blew out. They just
started to thump a little and got progressively worse. Upon checking them when I got home, or at the next stop, they all had
noticeable out of round spots in the tread.

Am I just unlucky or doing something wrong?
--
Carl

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Regards, Rob M. (USAussie) The Pedantic Mechanic Sydney, Australia '75 Avion - AUS - The Blue Streak TZE365V100428 '75 Avion - USA - Double Trouble TZE365V100426
Re: [GMCnet] Another Tire Failure [message #267131 is a reply to message #267119] Thu, 04 December 2014 06:27 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Ken Henderson is currently offline  Ken Henderson   United States
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Registered: March 2004
Location: Americus, GA
Karma: 9
Senior Member
Carl,

I'm becoming more and more convinced that such failures are not unique to
the GMC. In September I had a Cooper replaced on the Honda CRV because it
had become noisy -- I suspect from pending tread separation. Fact, is, I
just yesterday got around to paying for that replacement, for which Cooper
did provide some coverage after about a year and 6000 miles. As light
weight and well aligned as the Honda is, I can't attribute any blame for
the failure to it.

While on the separation subject: Several years ago I had a nearly-new set
of tires on the GMC when I headed to Oshkosh for the EAA convention. I
also had a new IR temperature gun which I was religiously using to check
those tires. As I entered Indianapolis, I stopped for gas and found all
the temps normal. Before I got to the other side of town, on the
interstate, one of the tires began to rumble. Spotting a tire store, I
went there and had them check the cause. One of those tires was
separating! I had NO temperature indication of the impending failure. So
now I don't really expect separation to be a long-developing problem, and
am no longer very dedicated to checking temperatures. I just keep the
pressures up and hope any failures don't do too much fiberglass damage.
I've been lucky at that for the past 80,000+ miles and two failures.

Ken H.

On Wed, Dec 3, 2014 at 11:00 PM, Carl Stouffer wrote:

> I just had to pull another separated tire off of my coach. This makes the
> fourth one in s the six and one half years I have owned the coach. This
> one was a BFG Commercial TA with a date code of 4510, just a little over
> four years old. The last one was another of the GFGs that was only about
> three years old. The other two were Kumho's that were on the coach when I
> bought it, both failed at a similar age to the BFGs. None of these tires
> showed much, if any wear and had less that 15,000 miles on them. I will
> try Coopers next, replacing two tomorrow before heading to the GMCSJ rally
> in
> Ajo, AZ.
>
> These tires were all on the rear or mid wheel positions. I can't figure
> out why they are going bad like this. I am very careful about inflation and
> run them a little hard (65 psi) if anything. Fortunately, none of the
> four actually blew out. They just started to thump a little and got
> progressively worse. Upon checking them when I got home, or at the next
> stop, they all had noticeable out of round spots in the tread.
>
> Am I just unlucky or doing something wrong?
> --
>
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Ken Henderson
Americus, GA
www.gmcwipersetc.com
Large Wiring Diagrams
76 X-Birchaven
76 X-Palm Beach
Re: [GMCnet] Another Tire Failure [message #267135 is a reply to message #267131] Thu, 04 December 2014 07:35 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Jim at the Co-op is currently offline  Jim at the Co-op   United States
Messages: 291
Registered: May 2014
Location: Orlando Florida
Karma: 2
Senior Member
You said the date code was 4510, you know that tire would be very close to
illegal to sell in Europe. Sitting around is also terrible for our
motorhome in general including the tires. I don't see your issue is the
brand of tire rather the age and how they just sat around. This is a real
issue, I see it all the time...

