I decided to rotate my tires this afternoon. I jacked up the T and first removed the back passenger tire. I immediately noticed a bulge and the tire bead was separating on the inside seam (see photo). The tear is maybe 3" long.
Glad I caught this now!
The tires are only 1 1/2 years old with probably 2,000 miles on them. They are Wards Riverside 30 x 3.5"
I obviously don't want this to happen again so I'm hoping to determine the cause. Any one else experience this and have any thoughts? Here is some more information about the tire.
-I consistently keep the tire pressure 55-60 pounds.
-The car got some, but very little movement during the winter.
-I installed the tires last year and thought I was careful.
Many thanks,
Chad
Check that, this tire is 2 1/2 years old.
55 - 60 is a bit low. Should be 60 - 65 for 30 X 3 1/2 tires.
I agree that one is no good.
Sharp edge on rim?
Sharp edge on rim was the cause of the problem on mine.
When I replace the tire sometime this week, I'll report back if the rim was the culprit.
If you're storing the car for awhile, it pays to put it on jacks and drop the tire pressure to 10-15 psi.
I received my new tire today. When I took off my old tire I was surprised to learn it was in great shape. There were no tears, worn areas, or separation. The bead simply wasn't seated correctly - which is still a major problem.
Upon inspecting the rim, it is in great shape with a good solid lip. I found the rim had no sharp edges, but to be safe I sanded and smoothed it down anyway. I put on the new tire (making sure the bead was seated) and now I have a great used spare.
Sounds great, Chad. Thanks for the update.
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2
I'm confused, is 60 psi good or not?
Willis
Chad, are your tyres fitted with flaps? I worked on a car which had Firestone tyres and flaps and the beads were not seated at all well. One tyre had a serious groove worn about 3/8" up one side which had exposed the canvas. The other three looked like yours.
In my opinion, two things were in play.
The flaps were wide and when the tyre was inflated they prevented the tube from pushing the bead into place.
Secondly, the tyres were not mounted with lubricant to allow the bead to easily slide into place on the rim.
I would advocate dispensing with the flaps and using a good rim liner. That way the tube can exert pressure to push the bead into place without interference. It is also much easier to mount the tyres if a good lubricant is used. I get mine from the pros at tyre shops. Just take a container of some sort and they will often give you what you need.
Others will have other ideas.
Allan from down under.
When I mount tires on clincher rims I inflate them just enough to spread them so they take shape under the rim lip and then I drop the tire repeatedly from waist height rotating it as I drop the tire (when the wheel is on the car I use a small hand sledge and beat the tire on the tread s I rotate it). That gets the bead under the lip all around and then I can inflate the tire to full pressure. I have never had a problem doing it that way and I still use flaps despite all the criticism because that's the way they supposed to be mounted according to all the period literature I have seen.
Yeah, I subscribe to the same principle as Val, but since I can't lift a wheel without spraining something, I just pound the heck out of the partially-inflated tire with a dead-blow mallet. Then I deflate it and inflate it a few more times, pounding away in between. On one occasion, my wife walked into the garage and remarked, "Hey Thor, you've got a phone call, upstairs," then turned and walked away. For some people, sarcasm is an art form.
@Allen Richard Bennett: Yes I use flaps and I too wondered if they were the culprit... I also use powder and try to leverage the hot sun when working with the tires.
@Val Soupios: You better believe I repeatedly dropped and hammered that tire along tread to make sure it was fully seated this time The last thing I want is for that tire to come off.
@Willis: As for psi, I kicked mine up to 65 per @Royce in Dallas TX... Thoughts?
It should on your tire the recommended cold pressure it is small and hard to see but my new Firestones say inflate to 65 psi cold, i thought it was 55 until i put my glasses on and used a magnifying glass.
Rick
Chad,
Sometimes, in depression era days mostly, cars were driven with no tires at all or at least driven for some distance with a flat tire. The result was to cause the clincher rim edges to curl inwards, leaving inadequate space for the clincher bead to seat fully. Maybe your rim has some of this affect?
All the old reference books show 20 pounds per inch for clinchers. I run 60 pounds for 30X3 and 70 for 30X3-1/2.