Defect Threatens More Than 30 Million Tires

YEAH!

But much Like Amusement Parks today, there is a certain element of danger we consumers like to have in the products we buy! No big deal! When a new tire you just shelled out a hundred bills for explodes at 70 MPH its FUN for the Whole Family!

Sincerely

The Bush "right".

Ummmmmm I always insist on steel valve stems. I hate those rubber jobbers.

Larry

My first thought before reading the article was Made in China.

Or you could just check the pressure in the tires occasionally.

A great recipe for unearned fright for consumers. Why make the statement that a defect threatens tires in such a way as to make it appear that the tires themselves are at fault?

I find it strange that mainstream media outlets have not made any statement concerning such a serious problem. Is there a possibility that the threat isn't such a wide spread thing at all?

If the indicated problem is that bad, within a short time a great uproar will come from consumers.

Without the Valve Stems You would not have a tire.

Larry

Larry the valve stem sit in the wheel not the tire.

"Without the Valve Stems You would not have a tire."

Where's the valve stem on your belly?

Larry the valve stem sit in the wheel not the tire.

Posted by salamandagator

Talk about persnickety....

Tire.... Wheel..... To 90% of americans, that's a distinction without a difference. unless you're a tire manufacturer I guess.

Does the difference change the fact that you could die as a result of the cracked valve?

"Or you could just check the pressure in the tires occasionally.

Posted by salamandagator at 2008-06-24 10:49 AM"

Idiot Flag. How would peridocially checking the pressure in the tires prevent a rapid air loss due to a crack in the stem? Or maybe you meant "every mile or so" when you said "occasionally"?

At any rate, asking valve stem mfr's to make their product without dangerously defective cracks is probably a better approach than asking granny to check her tires in hopes of avoiding a rapid air loss due to a crack she can't even see.

Kuma smell lawsuit
Kuma no want bad tire
Kuma break bad tire!
KUMA ANGRY!!!
Kuma tired. Kuma sleep now.

"Does the difference change the fact that you could die as a result of the cracked valve?"

The difference is it's a maintenance issue no an absolute failure. If it were a defect in the tire you could expect catastrophic failure resulting in the possibility injury or death. Instead, this could leak and cause your tire two go flat but thats about it. If you are stupid enough to drive on a flat then i doesent matter what caused it you are responsible your own dumb actions. Also i do not know of anyone that confuses a wheel and a tire, you dont go in for a new set of wheels every 40,000 miles,you don't put a set of chrome cragar ss TIRES on, it not like calling wheels rims they are two completely different things.

Without the Valve stem You would have a deflated ring of rubber. Much like Your average Bushite.

Larry Mohr

PS What about Tires with Innertubes?? Many folks use extentions on those.

Hey Vernon without air in that ring of rubber all You have is a ring of rubber You do not have a tire.

Larry

"How would peridocially checking the pressure in the tires prevent a rapid air loss due to a crack in the stem?"

Ride the bus do we?
This "rapid air loss" is crap. They are rubber, semi- self sealing and relatively small. I have had bad valve stems, some that did not seat and some that broke and leaked, they did not dump pressure at a rate that would put me in danger. When you start needing to put air in every couple of days the you get it fixed they cost about 4 bucks each.

"Ride the bus do we?
This "rapid air loss" is crap.

Posted by salamandagator at 2008-06-24 01:04 PM"

Can't read, can we? "Investigators blamed rapid air loss in the right rear tire." Let's see, experts, investigators on the scene, looking at physical evidence vs. Salaman who used to work the cash register at Sears talking out of his puckered starfish...

Rapid air loss combined with bead breakage causes the tire to explode and or cause the vehicle to flip over. Not unheard of.

