More Marathon tire failures

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Cateye

Hi Bill,

Since you have experience with blow outs can you advise the proper procedure for stopping. My instincts would lead me to believe that any braking by the trailer could create an uneven drag on the tow vehicle causing it to swerve. I have Prodigy brake controller that can be turned off in the even of a blow out, allowing me to slow down using the vehicle brakes only...thanks in advance for your insight...

Cateye -

In my several experiences, there is NO difference between stopping a TM normally and stopping a TM that has a blowout. Just come to a smooth, even stop as you normally would. No need to avoid the trailer brakes, no need to decelerate extra-gently - just do what you normally do. Each time I have reported on a tire failure, I think I have commented that the TM handles unbelievably well. I'm very impressed with the design of the TM that makes this possible.

Bill

I've been learning a bit about tires, and talked very recently to a friend who works at a tire shop. Besides confirming something I already learned on this forum (which paid for the cost of membership many times over - fill up your tires on your TV to max sidewall pressure), I asked about the need to balance the tires.

He said, YES, balance them (I'm going in tomorrow). It'll help the tire run cooler (less sidewall flex) and the bearings run cooler. He also indicated that it's rather normal for trailer manufacturers of all types to not balance their tires - so TM is hardly unusual here.

Balancing them seems like a pretty cheap thing to do to hopefully prolong the life of the tire and prevent damage to the vehicle.

Just more info regarding balancing the trailer tires…

Took all three TM tires from the 2720SL to the local tire store yesterday.

All three were out of balance. One more than the other two.

Just FYI . . .

Don't they automatically balance your tires when they mount them? (I assume those little lead weights attached to the rim means they've been balanced.) And do you have to periodically rebalance them?
Cheri

[Bill]

My experience is that tire shops charge a couple bucks extra for balancing tires, and they don't do it unless you ask. And yes, the little lead weights mean that the wheel, with its tire, was balanced at some time in the past. However, even if they change the tire, I don't think they pull off the old weights unless the wheel and new tire are rebalanced, so you could be running with an improper set of balancing weights.

Once balanced, I don't think there is a need to rebalance them, but I'll defer an expert on the topic.

Bill

If you see those little lead weights on the rims can you assume they are balanced then?
Cheri

[kempert]

Yes, you may assume so.

Originally Posted by Bill

My experience is that tire shops charge a couple bucks extra for balancing tires, and they don't do it unless you ask. And yes, the little lead weights mean that the wheel, with its tire, was balanced at some time in the past. However, even if they change the tire, I don't think they pull off the old weights unless the wheel and new tire are rebalanced, so you could be running with an improper set of balancing weights.

Once balanced, I don't think there is a need to rebalance them, but I'll defer an expert on the topic.

Bill

Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, and sometimes. The sometimes is the need to rebalance them. As a tire normally wears, it may wear more on one side, more in the middle, or more on both sides.......due to many factors too numerous to mention here. As tire rubber wears off, for any factor, it will change the weight of the tire in certain spots....therefore the balance.

In real simple terms: What the lead weights (key word is weight) do, is to compensate for the tire/wheel "light" spots for when the assembly is spinning. If a tire wears the rubber off equally, then there is no need to rebalance them. It's when rubber wears off in unequal amounts, then you need to recompensate for it.

On your TV, you can usually feel the vibration of an unbalanced tire, and then know to get it corrected. On your towed TrailManor (or trailers period), you probably won't feel the vibration, but just see the consequences of your trailer being bounced around from the unbalanced tires. From a tire store standpoint, we usually don't balance tires on utility trailers. They are very light and are going to bounce, jump, hop, and skip around regardless: a balanced tire won't stop this.

However, on heavier trailers, like horse and travel trailers, we do balance the tires.

I have a question that no one has ever answered satisfactorily. Where does worn tire tread (or shoe sole) rubber disappear to?

[rickst29]

Originally Posted by grakin

Besides confirming something I already learned on this forum.... fill up your tires on your TV to max sidewall pressure....

I agree about your other point (YES, it is worthwhile to balance TM wheels). But Goodyear says NOT to inflate the 225/75R15 Marathon "D" tires to 65 PSI when the load is light.

If you're careless, going to the maximum PSI is OK. But if you're finicky, Goodyear recommends both lower numbers (when tires are supporting less load) AND higher numbers (when you're on a "smooth" road surface, and plan to drive a bit faster than recommended). Search the forum for Threads on this.

[rickst29]

Originally Posted by wmtire

I have a question that no one has ever answered satisfactorily. Where does worn tire tread (or shoe sole) rubber disappear to?

It gets "scrubbed off" against the road surface. Here's a funny analogy for you: It's kinda like peeling the string off a YoYo, but the "string" is a flat layer across the entire width of the tire tread. And the thin, flat "Peel" is 50,000 miles long.

You see the black stripes on concrete roadways where all the cars and trucks tires have been leaving tiny bits behind. (Can't see it on black asphalt, of course. From there, it's blown away by wind and washed away by rain, sometimes scrubbed off by street cleaners.