Steer Tire Blowout

[CydBla]

I am so glad you all did not have any physical trauma. Does your Super C have steering stabilizers?

 

[Rich W.]

Since this is a steer tire failure thread I’ll post my theory about them here although I just posted it on its own and I believe I’ve mentioned it before. But if my ideas are at all valid, it’s worth considering.

So here it is:
CD allows us to easily steer the tires while the coach is stationary, something that would be much more difficult without CD. This causes a lot more twisting and torsion on the belts, tread, and sidewalls - basically all the components of the tire.

And even if we try to be careful and ensure we are rolling a bit while turning the wheel, the system will automatically re-center if we shut down with the wheel turned, moving or not. It’s almost unavoidable. And unless I’m misinformed (please correct me if you know otherwise) you can’t even “turn down” or turn off CD because at low speeds it automatically has the highest level of assist regardless of the settings.

So that’s my theory - CD allows us to twist the crap out of our steering tires while stationary -
something “normal” power steering would make very difficult, and of course normal PS does not automatically re-center.

Comments? Other conclusions? This theory is totally biased, non-scientific, and based only on multiple (and seemingly excessive) accounts of otherwise unexplained early steer tire failure on Newmar DPs. For my part I’m being diligent about preventing this condition, at least on pavement, but try as I will, it still happens.

 

[MemoriesByTheMile]

I think your theory makes sense that the twisting/scrubbing of tires can weaken them. Though we have a super c, and do not have CD, my Bride watches and reminds me to not turn the wheels while sitting stationary, even if it means more back and forth maneuvering. Once when I did not listen and turned the wheel while stationary, I tore a couple pieces of tire edge off. Not doing that again.

 

[BGMAC]

I wish I had read this post before my trip to Alaska. One of my thoughts was to bring an unmounted tire with me just in case. I didn’t do it, but now I’m going to rethink this. If I have a tire issue at least I can give them a tire that would match the rest.