On Thu, Dec 4, 2014 at 7:27 AM, Ken Henderson
wrote:

> Carl,
>
> I'm becoming more and more convinced that such failures are not unique to
> the GMC. In September I had a Cooper replaced on the Honda CRV because it
> had become noisy -- I suspect from pending tread separation. Fact, is, I
> just yesterday got around to paying for that replacement, for which Cooper
> did provide some coverage after about a year and 6000 miles. As light
> weight and well aligned as the Honda is, I can't attribute any blame for
> the failure to it.
>
> While on the separation subject: Several years ago I had a nearly-new set
> of tires on the GMC when I headed to Oshkosh for the EAA convention. I
> also had a new IR temperature gun which I was religiously using to check
> those tires. As I entered Indianapolis, I stopped for gas and found all
> the temps normal. Before I got to the other side of town, on the
> interstate, one of the tires began to rumble. Spotting a tire store, I
> went there and had them check the cause. One of those tires was
> separating! I had NO temperature indication of the impending failure. So
> now I don't really expect separation to be a long-developing problem, and
> am no longer very dedicated to checking temperatures. I just keep the
> pressures up and hope any failures don't do too much fiberglass damage.
> I've been lucky at that for the past 80,000+ miles and two failures.
>
> Ken H.
>
> On Wed, Dec 3, 2014 at 11:00 PM, Carl Stouffer wrote:
>
>> I just had to pull another separated tire off of my coach. This makes
> the
>> fourth one in s the six and one half years I have owned the coach. This
>> one was a BFG Commercial TA with a date code of 4510, just a little over
>> four years old. The last one was another of the GFGs that was only about
>> three years old. The other two were Kumho's that were on the coach when
> I
>> bought it, both failed at a similar age to the BFGs. None of these tires
>> showed much, if any wear and had less that 15,000 miles on them. I will
>> try Coopers next, replacing two tomorrow before heading to the GMCSJ
> rally
>> in
>> Ajo, AZ.
>>
>> These tires were all on the rear or mid wheel positions. I can't figure
>> out why they are going bad like this. I am very careful about inflation
> and
>> run them a little hard (65 psi) if anything. Fortunately, none of the
>> four actually blew out. They just started to thump a little and got
>> progressively worse. Upon checking them when I got home, or at the next
>> stop, they all had noticeable out of round spots in the tread.
>>
>> Am I just unlucky or doing something wrong?
>> --
>>
> _______________________________________________
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>
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Re: Another Tire Failure [message #267136 is a reply to message #267119] Thu, 04 December 2014 08:04 Go to previous messageGo to next message
lqqkatjon is currently offline  lqqkatjon   United States
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Location: St. Cloud, MN
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Senior Member
Not sure I would say that Carl's coach sits around much, I always like seeing his camping pictures all the time. I would guess just luck, and possibly the arizona sun.

I think is most problems these days are with luck, and being brand loyal I think is no longer a guarantee on quality. We run plenty of those BFG commercials at work, and I know when we had all that work in Arizona, we were just buying tires all the time. Our problem is the guy don't know what a tread separation feels like, so almost all of our tires failures blew out. I attribute that to the heat down there.

I don't like to recommend brands anymore, because about the time you get something good, the manufactures change something. I just have that problem with cordless drills. I used to buy Dewalt, but the first batch of lithium sucked. so I went to milwaulkee, had great luck for about 3-4 years, now this year I have a 5 gallon bucket full of burnt up milwaulkee drills, so now I am back to the dewalt 20v.





Jon Roche 75 palm beach EBL EFI, manny headers, Micro Level, rebuilt most of coach now. St. Cloud, MN http://lqqkatjon.blogspot.com/
Re: Another Tire Failure [message #267137 is a reply to message #267136] Thu, 04 December 2014 08:41 Go to previous messageGo to next message
tphipps is currently offline  tphipps   United States
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Registered: August 2004
Location: Spanish Fort, AL
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Senior Member
Not really related to tire separation, but I think that your tire pressure is too high. Need to weight the coach at each wheel, then check the tire manufacturer's recommendation for that tire at that weight.
The high temperatures in AZ and the very hot road bed will raise the tire pressure.
I run 55 in the rear set.
Tom, MS II


2012 Phoenix Cruiser model 2552 KA4CSG
Re: Another Tire Failure [message #267139 is a reply to message #267136] Thu, 04 December 2014 08:47 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Carl S. is currently offline  Carl S.   United States
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Registered: January 2009
Location: Tucson, AZ.
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Senior Member

I do store the coach outside without the tires being covered, but the latest failure and at least one of the others, was on the north side of the coach and hardly ever sees any sun. I generally use the coach almost every month for some sort of trip, less in the summer than the winter. The shocks are KYBs and the right ones are new, the left ones are older but still good. The tires don't show any abnormal wear on them, and I have the sway bar type (Chuck Aulgur) reaction arm system, which keeps the tires in relatively good alignment.

