Thor Forums

[nick104]

Has anyone actually measured the width of the 16 inch rims to see if the front and rear ( dual rims ) are the same size ? That seems pretty basis but a critical factor if you are going to carry only one spare tire and plan to use it on both the front and rear ( dually ) axil. I gained complete respect for tires last summer on a 6000 mile round trip to Seattle, WA from TN and again on a trip to the FL Keys. I had my first ever BLOW-OUTS. Michelin radial tires with plenty of tread, hot summer day in Montana, fully loaded E-350 class B Pleasure-way Van going about 70 mph on the Interstate HWY on Saturday afternoon about 3:30 PM. Rapid decompression, tread separation, wheel well damage, and sewer hose compartment damage. I safely made a good stop and got well off to the side of the road. Did I mention that the tires were 7 years old with no cracks or damage and I'm sure I didn't run over anything. After I had Good Sam road service come out and put the spare tire on ( 12 years old and never on the ground ) we limped to Billings Montana at 50 mph and got a motel room to clean up and calm down. Time from blow-out to motel was about 2 hours. Thank you Good Sam roadside service. My first call ever to them in 12 years with that van. Had the van weighed the next day and it was right at the maximum gross weight, 9400 pound. Moral : Don't try to get too many years out of your tires that look new and have lots of tread. Unfortunately I had another blow-out on the other rear tire 6 months later headed to the keys south of Miami. Those rear tires carried 80 psi ( the max) and most of the weight of the van. That did it. I bought 4 new tires and used the one I bought in Montana as my spare and watch my tires and their pressures very carefully now. The front tires carried 55 psi and the rear tires 80 psi. Take care of your tires and they will take care of you !!