Chinese Tire "Bombs" - Fact or Fiction?

[Festus2]

Maxxis trailer tires have been highly recommended on this and other forums and one of the best tires out there. I just recently ordered a set of these and in speaking with the Service Manager at Discount Tire in WA, I found out some rather interesting things about this tire as well as trailer tires in general. According to him -----

Maxxis tires is not an American company and their tires are manufactured in a number of countries including Canada, Japan, Thailand, China and other off shore places. If they are made in China or some other Asian country, would it not be fair to include them in the infamous "China Bombs" category along with the other non-Maxxis China Bombs?

RV units when they come off the assembly line, are equipped with trailer tires that have been purchased in bulk and may be 2, 3 or 4 years old having been sitting in the warehouse for that long. Your unit may have been equipped with tires that were already "old". So when you have a blow out during the first or second year of the tire, that tire may be 4 or 5 years old and suffering from dry rot for a good portion of that time.

All tires, regardless of where they are made have to meet DOT regulations. He said that some "no name" off shore tires, although they meet these regulations, are borderline, while others may have exceeded the requirements and standards set by DOT.

All tires, regardless of wear, should be replaced after 7 years. They can be sitting on the shelf, unused, for 7 years and should be discarded. Anyone who buys tires should check the date of manufacture and the DOT code on the tire to see when and where it was made.

He stated that, just because it is made in China, doesn't necessarily mean that the tire is no good or is one of the dreaded "China Bombs". What was the real cause of your blowout? Old tires? Under inflation? Excessive speed and heat? Or was it those cheap China Bombs?

In my case, I am buying Maxxis based on my own previous positive experience with them as well as the feedback from members on this and other forums. These Maxxis tires I am getting could be made in China and on that basis should I not get them? And what about the trailer tires on your RV? Do you really know for certain where they are made?

Perhaps this "China Bomb" thing is more fiction than fact.

[raytronx]

Good sensible info.

[CWtheMan]

The vast majority of RV trailers are fitted with Special Trailer tires (ST). I would venture to say, maybe even as high as 80-85%.

Here is one of my blog posts on this subject - sort of. What I’m really saying in the blog is the “China Bomb” may have been born after it’s transit to the American distributor.

http://fasteagletiretalk.blogspot.co...ler-tires.html

CW

[smiller]

I don't think I've ever heard of anyone reporting a DOT code for the Maxxis M8008 (their ST radial) indicating anything other than a manufacturing country of Thailand (some charts erroneously indicate the country as China but this is an error as the manufacturing location address given in the same chart is clearly in Thailand.) I'm not sure how much this really matters since as CW noted 'China Bombs' can be created in many other ways than being manufactured in China, but just FWIW the Maxxis M8008 ST tires are not manufactured there.

Originally Posted by Festus2

Perhaps this "China Bomb" thing is more fiction than fact.

Some elements of fact but mostly fiction I think. If a tire is properly designed and manufactured then the country of origin in itself isn't an issue.

[Ken / Claudia]

I did a psi check on a trip several years ago. Tires on truck loaded with in bed camper wt of 4400 lbs rear axle somewhere around 7500 lb. Left pdx with 80 psi, outside air temps 40s. In Redding Ca. outside temp 110-115. Driven all day minus acouple short stops. Psi in rear tires was 96. I had no way to check the heat temp. of the tire. That was much more than I thought would happen. I guessed I would see a 8 to 10 psi change not 16. My speeds where 60-65, over big hills 50-55. Tire were carring max load, maybe even alittle more.
I am under the opinion that MOST blow outs are from under inflation and heat built up inside the tire due to under inflation or over loading. My opinion only.

[laidback]

Also I have checked the Maxxis against other St tires, They have an extra polyester and an extra nylon cord. All Maxxis I have seen are made in Thialand. I believe pressure and speed are the biggest cause of tire failure.

[Festus2]

Since the vast majority, if not all, RV tires are made off shore and mainly in China, it would follow that the blowouts and other tire failures would be on tires made in China. If we take this a step further, then Chinese-made tires must be inferior. Look at all the blowouts and failures they have had! Easy to blame it on China Bombs since there is no one else to blame.

I am wondering if there have been any studies or research done on these tires which actually show that they are inferior and deserving of the name "China Bombs". Have tests been conducted to show that they are inferior? Or are we basing our opinions of Chinese tires strictly on anecdotal information?

Situations, for example, reported by someone who had one Chinese tire blow out and came to the conclusion that all Chinese tires are "crap". I realize that this is a "real life" situation but there is no way of knowing the real cause of that blowout.

I am not promoting or condemning Chinese tires but trying to understand whether the big fuss about them is based on fact or fiction.

[davidjsimons]

Originally Posted by kenn209

Another question, I have D rated tires currently and want to replace them with the Maxxis tires, Do I need to go up to an E rated, or do you think I can stay with the D's, My rims are rated to 80psi.

Just for the simple peace of mind, I would go with the E rated tire. The cost is not much more. Is the tire going to last any longer? Most likely no.


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[davidjsimons]

As a rookie, I have followed the advice of the members of this group with many more miles of experience. I bought a TPMS, have meticulously maintained my pressures at 65 psi cold, and my observation are as such:

Over 5,000 miles on a set of factory installed Tow Max tires.
Good even tread wear, tread depth is still in excellent condition.
I seem to only gain about eight or nine pounds of pressure at 65-70 mph.
So far tire temperatures have only ran several degrees cooler than the ambient air temperature.

The advice has been good so far. Thank you!



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[ftwildernessguy]

I have installed a TST monitor on my trailer and tow vehicle. I also keep my speed at around 50-55 mph. In addition, I use an infrared thermometer to check wheel temps at all rest stops. Tires are at 65 psi at the start of every trip. I have seen many rv's with tire failure on the side of the highway, and often these were on trailers that flew by me earlier, and while I can't say for sure, they sure did look like they were overloaded judging by the amount of stuff on the roof and rear bumper.

[Cougarfamily]

The June issue of Trailer Life came out this week with an article on tires starting on page 50, and a letter with a tire question sent to RV Clinic on page 87. They mentioned that the China bomb from China maybe an online conspiracy.

In the answer to the letter, it states that with ST tires, one can go upto 75 mph by just adding 10 pounds to the max pressure to deal with the heat.

[CWtheMan]

Originally Posted by Cougarfamily

The June issue of Trailer Life came out this week with an article on tires starting on page 50, and a letter with a tire question sent to RV Clinic on page 87. They mentioned that the China bomb from China maybe an online conspiracy.

In the answer to the letter, it states that with ST tires, one can go upto 75 mph by just adding 10 pounds to the max pressure to deal with the heat.

Did they provide a reference?
Can they provide a reference that would satisfy safety concerns?
Are vehicle manufacturers recommending such a patch job?
Would the load have to be reduced to apply the excess pressure?
Making statements without valid reference or providing reference for the procedure to follow seems to be a violation of safety.

Tire manufacturer speed restrictions are normally tied to load restrictions. In other words, an ST tire rated for maximum load capacity at a specified pressure and speed would reach it's maximum limit at the top end of the speed restriction.

CW

p.s. IF the rims will suppoer the extra pressure, LT tires can also be increased by 10 psi. It's right in the DOT regulation. Tire and vehicle manufacturers do not choose to talk much about that. It promotes OVERLOADING!

[diugo]

The "add 10psi for 75mph" reference can be found in a PSB issued by Goodyear about two years ago. A copy of it can be found here: http://www.tirerack.com/images/tires...plications.pdf

I disagree with the idea entirely. Speed kills. So does overinflation, in adverse conditions, especially at high speeds.