Odd tire failure

Day before yesterday, I took my 5-ton out for a leisurely maintenance drive to keep the fluids moving and seals lubricated.

I parked the truck, drained the air tanks and gave the truck a walk-around, looking for any fluid leaks, ensuring that the dog bones aren't popping off, etc.
There was silence, no sounds of leaks. Yesterday, the spousal unit informed me that the driver's front tire was flat. A review of my security camera footage shows that the tire suddenly lost pressure between 8:40am and about 10:30am, just like that.

When I got home, I attempted to air up the tire. I put about 15lbs in it and stopped, checking for punctures and listening for leaks. Basically, it seemed to have a fast leak at the base of the valve stem. Air was rushing out from "inside" the wheel, at the valve stem if that makes any sense.

Anyway, I was lucky because the tire failed in my driveway. I'm a little bummed because although the tire was old it had full tread.

Is it the metal valve stem with the nut that secures it? Possibly the nut backed off and is allowing a leak. Tighten the nut.

If its rubber, old valve stem, replace it.

A pic would really help!

Good luck!

kendelrio said:

Is it the metal valve stem with the nut that secures it? Possibly the nut backed off and is allowing a leak. Tighten the nut.

If its rubber, old valve stem, replace it.

A pic would really help!

Good luck!

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A pic would be worthless. It's leaking from the base of the valve stem, which is inaccessible. These are old, NDCC tires with inner tubes.

I think your truck is on duals with tubes in them? If so likely a rotten tube failed, around the valve stem is the place where leaking tubes typically vent. I actually had a sidewall on my singles blow out while sitting in my garage, not having moved in over a week.

NDCC tires can be 50 years old and still be A-OK for use. You just need a new tube.

NDT said:

NDCC tires can be 50 years old and still be A-OK for use. You just need a new tube.

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I've been told the same thing and not to worry too much if I see some checking on the sidewalls because they have so many plies. How much truth to this is there?

I'm not running heavy loads and I generally drive it gently and in parades, but the roads still get hot around here in the summer time. The steering tires are the most critical obviously, because I don't want to experience a loss of control during a blow out.

I would 2nd the tubes. Had 2 old ones fail previously. Old tires will hold up longer than the tubes....

I had a 11.00-20 NDCC blow out on right front at 55 mph. Truck just set down to the right, no loss of control. Tire was telling me it was sick, lots of unusual vibration, but I ignored it stupidly. Tire was 1964 vintage.

Tire is probably ok as is just went flat. Maybe jack up and leave supported till you can get to it. For piece of mind, change tube if that is the problem and rotate to a rear position and vice versa.

juanprado said:

Tire is probably ok as is just went flat. Maybe jack up and leave supported till you can get to it. For piece of mind, change tube if that is the problem and rotate to a rear position and vice versa.

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Oh, I changed it already. I have multiple spares lounging about. Trouble is, they're all kind of old and dry. They look great until you air them up, then the checks start showing. Some tires just have minor checking and some have chasms.

NDT said:

I had a 11.00-20 NDCC blow out on right front at 55 mph. Truck just set down to the right, no loss of control. Tire was telling me it was sick, lots of unusual vibration, but I ignored it stupidly. Tire was 1964 vintage.

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This is my experience as well. I've blown a right front G177, and I've blown a right front 14.00. Both of these were at highway speeds, and neither really caused much excitement. (Neither gave any warning either).

Harder to control was the intermediate axle driver side blowout.

Huh, that's interesting.

I bought some decent tires with no or very little cracking for the steers. Also mounted a decent spare just in case.

Rear dual tires lightly loaded seem to just go flat and shrink up barely touching the road if the next door neighbor is still OK.

I keep mine inflated to 50 psi so they do not flex the side walls as much.

Often with these old type tubes they 'Shift' Inside the rim, Which breaks the seal on the valve.
RUST!...is the murphy here, as it rots the rim swelling up and wearing on the tube just where it enters the rim. (Eating into the tube at the attatching point).
I have over the years squirted liberal amounts of armorol into and at these points.
No problems so far.
On stripping tires to rim paint them, (EVERY FOUR YEARS), I have not seen rust flakes or swelling at these points.

My 11.00-20 NDT gave out in the same area because the flap was rotted and cracked which let the tube below get pinched into the crack and torn. Would leak 25 psi/hr so I got a new tube & new flap and that became my spare.

Ajax MD said:

A pic would be worthless. It's leaking from the base of the valve stem, which is inaccessible. These are old, NDCC tires with inner tubes.

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I meant a pic so I could see what type of valve stem you're dealing with, but ... ok..

kendelrio said:

I meant a pic so I could see what type of valve stem you're dealing with, but ... ok..

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Ah, I thought you wanted a photo of the leaking area, which isn't visible. The valve stem is the typical inner tube-type like a kid's bicycle. I'm not running MRAP or combat wheels. The schrader valve in the valve stem isn't leaking, the leak was coming from up inside, near the base of the valve stem.

Several people have let me know that it's not uncommon for the valve stem connection on the tube to fail on old tubes so I guess it's not that odd after all. Although I have some spare tires, I'm going to order a pair of new Titan T-Hawks and new inner tubes.

As usual, the search function has failed me: "Removed the word "inner" because it is too common."

I'm searching for the correct inner tube for 11.00x20 tires. Will this work? https://www.tireinnertube.com/20-in...m8z_DUW9GrJraBqIlkbFFIMurPebRnZQaAhFQEALw_wcB

It says "for split rim only." I know that my wheels are "locking ring" and not split rim, but they are not modern by any means.

@simp5782 Wes- I know you'll know the answer to this.

Ajax MD said:

As usual, the search function has failed me: "Removed the word "inner" because it is too common."

I'm searching for the correct inner tube for 11.00x20 tires. Will this work? https://www.tireinnertube.com/20-in...m8z_DUW9GrJraBqIlkbFFIMurPebRnZQaAhFQEALw_wcB

It says "for split rim only." I know that my wheels are "locking ring" and not split rim, but they are not modern by any means.

@simp5782 Wes- I know you'll know the answer to this.

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