Rear tire blowouts

[HarryClipper]

Cooper is an "OK" brand, but... they are now making tires in ... CHINA!!!

Supposedly they control the "manufacturing", but since they have made tires there, guess what... RECALL! :shock:

Tires are a "mystery" to most people.  They are "black, round, and have a hole in them..."!

You can not see the technology IN the tires!  Sure, some know a tread design they may like or not, BUT...they can not see inside!

Michelin's are Michelin's because of what and how they are made and thus cost what they do.  Are "other" brands "OK"??? Yes...but, it will NEVER ride or wear like a Michelin.  

By the way, Bridgestone (which is a Japanese company) copied 98% of the "Michelin" designs.  Not Good Year, Michelin.

So, what do I think of Cooper.  I think they are as good a tire as Arnold Palmer is a Pro Golfer TODAY! :shock:   By the way, he use to be their "spokesman" for years, but...GONE he is today!

I have 875R16.5 on my Clipper and they appear fine in fitment by the way.

HarryClipper

"Take calculated risks."
-   General George S. Patton, Jr

[Andy Illes]

Well HUH!!!   So THAT'S why they mounted those things with chopsticks instead of tire irons....damn!!!!!   Probably why they look "slanty" to me too, huh?  Worried about my camber for nothing....  :roll:

Harry, don't need to sell me on Michelins... they're bulletproof!!!  Ditto on Bridgestones... Ferrari F-1 team liked 'em... 'nuff proof for me!

I guess since you're running 8.75s, they're ok to use.  The dealer I got the Coopers from (not a Michelin dealer) talked me outta 8.75 Michelins on account of the "rubbing" thing, and I went for it.. made sense.. sigh.

So what about tire pressure.... any harm running 'em at max inflation alla time?

Another question... Gonna get Michelins... any harm leaving the (new) 8.00 Cooper for a spare... running with it if necessary?    Hate to spring for another 7 of 'em if 6 would do.

Thanks again Harry... amazing the resources we have on this site!!

[HarryClipper]

Hi Andy!

The inflation thing is always a "debate" amongst the "tire people".

I say, that a lot of it depends on "how" the vehicle... "lives" on a daily or monthly basis.

I am not sure what the "weight" of a moderately loaded Clipper is yet, but... with reading on this site about "rear end sag" (and not my EX=wifes, either :shock: !)hanging off the back side of the rear axle; and what the original GVWR is; and monthly and temperature air loss; I see nothing wrong in max air pressure.

Besides, the "flat spot" from sitting is going to be a smaller "spot" based on the fact that the air pressure is able to "push" the tire "up" so to speak, so "morning shake" should be less. )  Not to mention the "stress" OFF the sidewalls of the tire, too!

Funny you should ask about the 800 vs 875 spare issue.  My Clipper came that way!  The previous owner did what I saw many times done in my tire store days..."keep the best old tire and make that the spare..."and that works most of the time...for NON DUAL situations.

The duals are exactly that "duals" sharing the "load" and distributing the "load".

That is why a "knowledgeable tire store" (almost NON existent) will never put "ONE" new tire next to an old rear dual tire set-up.  Because of the diameter difference, the NEW tire will carry MOST of the "load" and can become a blow out situation.

I am thinking...all of this "info" might be scaring some folks out here, but... it REALLY is NOT as complicated as it may sound.

COMMON SENSE (a dying trait as well) should prevail here and let the individual(s) "VISUALIZE" what I am saying and it becomes clear to understand "why" tires get in bad situations.  (Present company excluded from this paragraph!)

The spare tire can be your best or worst friend in a "need" situation.  And... NO "expert" can tell you when or how it will be used in a time of need.  I say..again, what is your :peace of mind worth to you"?

I am NOT advocating buying 7 Michelin's either. But, if you have a good true spare wheel, you could do a 7 wheel rotation.  

If you DO NOT want to do that, then buy a new spare tire of a lessor brand.  

My thinking has always been... "how close to the better product am I in cost 'cause I sure don't want to buy it twice if I don't have to!!!"

Hope all this helps rather than "muddy the waters". :wink:

HarryClipper

Never tell people how to do things.
Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.
-   General George Patton, Jr.

[Rodney]

I weighed my Clipper several years ago, fully loaded and towing my race car I was right at the max of 9000 Lbs. home only + tongue weight {if I recall}.
After that I quit wondering why the mileage was so poor. I am going to run across the scales again after all of the mods I have done and not have anything in tow I would be interested in knowing.. The scales are only a few miles from home.

[Horst]

here's my weights

Front - 2940
Rear - 6260
Total - 9200
includes almost full tank of gas, and full water tank

but

bad news is that's WITHOUT two kids, four bikes, toys, surf gear, wife (yeah, have to bring her too  -   gear and food, wine, scotch.............which puts me around/over 10,000lbs - one of the many reasons I drive slow (55mph)

I run the Firestone 875/16.5 Steeltex R4S load range E, at 80lbs  - I like the tires so far  - reviewed here
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Firestone&tireModel=Steeltex+Radial+R4S

the above is a great site to do online research on tires

[Andy Illes]

I had to go back over to Stuart this weekend, so I took Fred and dropped in on the dealer where I got the 8.00 Coopers to bitch about what he'd told me about 8.75s being dangerous on my duals, and see what he'd do for me on a set of Mich or Bridgestone 8.75s.  Of course he stuck by his story and said he didn't believe anybody in their right minds would try running 8.75s, and if they did, he wouldn't want to be driving behind them.  Sigh.

So I plugged Fred in, logged on here and showed him these posts.  What a surprise... he launched into mumbo-jumbo about sidewall bonding to "explain" how you 8.75 fans just don't know what you're talking about, are taking your lives into your own hands... yadda yadda yadda.  Sure proves what you said about most tire guys not knowing their butts from a hole in the ground.  Shaking my head.  NOT surprisingly, he wouldn't make any adjustment.  Well, on top of the $700 I already just laid out for the 800 Coopers, I can't see half again that much for 8.75s... so I'll spring for a set of chopsticks and wait for these to die natural natural death... sigh.

I have another question that I'm gonna post separately too.  What kind of jack do you all carry?  Fred came with an ancient bottle jack of unknown capacity that I've never used and doesn't look all that trustworthy.  And another question on jacking.  The times I've had rears worked on, it took 2 jacks... one to get the tire off the ground.... another to get the chassis high enough for the tire to clear the body work.  Jacking the chassis alone didn't get the tire off the ground before the jacks ran outta travel. Suggestions?

[HarryClipper]

the "independent" tire dealers are a "dying breed?"  

So sorry to hear the "BS" story you got, but obviously, you were able to "SEE" his body language as the "expert advise" was unfolding.

While he was "blabbing" so much, why not mount a pair on one side and see if in fact they DID rub???  You and I KNOW the reason why that did NOT happen!

This is so "A Typical" of what I hear of the tire industry today.  Sad, because in my day, we were taught something of value, like...
making an "honest" recommendation based on...truth!  What a concept?

This is another reason that the internet is SO important to consumers today.  You will get more "truth" about products, etc. here, than most retailers (of anything) today.

Remember when WE (USA) made TV's, appliances, clothes, and no "DDT" on food...

Now, all we make are plastic bottles.

How much mentallity goes into that ya' think???

And, remember when you had one phone bill and you could call "0" and actually get someone who was polite, courteous, and spoke understandable...ENGLISH!!!

What the HELL happened???

Sorry, to much coffee this morning!

HarryClipper