Tyre failure on Fraser Isl

[pprass]

About 2 months ago I posted that I was concerned at lowering the tyre pressures on my D4 (255/55/19) to 18psi while driving around Fraser Isl. In the front I was running 2 Goodyear Wrangler Duratracs and in the rear 2 Hankook Dynapros. The Hankooks were on their way out, but I decided to use them on this trip and replace them when we returned with Duratracs - well that didn't exactly go to plan now did it!

There is quite a tricky section on Fraser Isl called Ngkala Rocks and when we got to within 500 metres, we could see a long line of vehicles waiting to go through the rock/sand pass. The reason that there was such a long line was because every second or third vehicle was getting bogged after going up a jump-up as the sand was really soft and you couldn't get a run up to gain momentum. Once up the jump-up, you just had to plant your foot and go like the clappers!

Well - we eventually made it after I pressed the correct buttons and kept them set (that's a whole other story [bighmmm]) and we flew along the soft sand that lots got bogged in - a bit scary for a while as there was a camber going to the right and then a drop off over rocks and then the ocean!

However - there was a big cost of doing that. Unfortunately the Hankooks do not like being let down too far and the side walls are not that strong it seems. Should have just lowered the Hankooks to around 25psi I think. The Duratracs did well and stood up to the lower pressure - but they were in the front.

Anyway as I am writing this post, I received a call from the tyre dealer here in Port Macquarie and 2 new Duratracs have been delivered and will be fitted in about 30 minutes time [smilebigeye]

[RHS58]

I don’t profess to being an expert, but judging by the tread on that tyre, it was all but rooted, and you just finished it off.
I personally would replace my tyres before that amount of wear, particularly if planning on going off road.
All said, you got your money’s worth out of them. Can’t really complain.

[timax]

I would think a 55 series tyre is less than ideal for the situation.

[cjc_td5]

Judging by the photo I think you got a fair run out of them. They were buggered before you left for the trip!

[Lukeis]

If you’d left them at 25psi and it was a soft sand day on the island I can all but guarantee you would have been bogged with the others

[Lukeis]

Just to add, I’d guess that regardless of the condition of your tyres if you run low profile tyres with the air down they won’t enjoy driving on a steep camber

Sounds like a case of damned if you do, damned if you don’t

[DiscoJeffster]

I’ve done two sidewalls on rocks now in my 19’s. In one case speed and blindness was a factor. In the second blindness was (I couldn’t see the submerged rock under the water). I felt the thud in both cases and just knew.

[Russrobe]

Agree with others, those tyres should never have left the city.

Half the reason i run two sets is I won't go on an arduous trip such as Fraser without a min of approx 50% tread, so when my expensive D697s neared 50%, i decided to shelve them until i needed them on the next said trip.

I'd put it down to lesson learnt, and don't think you'd be any better off with ANY other type or size of tyre.

50% is within reason of course, but sand driving and corrugations would be at the top of my caution list.

[Redback]

This is a stitch up right??

[pprass]

The tread on the tyre that de-laminated looks a lot worse on that side than on the other, but as I said I knew that they had about 25% - 30% left in them before
i left on the trip, not knowing that they were going to have to do some extreme work to get through Ngkala Rocks on Fraser.
However the point is, regardless of the amount of tread (I remember being told that on sand the less tread the better actually!), the side walls cracked up. Also I am pretty sure that the de-lamination also occurred because the side structure of the tyre was not supporting the shoulder.

[Meccles]

Did you get stuck? If not then it was a success!

[Turtle60]

Agree with others, those tyres should never have left the city.

Half the reason i run two sets is I won't go on an arduous trip such as Fraser without a min of approx 50% tread, so when my expensive D697s neared 50%, i decided to shelve them until i needed them on the next said trip.

I'd put it down to lesson learnt, and don't think you'd be any better off with ANY other type or size of tyre.

50% is within reason of course, but sand driving and corrugations would be at the top of my caution list.

