More Marathon tire failures - Page 16

**Bill** · 08-17-2007, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShrimpBurrito

Bill,

Are those new wheels 14" or 15"? Do they fit on the original hubs?

New 15" wheels, painted white, just like the original TM wheels except they lack the blue and red stripes. They are stamped 2600 pounds. Yes, they fit the original hubs. Apparently 5 lugs on a 4.5" bolt circle is a standard size. $35 each.

The original TM wheels are 6 inches wide. The Marathons will fit on either 6-inch or 7-inch wide wheels, and the tire guy gave me the choice of either. Given the problems that RockyMtnRay had with 7-inch wheels, I stuck with the original width.

As we have all learned to do, I insisted on balancing them even though the tire guy told me I didn't need to. They took about 6 ounces each. I also insisted on bolt-on all-metal valve stems, again over the objection of the tire guy.

Bill

08-17-2007, 08:33 AM

Dave,

I went to the Kumho website and I cannot figure out which tire you are talking about. How about the tire model name?

Mike Anderson

08-17-2007, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ragmopp

Dave,

I went to the Kumho website and I cannot figure out which tire you are talking about. How about the tire model name?

Mike Anderson

Mike, Kumho's website is as funky as Hankook listing their Euro radial with the wrong picture.

Go to www.kumhousa.com

click on commercial truck and bus tires

click on pick up/delivery tires

scroll down to the Radial 857 or just click this

http://www.kumhousa.com/specifictire...ntId=3&pid=857

Bobby

**ShrimpBurrito** · 08-17-2007, 11:43 AM

Thanks Bill and Bobby for the info.

Dave

**ShrimpBurrito** · 08-17-2007, 04:43 PM

Just got back from a Discount Tire dealer with 3 brand new 205/R14 Kumho's. Standing side by side the Marathon 215/75R14's, the diameter was indistinguishable to the casual eye. I'll be sure to report my experience with them after I put them on the trailer and get some miles on them.

Bobby - When they installed the metal clamp-on valve stem, they put rubber grommets on both the inside and outside of the rim. Is that proper technique, or are they just supposed to be inside? The installer mentioned that I should check the nuts on the stems often because he said they often come lose over time. Wondering maybe if that is related to installing a grommet on the outside.....

Dave

08-17-2007, 05:57 PM

I think the guy is nuts. The stem comes with two rubber grommets, but you only put on the one you need - i.e. small one for GM, large one for Ford. On the outside you should have a washer and a nut. If you have trouble - and you shouldn't - take the nut off and put a drop of Locktite on it. (Or clear finger nail polish) I would take it back and have them do it right.

08-17-2007, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShrimpBurrito

Just got back from a Discount Tire dealer with 3 brand new 205/R14 Kumho's. Standing side by side the Marathon 215/75R14's, the diameter was indistinguishable to the casual eye. I'll be sure to report my experience with them after I put them on the trailer and get some miles on them.

Bobby - When they installed the metal clamp-on valve stem, they put rubber grommets on both the inside and outside of the rim. Is that proper technique, or are they just supposed to be inside? The installer mentioned that I should check the nuts on the stems often because he said they often come lose over time. Wondering maybe if that is related to installing a grommet on the outside.....

Dave

Dave, instead of using the stem that Jim is showing in the pic (which is also the one I would recommend), the installer may have put one in that we refer to as an Enke stem. They will have grommets on both sides with the nut on the bottom, and are really made for specialty wheels that don't have the rim lip as a regular wheel does. I'm not sure if an Enke stem is rated for the same high pressure as the one Freedom has pictured. Let me do a little research and will edit this post with what I find.

EDIT: Dave, is this what the stem looks like? I also see where I misspelled it above. It's an Enkei stem.

EDIT EDIT: Dave, if you do indeed have an Enkei stem, I haven't found out pressure ratings on them yet. I do know we see several leaking, and you do have to tighten the nuts (which is on the inside of the wheel, so you have to break the tire bead down). I also know that the rubber grommets are small compared to the one Jim has shown. I really do not like this Enkei type of valve stem, but this is the only kind you can put in certain custom wheels.

