Tow Max...is it just me?

[Ray LeTourneau]

I'm going to a tire with a higher load rating. Just in-case I loose a tire, again.

A tire with a higher load rating won't prevent hub or stud failures, whatever the cause may have been. It may give you enough support for the weight of the rig to tow it off the highway but the single spring on the remaining tire will be almost doubly overloaded. Somehow you need to determine the cause of the studs shearing. Maybe Over torqued? Causing the studs to weaken? Just a thought. If lugs nuts are loose, the studs usually won't shear off.

 

[Sumo]

Had I been aware I was short one tire, my speed would have been GREATLY reduced. I drive between 65 and 70 mph, roads, traffic, and weather permitting.
Thank You God that the remaining tire cared the added weight and stress.

My thinking, If I end up with one tire, a tire with a higher load rating will do better with the added stress, which you also pointed out. The back axle / hub did not drag on the hwy.
I know this because their was no damage to the hub. The odds of this happening again are very low, I hope.

I also think that the lug nuts where over torqued, the dealership thinks they where loose.
So still un-sure of the cause.

I'm looking for as much input as possible. I have only been towing for 7 years and their are members who have been towing for much longer and have tons more knowledge.

I was thinking a tire pressure monitoring system. This way I would know something was wrong, or gone.

I get lots of great information from this form which has saved me money, time and headaches.

 

[jnbhobe]

I would bet they were loose, if you had the wheel you would know for sure.

 

[JWalker]

Your eyes probably popped out of your head when you walked around and saw that a tire and rim where completely gone. That had to be a surprise.

 

[TeJay]

In regards to torque and the methods used to achieve the correct torque setting. There is only one way to approximate the correct torque setting on a lug nut. I say that because even when you do everything correctly your torque setting could be 20 to 30#'s off. You might say well then why bother??? Good question and about the only answer that makes sense is this. The manufacturer's know that it is very difficult to achieve the correct torque so that is taken into account. Also if you do everything correctly at least all lug nuts will be the same amount either under or over torqued. Factors affecting torque are: 1. Friction of the threads. You can correct some of this by cleaning the threads with a wire brush then using a very small amount of oil (4-5 drops) on the threads. 2. Buy a really good torque wrench. Snap-On or at least as good. Never, never, never allow the dealer to use a torque-stick and an impact wrench. They are not accurate to say the least. They are faster and easier but they will not give you anything close to an accurate torque spec. What I do is after the dealer is finished I re-torque in the parking lot.

This bit of information won't apply to those of us with drum brakes but it will if you have discs. If you torque the lugs to 60#, 70#, 0r 80#'s it won't matter as long as all lugs on a wheel are the same. If 5 lugs are torqued to 80#'s and one is at 70#'s the rotor will warp. I've proved that by torquing a wheel just like that then using a dial indicator to check for warp. It will warp then when you get the rotor hot it will set that warp into the rotor and you will have pedal pulsations. So even a torque wrench that is not to accurate if used correctly will torque the lugs to the same spec even if they are higher or lower than the actual specs. Yes it is probably advisable that the specs are slightly higher. A bolt when torqued properly will provide a clamping force and that is achieved when the bolt is stretched but not beyond it elastic limits. When you torque beyond the elastic limits is when a bolt fails and breaks. If you don't reach the stretching point then the clamping force is not sufficient to keep the bolt tight. That's why correct or at least close to correct torque is necessary. Some of you know this info but others may not. now you know exactly why proper torque is necessary.

Just my 2-cents worth. I hope is helps some.
TeJay

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

Tejay said
"Never, never, never allow the dealer to use a torque-stick and an impact wrench. They are not accurate to say the least. They are faster and easier but they will not give you anything close to an accurate torque spec. What I do is after the dealer is finished I re-torque in the parking lot."

I can't disagree with this. I really don't understand how the torque stick actually works. I know they use different colored sticks for different torque values. Last summer I had our Bighorn tires rotated and re-balanced.They (Goodyear) used the torque stick. I checked the torque afterwards and all seemed OK but I suppose they could have been over torqued but I didn't back any lugs off to check. I left them as they were.

 

[sjs731]

I always torque my own. I always find even when I tell someone what the torque is supposed to be it always seems to be less than my torque wrench when I recheck after I have work done.


Steve
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Sumo]

Your eyes probably popped out of your head when you walked around and saw that a tire and rim where completely gone. That had to be a surprise.

