BLOWOUT!!! WHATS GONNA HAPPEN???

[KELLY BROWN]

I like many of you have the stock Steeltex tires. I'm aware of the controversy surrounding them but has anyone on this forum actually had one fail??

My main question is what should I expect to happen if and when one does fail. We all know about the Explorer and what it does. Will our X do the same or something similar?

Hope not but would like your opinion.

Kelly

[UTAH]

So far, statistics indicate the Steeltex tires we have on our X's fail at a "normal" rate. So, it could happen - but not above average.

I'm no truck stability expert, but I do think the X would do better than most vehicles if a blowout happened. My rationale is based upon:

1) The long wheelbase of the X lends linear stability.
2) The weight of the X & subsequent inertia is harder to deflect.
3) The heavy nose (particularly of a PSD X) decreases the tendancy to swap ends.
4) 16" wheels leave less "squirm" room for rubber if the tire fails.

I feel pretty safe. Partially, it's because of my (ahem) older status. I remember the days when all tires were unreliable. Blowouts and flats were common. Many people used to carry TWO spares and often needed both. Nowadays, I've owned several vehicles which have never had a flat. Compared to those old days, I think we're doing pretty darn good. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Offspring]

As in most driving situations it is better to remain a driver, don't just be along for the ride! Think about situations you may encounter ahead of time and think about what you would do in any given situation. If a tire goes out, maintain accelerator pressure, don't brake, if you do brake don't apply hard pressure. You may have to make some slight steering adjustments, try not to input severe steering. Drive it to a safe location and get it changed. I have told my wife this for years (along with don't make drastic steering inputs to avoid things on the roadway unless you have time or object is heavy/large), and she had a right rear freeway speed blow out on our lifted C***Y Suburban with 33" tires. It was a very uneventful situation. I also agree with the comments about stability of the X. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[H ED S]

Kelly should you have a blowout what ever you do do not oversteer. That gets more people in trouble than anything else in an emergency of this type including wet and snow. Here is a link to a section and I have other links to other topics on this. The tires are junk so watch them close.

http://forums.ford-diesel.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=26&t=001062

Take care and good luck.

If you have not been welcomed to the forum consider yourself WELCOMED [img]images/icons/laugh.gif[/img] . Look around and enjoy it as most of us do.

[cliffsurfs]

UTAH, I agree with you. I would like to change tires if they have a call back, just for piece of mind but the stats indicate there not that bad of tire. All brands of tires fail but it seems you can only get info. on OEM supplers failure rates. There's a cuzillion Firestones out there so your going to hear more complaints. Example is Rolls. makes the best car, cuz I never seen one being towed. You connot compare, say a Cooper to a Firestone again for every 1 Cooper there's a 100 or more Stones sold. It would be nice if you could get comparison failure stats on say for every 10k tires sold. (Not counting the Wilderness). My Steetex were made in Canada. I've been to several tire stores they all tell me to run them out there good tires, but pump them up. I run 65lbs all the way round. But it's always in the back of my mind. You will feel a tire start to seperate, you should always paying attention and should be able to stop unless it blows. Im not worried about control as much as damage to the truck when that belt starts to fly around. my $.02 cliffsurfs

[Enlitn]

The increased stablity of our X's are a big factor. Having an Expedition as a company truck as well as our pickups and the X, driving the Expedition is an adventure at first. The steering on it as well as an Explorer are very close ratio, meaning you move the wheel a little does a lot, plus softer(more car like) suspensions do not help. Oversteer is probably the biggest factor in all the "Blowout" situations with those trucks because they are slightly more unstable. When my wife and I purchased our X last fall, we had to drive it 300 miles home through snowstorm after snowstorm, she drove the Expedition because it had studded tires(couldn't find the right size for the X in the big city). Going across the flats the wind was howling across the road. The X with Firebomb A/T's was fine, however the Expedition with studs was getting blown all over. When we got home and finally got studs on the X, the first time my wife drove it(we didn't even take it out for a test drive). Well needless to say she hasn't drove the Expedtion since because the X feels better(not so squirrelly). Now need to get the peeling(cracks forming between tread and casing) Firebombs off the Expedition now that Fords buying new ones.......

[RDSII]

KELLY BROWN


I had a blowout on my third day of owner ship on I80 in the fast lane during rush hour on the Driver rear. Truck stayed stable. I slowly took it down and off the road. Like the other have said over reacting is not good.

[JWGENE]

I had a rear driver side blow out with my wifes excursion northbound on the florida turnpike.It was february and cool. I was doing 80 mph in a 70 or 75 zone. The road was straight and empty. The tire pressure was 55 psi all around. When the tire blew I thought I heard a gun shot. I began coasting while trying to figure out what happened. From 80 to 60 the car tracked straight. I never touched the brakes. At about 55 mph the tire started making the running flat noise and I tried to turn gently into into the slow lane. This was a mistake, the car started swaying back and forth about 1 foot. I aborted the turning idea and ran the car straight until about 30 mph. At that speed I was able to get the car on the shoulder and stopped. The tire that blew had a convex lump 1 inch wide and 2 inches long from tread toward rim since the day I bought it. I since have learned concave is good (belt overlap) convex is bad(broken belt). My pickup now has a convex lump on a rear tire. I am going to rotate this tire to the spare.
These tires are dangerous. Be careful out there.