In every case, I noticed a vibration, but never had the tire blow out, only "bubble" in the tread area. I guess four year old tires are not what they used to be. My mechanic friend says he has heard, from contacts in the tire business, that BFG tires are not holding up as well as they used to. They seem to be "loosing the petroleum" faster than other brands. That seems funny to me since BFG tires are now a Micheline brand.


Carl Stouffer '75 ex Palm Beach Tucson, AZ. Chuck Aulgur Reaction Arm Disc Brakes, Quadrabags, 3.70 LSD final drive, Lenzi knuckles/hubs, Dodge Truck 16" X 8" front wheels, Rear American Eagles, Solar battery charging. GMCSJ and GMCMI member
Re: Another Tire Failure [message #267143 is a reply to message #267139] Thu, 04 December 2014 10:55 Go to previous messageGo to next message
geogmc   United States
Messages: 4
Registered: September 2014
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Junior Member
I would start to closely monitor and log tire pressures and maybe more importantly temperatures. that many failures does suggest something else may be involved and if there is the temps and pressures should give more clues as to what it is.

would also try michelins next.

[Updated on: Thu, 04 December 2014 10:56]

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Re: Another Tire Failure [message #267147 is a reply to message #267137] Thu, 04 December 2014 12:35 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Carl S. is currently offline  Carl S.   United States
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Registered: January 2009
Location: Tucson, AZ.
Karma: 13
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tphipps wrote on Thu, 04 December 2014 07:41
Not really related to tire separation, but I think that your tire pressure is too high. Need to weight the coach at each wheel, then check the tire manufacturer's recommendation for that tire at that weight.
The high temperatures in AZ and the very hot road bed will raise the tire pressure.
I run 55 in the rear set.
Tom, MS II



I had the coach weighed in Pueblo at the GMCMI convention. Each of the six tires was within 150 lbs of having 2,000 lbs weight on them. I normally run them at 65 psi, 70, when towing my trailer (one trip per year in November) . I have never heard of slight over-inflation causing high tire temperatures. Usually that is due to under-inflation. On this occasion, the outside air temp was about 75. Pavement temps were less than body temperature.


Carl Stouffer '75 ex Palm Beach Tucson, AZ. Chuck Aulgur Reaction Arm Disc Brakes, Quadrabags, 3.70 LSD final drive, Lenzi knuckles/hubs, Dodge Truck 16" X 8" front wheels, Rear American Eagles, Solar battery charging. GMCSJ and GMCMI member
Re: Another Tire Failure [message #267148 is a reply to message #267139] Thu, 04 December 2014 12:36 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Bob de Kruyff   United States
Messages: 4260
Registered: January 2004
Location: Chandler, AZ
Karma: 1
Senior Member
Carl S. wrote on Thu, 04 December 2014 07:47
I do store the coach outside without the tires being covered, but the latest failure and at least one of the others, was on the north side of the coach and hardly ever sees any sun. I generally use the coach almost every month for some sort of trip, less in the summer than the winter. The shocks are KYBs and the right ones are new, the left ones are older but still good. The tires don't show any abnormal wear on them, and I have the sway bar type (Chuck Aulgur) reaction arm system, which keeps the tires in relatively good alignment.

In every case, I noticed a vibration, but never had the tire blow out, only "bubble" in the tread area. I guess four year old tires are not what they used to be. My mechanic friend says he has heard, from contacts in the tire business, that BFG tires are not holding up as well as they used to. They seem to be "loosing the petroleum" faster than other brands. That seems funny to me since BFG tires are now a Micheline brand.

Carl, I run BFG T/A's in the AZ heat and haven't had any issues but I don't think I drive as much as you. I suspect mine are 5 or 6 years old now, but mine does sit in a covered spot. However, based on my work experience with our fleet, the industry as a whole seems to be experiencing this type of issue. Personally I think the root cause goes all the way back to the suppliers of raw material for the tire manufacturers. BTW I also run 65 psi in the rears.


