DickWells
10-06-2010, 18:45
A year ago last April, up in Oregon, I had a full set of American Eagle 16"X 8" wheels, with BFG Commercial LR-E, Light Truck tires put on our 33' Montana Mountaineer TT. Loved them from the start; still do, ------ but. A shop in Longview, WA put them on, on a Friday, and we motored on down to Florance, OR on Sat. to do some ATVing on the dunes down there. Had to air one of the tires up, before we could take off. It was down again on Sun. before we started home, and had to air up, again. Used some soapy water and a brush, and found a casting void on the inside of one wheel about mid way of the dish. Got it replaced, under warantee on Tues. by the same shop, and the shop owner said it was a "One-in-a-million, but it happens."
Well, I've been back to VT from OR, through WI, and back to TX and THEN, back to VT, by way of OR, WI, etc, and subsequently to AR, by way of WI, again, and every week or so, I've had to add air to one of those assemblies, ever since they went on the trailer. FINALLY, on Sunday, last, I made a rather abrupt stop, when something happened up ahead, near Springfield, Il, and soon, noticed that that location was loosing air. I have Smart Tire sensers in all 8 wheels. Stopped by a truck stop, and went in for lunch. Lost another 10 PSI while away for an hour! Got out a cup of water, with some Dawn in it, and a paint brush. Gonna check the whole tire By Gory! The valve was at about 4 o'clock and I swabbed on some suds. No leak around the valve, but the juice ran down onto the dish, and Holy Cow!, the rim is cracked about 1- 1/2" long along the outside of the dish, away from any radius! So fine, that even with 90psi of pressure in there, it doesn't show. But, that quick stop must have stressed it just enough to open it up beyond what it had been for almost a year-and-a-half.
Called the dealer back in WA, on Tues. and he contacted Eagle, who sent me to a dealer, here in Russellville, AR. I'm getting a new wheel, under warantee. Sometimes you have to think that modern technology is pretty darn great! Never dreamed that I'd get resolution on this thing before I got back to TX, and jumped through a whole bunch of whoops. I felt so good about it all, that I talked to the tech, here in Russellville, and I'm getting yet another rim and tire to match, and puting the sensor inside the new tire, and then into service, while I'll have them mount the old tire on a new rim and I'll have the matching spare that I've wanted all along.:)I've carried two spares ever since 07, and have had two occasions to be glad for it. Went through 2 sets of LR-E trailer tires in just over 2 years! That's why I switched to bigger, better wheels and LT tires. With almost 20K miles of towing, those tires hardly look used. No more trailer tires for the Old Fart. Still, you can't help but wonder how I could have 2 defective wheels out of 5, when the dealer here says that he's seen one with voids, and one cracked one, out of the hundreds of Eagle aluminum wheels that he's sold. Am I jinxed, or what?
Well, I've been back to VT from OR, through WI, and back to TX and THEN, back to VT, by way of OR, WI, etc, and subsequently to AR, by way of WI, again, and every week or so, I've had to add air to one of those assemblies, ever since they went on the trailer. FINALLY, on Sunday, last, I made a rather abrupt stop, when something happened up ahead, near Springfield, Il, and soon, noticed that that location was loosing air. I have Smart Tire sensers in all 8 wheels. Stopped by a truck stop, and went in for lunch. Lost another 10 PSI while away for an hour! Got out a cup of water, with some Dawn in it, and a paint brush. Gonna check the whole tire By Gory! The valve was at about 4 o'clock and I swabbed on some suds. No leak around the valve, but the juice ran down onto the dish, and Holy Cow!, the rim is cracked about 1- 1/2" long along the outside of the dish, away from any radius! So fine, that even with 90psi of pressure in there, it doesn't show. But, that quick stop must have stressed it just enough to open it up beyond what it had been for almost a year-and-a-half.
Called the dealer back in WA, on Tues. and he contacted Eagle, who sent me to a dealer, here in Russellville, AR. I'm getting a new wheel, under warantee. Sometimes you have to think that modern technology is pretty darn great! Never dreamed that I'd get resolution on this thing before I got back to TX, and jumped through a whole bunch of whoops. I felt so good about it all, that I talked to the tech, here in Russellville, and I'm getting yet another rim and tire to match, and puting the sensor inside the new tire, and then into service, while I'll have them mount the old tire on a new rim and I'll have the matching spare that I've wanted all along.:)I've carried two spares ever since 07, and have had two occasions to be glad for it. Went through 2 sets of LR-E trailer tires in just over 2 years! That's why I switched to bigger, better wheels and LT tires. With almost 20K miles of towing, those tires hardly look used. No more trailer tires for the Old Fart. Still, you can't help but wonder how I could have 2 defective wheels out of 5, when the dealer here says that he's seen one with voids, and one cracked one, out of the hundreds of Eagle aluminum wheels that he's sold. Am I jinxed, or what?