Michelin 395/85/20 blowout

[Suprman]

I had a buddy who needed singles for his 800 tractor. The lmtv wheels bolt up nice. I gave him the 5 Michelins that came on the 1078 that I drive. I had driven it for a while on these tires and the tread was around 30% but they were still good tires. I think they were around 10 years old but not uncommon age for mil surplus tires. I had one other Michelin it was a spare from one of my parts trucks. It looked good and had decent tread. He had seen the first five and I had texted him a pic of the 6th. He put the 6 on and a few hours later the 6th tire blew out. Here is the pic of the tire before it blew I had the pic since I had sent him a text of the tire. And a pic of it blown. I am thinking it dry rotted from the inside out. It looks like the 14.00/20 Michelins look when they blow out. So anyone driving on Michelins should be just a bit extra careful.

 

[gimpyrobb]

When I first went with 395s I used xml tires. I was disappointed in the wear and cupping. I've had my xzl set for a couple years and believe they are a much better tire.

 

[NDT]

I agree there are issues with the Michelin 395s as well. One of mkcoen's 395s was so hot I could not touch it after a 150 mile flat tow. The other 3 were normal. Properly inflated.

 

[mkcoen]

Glad it happened to a rear mount and not the front. I've put about 250 miles on mine since I switched from the Michelins to the Good Years. I'm much happier with the ride and noise level.

 

[Flyingvan911]

I'm glad he's ok. I bet that big boom was a surprise.

 

[jasonjc]

I had a 12.50R20XL blow out on the front of my deuce going 50. About a 10"x10" piece of the side wall was gone.

 

[Special T]

That pic looks like a typical separation blow out. MOST of the time it's due to heat build up due to under inflation over weight or hot driving conditions. It obvious it's not from weight. One of the products that is often used in the tire industry are inner liner conditioning products such as Tire Life. The active ingredient is also found in anti freeze and I have seen several videos on here of people putting a quart in a Tire to help balance the tire out.

 

[DanM7890]

Tire blow outs are pretty serious no matter which tire goes. I'm glad it was on his intermediate axle though.

 

[Special T]

I have seen some really scary weather cracked tires running down the hwy under load last a long time. Since there is no way to tell for certain my guess is that low airpressure is to blame. A leak via a puncture or some rubber fitting that didn't manifest itself as it sat as a spare with no load.

 

[Suprman]

I looked at the tire on the outside it looked ok I didnt see any cracking or dry rotting. Since its an 800 tractor I cant see him driving that fast on it. Maybe just a fluke who knows but I have seen more Michelins blown out like the picture than goodyears.

 

[MGKMartin]

Goodyear 395/85/R20

Here is what a Goodyear looks like when they blowout. 2004 tire date with no visible external cracking or damage. This was on the intermediate axle on a M1090 FMTV. Truck was unloaded, going ~15 miles/hour, and less than 3 miles from my house.

 

[dmetalmiki]

Those tires need some trusting..I would be worrying all the time. I have not heard of (or had) any blowouts in our group using NDTs. Stock steady and careful seems the SAFE was to proceed. my 1/2 penne'th

 

[Suprman]

2004 does not sound that old but its 12 years. The first 5 tires came off a Bragg truck the one that was a spare was from a colder climate. I wonder if the colder weather over time causes faster rubber deterioration.

 

[Special T]

Rubber degrades from extreme heat and cold. Mostly it is from Ultra Violet light degradation. If you look at RVS they have Tire covers to sacrifice to the sun gods to make the tires last longer. Tires that are not overly weather cracked either suffer from damage of some sort or low air pressure. Tires that sit low for a long time can developed fatigue in some of the belts causing blowouts. It's not always possible to find out why a Tire blows out but proper air pressure solves most Tire problems.

 

[Special T]

MGKMartin that's a pretty impressive blow out for how slow you were going.

 

[gringeltaube]

... I wonder if the colder weather over time causes faster rubber deterioration.

I tend to think it's just the opposite. Most tire tech-advisers recommend prolonged storage in a cool, dark place.

 

[fuzzytoaster]

Also note that none of these have runflats in them like all the 395s on MRAPs. I'd like to see how those go..

 

[mkcoen]

Also note that none of these have runflats in them like all the 395s on MRAPs. I'd like to see how those go..

Well you've got 4 just sitting in my driveway.

 

[fuzzytoaster]

Well you've got 4 just sitting in my driveway.

Waiting on the carrier to get his truck back on the road..

 

[tburk49760]

When I first went with 395s I used xml tires. I was disappointed in the wear and cupping. I've had my xzl set for a couple years and believe they are a much better tire.

Glad to hear this. I have 8 unused xzl and am hoping for longer tread wear than the good years.