Bob de Kruyff
78 Eleganza
Chandler, AZ

[Updated on: Thu, 04 December 2014 12:37]

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Re: Another Tire Failure [message #267153 is a reply to message #267139] Thu, 04 December 2014 14:25 Go to previous messageGo to next message
roy1 is currently offline  roy1   United States
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Registered: July 2004
Location: Minden nevada
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Carl S. wrote on Thu, 04 December 2014 06:47
I do store the coach outside without the tires being covered, but the latest failure and at least one of the others, was on the north side of the coach and hardly ever sees any sun. I generally use the coach almost every month for some sort of trip, less in the summer than the winter. The shocks are KYBs and the right ones are new, the left ones are older but still good. The tires don't show any abnormal wear on them, and I have the sway bar type (Chuck Aulgur) reaction arm system, which keeps the tires in relatively good alignment.

In every case, I noticed a vibration, but never had the tire blow out, only "bubble" in the tread area. I guess four year old tires are not what they used to be. My mechanic friend says he has heard, from contacts in the tire business, that BFG tires are not holding up as well as they used to. They seem to be "loosing the petroleum" faster than other brands. That seems funny to me since BFG tires are now a Micheline brand.


A number of years ago Michelin had a bad run of tires . I had 3 that had ply separation before their time . For this reason I stopped buying Michelin.


Roy Keen Minden,NV 76 X Glenbrook
Re: Another Tire Failure [message #267154 is a reply to message #267153] Thu, 04 December 2014 15:00 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Bob de Kruyff   United States
Messages: 4260
Registered: January 2004
Location: Chandler, AZ
Karma: 1
Senior Member
roy1 wrote on Thu, 04 December 2014 13:25
Carl S. wrote on Thu, 04 December 2014 06:47
I do store the coach outside without the tires being covered, but the latest failure and at least one of the others, was on the north side of the coach and hardly ever sees any sun. I generally use the coach almost every month for some sort of trip, less in the summer than the winter. The shocks are KYBs and the right ones are new, the left ones are older but still good. The tires don't show any abnormal wear on them, and I have the sway bar type (Chuck Aulgur) reaction arm system, which keeps the tires in relatively good alignment.

In every case, I noticed a vibration, but never had the tire blow out, only "bubble" in the tread area. I guess four year old tires are not what they used to be. My mechanic friend says he has heard, from contacts in the tire business, that BFG tires are not holding up as well as they used to. They seem to be "loosing the petroleum" faster than other brands. That seems funny to me since BFG tires are now a Micheline brand.


A number of years ago Michelin had a bad run of tires . I had 3 that had ply separation before their time . For this reason I stopped buying Michelin.

Imagine what it was like having 80,000 of them !


Bob de Kruyff
78 Eleganza
Chandler, AZ
Re: Another Tire Failure [message #267168 is a reply to message #267148] Thu, 04 December 2014 20:18 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Carl S. is currently offline  Carl S.   United States
Messages: 4186
Registered: January 2009
Location: Tucson, AZ.
Karma: 13
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Bob de Kruyff wrote on Thu, 04 December 2014 11:36
Carl S. wrote on Thu, 04 December 2014 07:47
I do store the coach outside without the tires being covered, but the latest failure and at least one of the others, was on the north side of the coach and hardly ever sees any sun. I generally use the coach almost every month for some sort of trip, less in the summer than the winter. The shocks are KYBs and the right ones are new, the left ones are older but still good. The tires don't show any abnormal wear on them, and I have the sway bar type (Chuck Aulgur) reaction arm system, which keeps the tires in relatively good alignment.

In every case, I noticed a vibration, but never had the tire blow out, only "bubble" in the tread area. I guess four year old tires are not what they used to be. My mechanic friend says he has heard, from contacts in the tire business, that BFG tires are not holding up as well as they used to. They seem to be "loosing the petroleum" faster than other brands. That seems funny to me since BFG tires are now a Micheline brand.