**ShrimpBurrito** · 08-17-2007, 10:05 PM

This is so exciting!

Attached is a picture of one of my new clamp-on valve stems. You can see the rubber grommet/seal in between the stem and the rim. There's certainly nothing special about the rim. Standard from the factory, typical trailer wheel.

Interestingly, there were two guys mounting my tires. One put the grommet on the outside, but the other older seemingly more experienced guy didn't. When I questioned it, there was a brief debate as to whether or not it should be there, but since his English wasn't 100% (he normally doesn't talk to customers), he just ended up putting the outside seal on the 1 tire he had mounted.

Is it what I should have on there and installed as it should be?

I need more beer.

Dave

08-18-2007, 12:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShrimpBurrito

This is so exciting!

Attached is a picture of one of my new clamp-on valve stems. You can see the rubber grommet/seal in between the stem and the rim. There's certainly nothing special about the rim. Standard from the factory, typical trailer wheel.

Interestingly, there were two guys mounting my tires. One put the grommet on the outside, but the other older seemingly more experienced guy didn't. When I questioned it, there was a brief debate as to whether or not it should be there, but since his English wasn't 100% (he normally doesn't talk to customers), he just ended up putting the outside seal on the 1 tire he had mounted.

Is it what I should have on there and installed as it should be?

I need more beer.
Dave

Well, Freedom called it correct the first time. This tire guy is bolts.....or was that nuts? Either way, he's just as wrong.

First off, the stems will come with 2 different sized rubber grommets, .453 and .625. You'll use only the one that fits your particular wheel valve hole and discard the other. Your trailer wheel should use the .453 grommet. Throw the larger .625 grommet away.

The grommet will just go on the inside. Put the right size rubber grommet on the metal stem with the lip (thinnest) part of the grommet facing toward the valve hole. Slide the grommet to the bottom of the metal stem. The thicker part of the grommet will face towards the bottom of the metal stem.

The metal valve (with the correct size rubber grommet slid on) then slides into the wheel valve hole from the inside of the wheel. Make sure the lip of the rubber grommet starts into the valve hole correctly. You sometimes have to wiggle/spin the stem, to make the rubber lip correctly start into the valve hole. This is crucial to making the rubber grommet seal correctly.

You'll then put the flat washer on the outside of the metal stem facing against the outside of the wheel valve hole, then the nut. Tighten down the nut against the flat washer, and it will pull the grommet tight against the inside of the valve hole....sealing it.

When I get to work in the morning, I'll post some pics of how to properly install this stem. I'm professionally embarrassed that a so-called tire technician doesn't know how to. You'd think any wrench turning monkey could do it right.

EDIT: Dave, you will have to get that stem corrected. The way it's mounted now, the flat washer usually has a small metal groove on the side that is contacting the rubber. This groove will actually cut into the rubber grommet. When you get them to fix it, make sure they use new rubber grommets, because they have already damaged the rubber grommet you have pictured............I would insist on that, no matter how many languages they argue with you in.

EDIT EDIT: I may not have time to post a pic this morning. We are extremely busy, as always on Saturdays. My shop manager ran me out awhile ago, saying I was in the way. The nerve of him. LOL

**ShrimpBurrito** · 08-18-2007, 10:32 AM

Thanks for all the great info! The guys said they put a seal on the inside. And I'm confident they did that because when the guy "fixed" the one tire "missing" and outside seal, he simply removed the nut and put it on. No aiar came when when he did that because the tire was already sealed presumably by the inside seal.

So if I understand you correctly, the only thing that needs to be done is the outside seal removed. Then, hopefully they also installed a washer on the outside between the nut and the rim, and if so, then simply tighten the nut up against the washer and rim.

If that's all that needs to be done, I can simply do that myself, right?

Dave