Early detection of delamination?

[Wingeezer]

I've read many posts on the forum about delamination problems with tires and the serious damage that can be caused.

I think that before our next long trip this winter I will change my Marathons, which are about 4 years old and came with the used trailer that I bought, for a set of Maxxis which seem to be the way many folks are going.

Incidentally, my trailer is a 2005 model (built Nov 2004) and yet the tires have a manufacture date of 2006 which seems odd, I'd like to know the history behind that!

I have had tires delaminate on two pervious trailers, in fact the last were marathons, I don't recall what was on the previous trailer, that was many years ago.

In the case on that Marathon failure however I have no-one to blame but myself. I didn't understand the importance of age and felt that as long as I had decent tread and no sidewall cracks I was good to go! The tires were over ten years old!

To get to the point, I am becoming a bit paranoid about this now and want to do what I can to minimize chances of damage to our nice new(ish) AS!

I have read about several tire pressure monitoring systems that are not cheap, but may be worth having.

The only thing is that whenever I have experienced delamination before, I have not lost air, so a pressure monitoring system would have given me no warning. I felt the vibration in the tow vehicle and new something was amiss.

So far I have been lucky and suffered no significant trailer damage.

I am wondering if there is any other device on the market that can help identify developing delamination before it causes damage from tread flailing about?

I doubt there is such an animal, if there was, I guess it would have to be some sort of trip wire, proximity sensor, light beam device or something and I guess in the environment of the wheel well that likely wouldn't be practical.

Be curious if anyone knows of anything or has any tips.

One thing I thought I might start to do is to increase my tire inspection at gas stops. I always do a walk around and glance at the tires, but I'm thinking maybe I should do a little more.

Two winters ago in Texas, I felt a bad vibration, stopped the trailer and found a foot long section of tread missing on one tire. When I closely examined the other three tires, I found that on two of them you could just see - and feel - tread starting to rise away from the carcass of the tire on one spot. Naturally I changed all four tires SAP.

So I'm thinking that maybe it couldn't hurt to just put on one of those throw away nitrile gloves and run my hand around as much of the tread surface as I can get at every time or second time we gas up, feeling for any surface irregularity.

Worth it or a waste or time and a bit anal?! Not sure!

Brian.

[hookedonclassic]

Brian: I am thinking along the lines of you with my 2006 Classic as far as replacement of the original Marathons. Debating as to do it next spring or wait another year. Maxxis seem to be the choice I would opt for as well.

I noticed you had Centramatics on your trailer and also had a motorcycle. Two unrelated questions. Did you notice any difference with the Centramatics and do you haul your motorcycle in the back of your pickup when you tow your RV. If you do, you must had 8' box and high profile Leer cap on PU. I'm thinking of a BMW touring motorcycle but don't see how it would work with a 6.5' box and cap that is cab height.

[Airhouse]

I'll probably catch flack, but IMOP tires can be tended by checking HEAT at each and every stop. I just completed a 5000 mile trip pulling 1st a 34ft A/S and then a 29ft A/S and used infrared thermometer readings to assure the tires were keeping the same and even temps. Tires get extra heat as they deside to give up doing their job. So, except for road damage, I believe---- No Heat---No Problems!!! My Klute is now a must when we leave with the TT

[Wingeezer]

Originally Posted by hookedonclassic

Brian: I am thinking along the lines of you with my 2006 Classic as far as replacement of the original Marathons. Debating as to do it next spring or wait another year. Maxxis seem to be the choice I would opt for as well.

I noticed you had Centramatics on your trailer and also had a motorcycle. Two unrelated questions. Did you notice any difference with the Centramatics and do you haul your motorcycle in the back of your pickup when you tow your RV. If you do, you must had 8' box and high profile Leer cap on PU. I'm thinking of a BMW touring motorcycle but don't see how it would work with a 6.5' box and cap that is cab height.

Hello Rich,

To answer your question about the Centramatics, I haven't installed them yet!

I received them a few weeks ago, and as it happens, I have two defective
(ie cracked!) Alcoa wheels on my trailer. Alcoa has replaced them under warrantee - 5 years - and I just received them today. Hope to get them put on next week and I will install the centramatics at that time.

At first, when I read about them, it seemed a bit like "snake oil" but the more I read, I could understand the principle behind them. As well, there is a very good demo video on the centramatic website that actually demonstrates their effectiveness on a test rig.

I also put a fair amount of stock in what I hear from the good folks on this forum! I generally go with the "Concensus" of many posts rather than one, and in this case, people seem to think that they had reduced vibration in the trailer. Lots of reports about less drawers coming open, things falling, loose screws, popped rivets, etc., and at least one person claimed to have travelled in his trailer before and after installation of centramatics.

At that point, I felt that they were not that expensive, I couldn't see them doing any harm and they might do some good - so I bought them!


As for the bike, I would dearly love to take it to some of the places we visit, Big Bend in Texas, Arizona, etc., but I'm afraid it just isn't practical for me.

Our truck is a crew cab short box and has a regular Leer cap, the same height as the truck cab. (I prefer the looks of that style.)

We make a lot of use out of the back of the truck to keep clutter out of the trailer, and I think we would really miss it if we lost it.

I doubt I could carry the bike anyway with the short box, although maybe if I could leave the tailgate down. Being a 4x4, it is also pretty high and I'd be a bit nervous about riding a bike that nearly weighs 1000# up & down a steep ramp!

So the Goldwing stays at home and the mountain bikes come with us, riding on the front of the truck!

I have ridden the bike from one sea to the other & back though, and also down to Florida, so it gets used!

Cheers ......... Brian.

[Wingeezer]

Originally Posted by Airhouse

I'll probably catch flack, but IMOP tires can be tended by checking HEAT at each and every stop. I just completed a 5000 mile trip pulling 1st a 34ft A/S and then a 29ft A/S and used infrared thermometer readings to assure the tires were keeping the same and even temps. Tires get extra heat as they deside to give up doing their job. So, except for road damage, I believe---- No Heat---No Problems!!! My Klute is now a must when we leave with the TT

************************************************** ************

I do carry one of those IR thermometers, but usually just point it at the hubs, maybe I should experiment using it to check tire temps too, but I wonder if you would expect to find a tire heating up much as it started to delaminate? I could seen them heating up if low on pressure due to excessive flexing.


Brian.
Brian

[Ag&Au]

Originally Posted by Airhouse

....................................My Klute is now a must when we leave with the TT

I give up. I googled Klute and all I found were a bunch of links to a 1971 movie.
What is a Klute?
Ken

[B25guy]

Airhouse,

I thought I was being pretty diligent checking my tire temps at every stop(seemed obsessive compulsive to my family)...blew out a marathon up in MT this summer ten minutes after a stop!
I'll continue to check temps but I'm still puzzled why it let go. I was driving <65mph, it was 70ish degrees out and to my knowledge, didn't hit anything??? Well, it was almost 7 years old... but I think it was a delamination failure from the looks of the shredded remains.

Marc

[bjond]

Before a trip, jack up the trailer and spin the tire to see if its rotating smoothly. Look for out of round movement, up and down. And look for side to side movement of the tire.

I just had 2 Marathons that failed this test. Goodyear replaced them as they were beginning to separate. These were chinese Marathons with about 10K -12K on them and only 15 months old.

This started when we tried to spin balance the tires and observed the up/down and side to side movement.

BTW I'm also giving up on trailer tires and moving to LT truck tires on 16" rims.