Tire mystery

[dynasim]

I don't know for sure, but it sounds like someone used the wrong material or forgot one of the layers in its manufacture. I am a bit suprised this sort of thing doesn't happen often, as tires are very complex, and every layer has a very important role.

I've heard that tires are essentially man-made(not machine), and men make mistakes(or so my wife tells me!).


Chris

 

[JDgreen227]

My 2004 Saturn has an OEM right front tire that is driving me NUTS, it loses about 3 psi a day, and dunking it in a water tank several times has never revealed the leak. Replaced the valve stem, no leak there in the first place but it still leaks new stem and all.

 

[The Haymaker]

NZ Police run over their own road spikes - YouTube

May want ask where the wife has been getting the groceries....

 

[JDgreen227]

Any chance the tire was made with some flaws in the steel tread belt that left exposed wires that abraded the rubber from the inside? Some years back I read a book that described the issue with the Ford Explorers/Firestones (Tragic Indifference?) and it was quite an eye opener when I read about the multiple causes of tire problems and failure.

 

[Bird]

I've had that same problem with a little front tire on a riding lawnmower; just figured I had probably over inflated and stretched it, but I don't know that was what caused it. Never had that problem on a car, truck, or tractor.

 

[zzvyb6]

Its no mystery. Your Pirellis are probably single ply sidewall (Go look on the tire for the sidewall and tread ply count. Perhaps because of low inflation pressure, the breakers at the edge of the sidewall where it meets the tread belts have worn through or delaminated. Probably because of heat.

Your tire pressure sensors may be only telling you there is one tire mispressured to the other 3, not that it shows the absolute pressure of each tire and the one is out of spec.

You have aftermarket tires: built to different specs than an OEM tire. That's why Pirellis are not found on a lot of brand new cars. The single sidewall gives a nice cushy ride, low weight and low cost, though. But not worth the trouble for my particular tire needs.

 

[txdon]

Its no mystery. Your Pirellis are probably single ply sidewall (Go look on the tire for the sidewall and tread ply count. Perhaps because of low inflation pressure, the breakers at the edge of the sidewall where it meets the tread belts have worn through or delaminated. Probably because of heat.

Your tire pressure sensors may be only telling you there is one tire mispressured to the other 3, not that it shows the absolute pressure of each tire and the one is out of spec.

You have aftermarket tires: built to different specs than an OEM tire. That's why Pirellis are not found on a lot of brand new cars. The single sidewall gives a nice cushy ride, low weight and low cost, though. But not worth the trouble for my particular tire needs.

I checked the air in all the tires and they were all at 35psi except the low one which was 24psi.

You're right, the sidewalls are 1 ply polyester. The treaded area where it was leaking is 4 ply - 2 steel, 2 polyester. The two sets of tires that were on there before only lasted 15K each and had multiple flats from the gravel roads. The Pirellis have lasted twice as long and this is the first problem. The Pirellis are a lot stiffer tire than was on the car and they were not that inexpensive at $106 each. I lost 10 mpg when I changed to the heavier stiffer Pirelli tires. What tire would you use on a car for gravel road use?

 

[Western]

Don, I have had great luck with the better Micheline's on my trucks, not sure about a car though.

 

[Bird]

There are so many brands of tires now that I'm not sure how you'd determine which is best. Personally, I haven't even considered anything but Michelin and B.F. Goodrich for a lot of years.

 

[tallyho8]

I lost 10 mpg when I changed to the heavier stiffer Pirelli tires.

WOW! This is hard to believe. Are you sure you have checked mileage correctly?

If I could find a tire that would give me 10 MPG better mileage I would be sure to buy it even if it costs $100 more.