Popped like a cartoon.
I'll check the torque on my lugs before each and every trip from this day forward.

 

[danemayer]

Sumo,

A couple of additional thoughts:

For the 55 miles (or less) that the trailer was rolling on 3 wheels, the surviving tire, wheel and axle were seriously overloaded. The good news is that you didn't drive very far in that condition. The bad news is that the overloading may have set you up for future problems.

If you're changing out the tires, that will eliminate the possibility of hidden tire damage turning into a blowout in the future.

You might do well to have the surviving wheel and axle checked to make sure they're not damaged. If the axle is now out of spec, you could catch the problem now and prevent future uneven wear on the new tires. Have the surviving wheel checked for early signs of cracks caused by overloading.

 

[Sumo]

I am very concerned about the tire. That is one reason for new tires.

I did a visual inspection of the spring and bushing, didn't see any problems.

Axles where re-aligned at the beginning of the summer. But your right I should have them re-checked.

 

[CrucesBorregos]

Lost my first one with about 5000 miles on it. Mounted on a brand new Prowler Shadow 5th wheel less than 1 year old. Fortunately, I suspected trouble while on the road and we made it home to the tire dealer before it blew but just barely.

We run at the recommended 80 pounds pressure, carry very light every time out and limit speed to 65 MPH. Tire pressure is checked daily. The tire was seperating with each mile on it and they will all be off before we hit the road again. Very poor impression of the "quality" used by Hearland for a 1st time Heartland buyer. Most likely going with Maxxis as a replacement.

 

[jimtoo]

Hi CrucesBorregos,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and Family. I see you have been a member for a while, so welcome to the posting side of the forum.

All RV manufactures use the least expensive tires they can get, not just Heartland. A lot of the units have an option to upgrade tires, or you had the option when dealing with your dealer to get the tires you wanted as part of the deal.

You might call Treadit, (contact info on Portal Page) I think they are the distributors, and they might give you a helping hand on upgrading your tires.

Jim M

 

[DW_Gray]

To learn about the number of tire complaints go to http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints/index.cfm

 

[TireHobby]

To learn about the number of tire complaints go to http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints/index.cfm

The brand is Power King. The line is TowMax. Three complaints in 2008 and one in 2011.

TireHobby

 

[scottyb]

I just replaced my Towmax's this AM. They had never been on the road other than to the dealer and back. Sold the 6 of them to a friend for his gooseneck for $500 with full disclosure. BTW, Discount Tire uses a decent torque wrench.

 

[RitchieAdams]

I have 2011 Big Horn 3070. Have been traveling for 8 weeks. With 10,000 miles, after inspecting tires upon arrival at an RV park found Left rear with 20lbs of air and a large bulge on inside and outer skin split. 500 miles later the right front threw the tread, which wrapped around axle and took out brake harness and some of the cowling just aft of the stairs. I am replacing the other 3 before they blow. I believe they are unsafe. I talked with two other Big Horn owners at two other RV parks and they have had similar issues with these tires. I hope Heartland rethinks the use of these tires.

Ritchie

 

[danemayer]

Hi Ritchie,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum. You'll find lots of useful information here and a great bunch of people who are willing to share what they've learned.

I'm sorry that you're having these problems. You might want to hand onto the damaged tires and discuss the failures with Treadit. As I understand it, when tires come apart, there are telltale signs that reveal the cause of failure to the trained eye. Depending on what the failure analysis shows, it may be possible to recover some of your costs.

 

[BarneyFife]

I hope Heartland rethinks the use of these tires.

Ritchie

As I posted in my similar thread about my phone call to Heartland yesterday. If its up to the guy in "service" who I talked to, it'll never happen. He bragged on those tires so overboard and in no way was going to let me convince him otherwise.

 

[dbbls59]

The brand is Power King. The line is TowMax. Three complaints in 2008 and one in 2011.

TireHobby

Don't know where you were looking but I found 2 complaints in 2011, 2 in 2010, 8 in 2009, 6 in 2008 and 1 in 2007 for the Tow Max. Carlisle had 214 conplaints in total, Marathon had 84 and the Marathon ST had 7.

 

[BarneyFife]

Don't know where you were looking but I found 2 complaints in 2011, 2 in 2010, 8 in 2009, 6 in 2008 and 1 in 2007 for the Tow Max. Carlisle had 214 conplaints in total, Marathon had 84 and the Marathon ST had 7.

Where'd you find that?