Having been to Fraser twice in the D4 first time running 19” grabber AT ( but not LT rated) and the second on 18 ko2 LT tyres and it was chalk and cheese. With the grabbers deflated to 22 psi and looking almost flat in the rear the car squirmed all over the place in the soft high beach sand. Next time on ko2’s at around 20psi ( and they still held form) was confident, steady and a total pleasure to drive. I was constantly expecting the grabbers to to come off on any uneven slope. However they didn’t but never again. Too stressful.

[cjc_td5]

The tread on the tyre that de-laminated looks a lot worse on that side than on the other, but as I said I knew that they had about 25% - 30% left in them before
i left on the trip, not knowing that they were going to have to do some extreme work to get through Ngkala Rocks on Fraser.
However the point is, regardless of the amount of tread (I remember being told that on sand the less tread the better actually!), the side walls cracked up. Also I am pretty sure that the de-lamination also occurred because the side structure of the tyre was not supporting the shoulder.No worries mate. I would be thinking that there would be more to it than just bald tyres. Any tyre old enough to have tread worn to that extent would have residual damage or fatigue in the whole construction, which would make them more susceptible to failure than a new tyre.

[DiscoJeffster]

The state of the tyres in questions is woeful. The outcome on a 15” would be no different. The edge was delaminated through neglect and inattention

[DiscoClax]

I was kind of leaning the same way. I wouldn't be blaming the tyres or brand in this case. The pics show a tyre that's had a very hard life long before Fraser...
Pics show evidence of being run for extended time on hard surfaces at very low pressures. Not on sand, I'm talking on bitumen and similar.

[Eevo]

This is a stitch up right??
im not sure but this thread has a lot of traction.

[DiscoJeffster]

im not sure but this thread has a lot of traction.

The tyres could have done with some stitching clearly [emoji23]

[ozscott]

Come on gents these tyre jokes just keep going round and round.

Cheers

[Toxic_Avenger]

I'll keep my eye on this thread from the sidewall.

[trout1105]

Regardless of the brand old worn out tyres will nearly always let you down when the going gets tough, Not to mention that they are a liability even in the city.
It is not that hard or expensive to ensure you always have a good set of tyres on your 4WD and without them your truck is pretty much useless.

[Slunnie]

Come on gents these tyre jokes just keep going round and round.

Cheers

But we never get tyred of them.

[Slunnie]

The tread on the tyre that de-laminated looks a lot worse on that side than on the other, but as I said I knew that they had about 25% - 30% left in them before
i left on the trip, not knowing that they were going to have to do some extreme work to get through Ngkala Rocks on Fraser.
However the point is, regardless of the amount of tread (I remember being told that on sand the less tread the better actually!), the side walls cracked up. Also I am pretty sure that the de-lamination also occurred because the side structure of the tyre was not supporting the shoulder.

There is a huge amount of debate about this, and there is no consensus. Never the less, a bald tyre is a very different thing to a smooth tyre.

[DiscoMick]

Hate to deflate you (groan), but I reckon those tyres were rooted long before you let the air out.

[Russrobe]

The tread on the tyre that de-laminated looks a lot worse on that side than on the other, but as I said I knew that they had about 25% - 30% left in them before
i left on the trip, not knowing that they were going to have to do some extreme work to get through Ngkala Rocks on Fraser.
However the point is, regardless of the amount of tread (I remember being told that on sand the less tread the better actually!), the side walls cracked up. Also I am pretty sure that the de-lamination also occurred because the side structure of the tyre was not supporting the shoulder.

lol, pprass, that tyre was borderline illegal before you even left for the trip, not with 25% tread left. You do realise the tread indicators are just a guide and that you need to have that tread depth all the way across the tyre. If it's bald on the edge, it has 0% tread left, doesn't matter if the middle has 99% left, it's still bald, illegal, unsafe to drive even on tarmac.

[scarry]

Now for my 2 cents worth...

There is no way i would have tyres like that on any of my private vehicles,or work vehicles.

And absolutely no way i would go away into what is an area where tyres are not available, with them like that either.

[tony66_au]

I always look at it this way, No matter how bad the tyres I always carry as many spares as I can when leaving the tarmac because off road can be hard on rubber, especially shagged out stuff.