[AL_Jazz]

So...blowing a rear tire at 85 MPH in the hammer lane on the interstate with a slide-in-camper in the bed is...exciting. I can only assume the sensor did not communicate properly with the truck and alert me to a low tire. When it blew, it blew the entire sidewall out. The truck handled it beautifully and I was able to move over to the side of the road with no issue. Now it DID bend my lower quarter panel, break the flare, and rip it most of the way off (you can see the black marks above and behind it).

Long story short, after an adventure in the rural South to locate a full set of tires in stock on a Friday afternoon I now have a new set of BFG KO2s on 17" wheels (higher sidewall for airing down). I am wanting to do a 4.5" lift but retain the load capacity due to hauling around my slide-in camper while improving the off-road ride with good springs and FOX or KING shocks.

What suggestions have yea? Let the festivities commence...

Pictures for reference and comment fodder...

 

[Stroking it]

I would venture to say that air pressure was fine at the time. This sucks but it looks like no damage to your truck.Glad you are fine. Another thing check the speed rating for those tires. You don't want that to happen again.

 

[AL_Jazz]

Good point...speed rating definitely should have been checked. When I had a Porsche Cayenne as my off-road vehicle, I ran Pirelli Scorpion ATs on it because they had a 120 mph speed rating in an off-road tire. I had purchased these tires and wheels used the previous week and had hoped to get a few months of wear before I made a decision on which tires I wanted to go with on this rig. This blow-out on the first trip out made that decision for me. That is why I purchased a full set vs replacing just the one. The date on those tires indicated they were manufactured in 2016...so sorta end of life anyway. I should have checked before I bought them, but I bought them more for the wheels anyway. I found a used 35" tire locally (I was in rural Alabama) and then located a full set of the BFG 315/70R17 which has an H speed rating (112 mph) and is the standard Raptor tire, up in Cleveland TN. I carefully made my way (with much reduced speed) up to Cleveland and had the new set installed and then proceeded on over into NC for the weekend of camping. Those really did well on the Gen 1 Raptor I had a few years back, so I am hoping they do well on here. It all worked out, but now I need to make a decision on the lift.

 

[ohno60]

Usually a sidewall blowout is indicative of high heat in the tire from the air pressure being too low for the weight you were carrying. Glad you and your truck are ok.

 

[AL_Jazz]

Usually a sidewall blowout is indicative of high heat in the tire from the air pressure being too low for the weight you were carrying. Glad you and your truck are ok.

Yup...and it was smelly hot indicating the same. Hence my frustration at never receiving an in-cab notification of a low tire. I had all the sensors replaced and confirmed operational status with these new tires...so HOPEFULLY I will not have an issue again.

 

[bugman]

If you are wondering if the sensors are working or not just let some air out of a tire and see if it triggers the sensor.

However I have seen blow outs on tires that were holding the correct pressure do to a defect in the tire or something else. The hot tire smell could of come from you running it flat when you pulled over after it happened.

 

[ohno60]

I know i'm old school. Ask anyone that knows me. But i trust a good old hand held air gauge more than a sensor. To each his own. A defect is certainly possible. But speed, plus load, air pressure and pavement temp all added together will be more likely the cause. Been there done that. Over 3 million miles cross country driving as an owner operator plus miles in my various personal trucks. Best thing we can do is live and learn. No one got hurt.

 

[Stroking it]

The stupid thing about the TPMS is it doesn't tell you which tire is low. Chevy does, only good thing about a Chevy though.