Bumpy ride......

[Bilgewiper]

On the way to taking my kids to school the truck started bumping around too much. Tread seperation I guess from being rotated backwards (bought used, couldn't tell which way they had been run before). A hour or so after taking this picture it blew up on it's own sitting in the sun.

[Randy70C-10]

Wow, never seen that before. Crazy!

[Longhorn Man]

been there... I hate getting used tires.
Funny thing is, pretty much all the tire companies say it is OK to rotate from side to side.

[O'l Buck]

I've seen it several times on semi trucks, but never on a passenger vehicle.

[Bilgewiper]

Besides the blowout in the first picture yesterday on my 71' C-10, I had this one last week on my 98' Chevy Express van. This one I had to the Michelin dealer before it happend and they said "yes it has a problem" but since I bought it at Costco they wouldn't warrentee it. It blew before I could get it to Costco. But luckily they replaced it and the other one that had the same problem starting. I bought them new and they were never rotated backwords and always had 40+lbs in them. Manufactures defect I think, but Costco argued with that telling me I just didn't rotate them enough. Oh well................

[Bilgewiper]

To: O'L Buck......I see you have a 71 Cobalt listed in your signature. I used to have this one back in the early 80's. Alot of fun memories except for when this picture was taken because we were loading back up from a weekend, boat -in -camp with all of our gear, dog and everbody in the picture including the photographer because we blew fwd. gear and had to backup in reverse for 4 miles to get to the launch ramp. We were the last ones on the lake at there was no one to two us back. Reverse for 4 miles was no fun weighted down like we were. Mine was a 72' with a MC 302 Ford............Memories..........Oh yea the trailer under that boat lost a tread too, taking out the lights with it.......i've had so many blowouts in my life it's scary! LOL

[Bilgewiper]

Oops, this one

[Palf70Step]

I've seen that way too many times down here in the south....espescially with Firestones. I rotate mine like the recommend nowdays, side to side and all and have no trubs. Most of the time I think it is purely the tire design/build.

[Bilgewiper]

Yep, that first one was a Firestone.......good eye

[Blue68]

Bilgewiper,
Dude, you need to recheck your pressures!!!! The recommended pressure for your van is probably 32psi if that. Read the sidewall of your tire to see the maximum pressure, some are NOT even 40 psi for the MAX. If you go 40+ and the temperature rises the tire isn't going to last very long, obviously. With the weather getting warmer, your pressure can go up by 5psi just sitting out in the sun, not to mention the heat from driving.

[Bilgewiper]

The Michelins on the van were 50lbs max I ran 41 lbs what the van says in the door jam. I know, 41 lbs is a odd number but thats what it says..............I double checked before I took them back to Costco so they wouldn't blame me for that too.

[MandarinSixSeven]

No van that size has less than a C load rated tire would be my guess, which is rated for 50psi max. 40 is the average psi for a rating like that, maybe a bit higher (42-44). There is no way anyone would want a B load range tire on there with 35 max psi as they just cant handle heavy loads, like the weight of an express van.

As far as the separated tire goes, I've seen many tires do such things and I know that we never put the tires rotating the opposite way for just such reasons...but when they don't mark the direction and then sell them used it's kinda hard to tell...thats too bad.

[Blue68]

The GVWR of a G1500 is 7100lb in passenger van makeup. Well within most P metric tires that will fit the P235/75R15 size. (7100/4=1775lb per)

Now if you want to step up to the LT tires, you are correct on the 50psi. This of course will be the LT235/75R15.

Trick is, Costco sells their Michelin X Radial LT which is avilable in both P-Metric and LT guises. (and which I'm guessing is in the picture)

Depending on which one you got, 40 is well above the max, or it is within specs.

Note: This all assumes the G1500. All this is wrong for the G2500 or G3500. These both REQUIRE LT tires based on the higher GVWR of 8200lb+.

[PHOENIX]

My wheels are different size front to back so I never rotate
Never had a problem yet, tires wear somewhat evenly for the most part. No complaints to be honest.

[Bilgewiper]

They were the X Radial LT which is a load range C Which has 50lbs Max. When I went to a Michelin dealer they could tell, with out me telling them that I bought from them Costco. But they wouldn't honor Michelin's warreenntee (sp?) saying that the tire they sell has different tread pattern than what gets sold to Costco even though the rest of the tire is the same. He thought Michelin put a deffective pattern on Costco tires. I Talked to Costco about it and they flatly denied it. (but they did replace them) Also did a Internet search for recalls with these tires, found none, but did find a whole bunch of other people who were caught like me not being able to get service on tires bought from Costco anywhere else but Costco.

[low 84]

i've seen hundreds (literaly ) of tires similarly separated. most aren't as severe. im my expireance that is almost certainly due to manufacturer defect. not from being rotated side to side.

[Class of 69]

I've always rotated radials side to side. Any separation problems, such as the pictures on here is due to defects, or too low a pressure. I personally believe major manufacturors sell seconds to stores such as Costco among others, and have an agreement with them that there is no "manufacturor" warrenty.. therefore I only buy tires from the name brand store. My experience in the tire business says Bilgewipers blow out on the van is from overheating due to overloading or too low pressure. He's very lucky the tread didn't let go completely, or there would have been body damage also. The bulge on the wide base tire is most likely due to a puncture some where in the inner liner, either from an old patch that didn't seal, or a new hole he wasn't aware of. The air got under the liner, found a weak spot, and separated the plies.