Carl, I run BFG T/A's in the AZ heat and haven't had any issues but I don't think I drive as much as you. I suspect mine are 5 or 6 years old now, but mine does sit in a covered spot. However, based on my work experience with our fleet, the industry as a whole seems to be experiencing this type of issue. Personally I think the root cause goes all the way back to the suppliers of raw material for the tire manufacturers. BTW I also run 65 psi in the rears.


I think you're right Bob. I'm hearing the same thing, plus there have been rumors that rubber is not as good quality as it has been in the past. It makes sense as worldwide demand for tires has certainly increased over the past decade or so.

I guess using the coach ten months out of the year for a weekend trip (or longer some months) DOES mean that it sits quite a bit. It certainly doesn't get as much exercise as my daily driver.

Carl S, at the GMCSJ Christmas rally in beautiful AJO, AZ.


Carl Stouffer '75 ex Palm Beach Tucson, AZ. Chuck Aulgur Reaction Arm Disc Brakes, Quadrabags, 3.70 LSD final drive, Lenzi knuckles/hubs, Dodge Truck 16" X 8" front wheels, Rear American Eagles, Solar battery charging. GMCSJ and GMCMI member
Re: [GMCnet] Another Tire Failure [message #267235 is a reply to message #267168] Sat, 06 December 2014 10:21 Go to previous messageGo to next message
GMC.LES is currently offline  GMC.LES   United States
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On Dec 4, 2014, at 9:18 PM, Carl Stouffer wrote:

> rumors that rubber is not as good quality as it has been in the past.


With today's level of technical knowledge, I wouldn't be surprised if the tire manufacturers are intentionally designing tires with shorter life spans. Combine that with tighter regulations requiring the use of recycled materials, sourcing/pricing of virgin raw materials, and future tire longevity may not be what we saw in the past. Some road hazard warranties being offered now also include a time limitation, so the industry is aware of what is happening, and is adjusting to the situation.

Designing a defined lifespan into a product has been part of most large scale manufacturing processes for a long time. They just keep getting better at it as new technology becomes available. Since we, the consumers, are the guinea pigs, we will occasionally encounter some bad products as well as some really good ones. Most manufacturers want to avoid both extremes and aim for somewhere in the middle.

The trend is already at the point where typical product lifespan is 4-5 years and few items last more than a decade. It creates jobs, and supports the never ending quest for more profits. I wonder where the next 20-30 years will take us?

Les Burt
Montreal
1975 Eleganza 26ft
A work in Progress
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Re: [GMCnet] Another Tire Failure [message #267236 is a reply to message #267235] Sat, 06 December 2014 10:38 Go to previous message
Bob de Kruyff   United States
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Location: Chandler, AZ
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Les Burt[1
wrote on Sat, 06 December 2014 09:21]On Dec 4, 2014, at 9:18 PM, Carl Stouffer wrote:

> rumors that rubber is not as good quality as it has been in the past.


With today's level of technical knowledge, I wouldn't be surprised if the tire manufacturers are intentionally designing tires with shorter life spans. Combine that with tighter regulations requiring the use of recycled materials, sourcing/pricing of virgin raw materials, and future tire longevity may not be what we saw in the past. Some road hazard warranties being offered now also include a time limitation, so the industry is aware of what is happening, and is adjusting to the situation.

Designing a defined lifespan into a product has been part of most large scale manufacturing processes for a long time. They just keep getting better at it as new technology becomes available. Since we, the consumers, are the guinea pigs, we will occasionally encounter some bad products as well as some really good ones. Most manufacturers want to avoid both extremes and aim for somewhere in the middle.

The trend is already at the point where typical product lifespan is 4-5 years and few items last more than a decade. It creates jobs, and supports the never ending quest for more profits. I wonder where the next 20-30 years will take us?

Les Burt
Montreal
1975 Eleganza 26ft
A work in Progress
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I work with these guys pretty closely and I think just the opposite is true at the final manufacturing level. However, there are issues at the raw material side and there are also pressures to reduce mass and improve rolling resistance. There really are some good advances in the construction and quality control side even though it doesn't always look that way. It's not unusual for a premium tire to last upto 70,000 miles these days.


Bob de Kruyff
78 Eleganza
Chandler, AZ
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