Larry

" looking at physical evidence"

They called them cracks, cracks do not allow "rapid air loss" they allow a leakdown. Do a little experiment. Since it is pretty obvious you don't drive or own your own car ask your parents first. Take of the valve stem caps, push the valve with a pen, count how long it take for the tire to completely deflate. Now that you got that figured out think of how long it take to get from 70 to 0, ok got it, good ask yourself this do you have enough time to brake? It's all about the volume of air, the pressure and the size of the leak and as the pressure leaks the will be less force to open the cracks slowing the air loss. Have you ever had a blowout? I have, that is a rapid loss, i have also driven on tires that would leak down to about 5 psi in an hour, still pretty quick but more then enough time to stop at a tire shop and get it fixed. Aside from a massive failure, any injury or death is a result of operator error.

Salaman - you try a different experiment. Slice your valve stem off. Then come back and tell us how long it took for your tire to deflate. Better yet, have your brother Darrel drive your pickup down the country road at 70 mph, while your other brother Darryl slices off the valve stem, then you use the family digital watch to time how long it takes for the tire to deflate. Let us know....

So you admit it could not be from cracks? There ya go, so what is left is the driver was negligent in his maintenance. It's not that hard, if you are too lazy to check and too stupid to feel the difference then get the caps that warn you if they are low. But i guess it is always easer to blame the inanimate object then find fault in the person that is part of the species that we consider the most intelligent on the planet.

"you dont go in for a new set of wheels every 40,000 miles,you don't put a set of chrome cragar ss TIRES on, it not like calling wheels rims they are two completely different things."

Yeah...I would think everyone would know the difference between a computer and a monitor but you have no idea how many times, when I worked on an IT helpdesk, that I would ask people to restart their computer and they would turn their monitor off and on. I really liked the people who called the monitor the computer and the computer the modem. They were the best.

"But i guess it is always easer to blame the inanimate object then find fault in the person that is part of the species that we consider the most intelligent on the planet.

Posted by salamandagator at 2008-06-24 02:25 PM"

I guess its always easier to blame the consumer who was stupid enough to expect that the mfr made a good stem, instead of a dangerously defective one. "Sorry you got salmonella, mom. Why didn't you just test the hamburger before you used it?" Salaman

And no, I don't agree that it could not be from cracks. I believe the investigators, and these folks, not anonymous blogger expert-wanna-be Salaman:

"blogs.consumerreports.org

"Cracks in valve stems can cause tires to lose air quickly, and such air loss at highway speeds can result in tire failure and a loss-of-control crash.

Most consumers will have a have a hard time figuring out with any certainty if they have any of the defective valve stems on their tires, however. That's because once a valve stems is installed, the only way to check to see if it is one of the suspected models is to dismount the tire from the wheel and inspect if from the inside."

Gee, son, I'm sorry the blade on your new lawn mower went flying across the yard and blinded your daughter, but did you check to see if the bolts were tight before you used it?

Salaman

Gosh, it sucks that granny died in the plane crash, but all she had to do was inspect the wing for microfractures. I can't see why grandpa is blaming the airline's maintenance crew.

Salaman

Stupid astronauts didn't inspect the foam on the fuel tanks before they took off. Their fault!

Salaman

If Uncle Jeb just would have made sure no one rear-ended him, his Pinto wouldn't have exploded and burned him to death. Jeb's fault.

Salaman

You wouldn't believe it. My stupid daughter didn't inspect the breast implants I got her for her junior high graduation, and now they leaked and she's sick. My daughter is so dumb.

Salaman

You're a lawyer huh monte?
No one can be responsible for them selfs or at least not as long as you can get money from it.

Think they should fold the edges of paper to avoid cuts?
Are knives too sharp when they ship them?
Are the coffee mug not clean enough new?
Should hammers come with a safety strap so they can't be dropped off a ladder?
Do we really need the HOT warning on everything?
Or are you willing to take something resembling responsibility for your own life?

No?

Didn't think so.

Monte; if you fail to clean or replace a bandage is the doctor responsible for your infection?

would you swing a 2x4 at someones face because someone told you it wouldn't reach?

Would you play with a gun if someone told you it was unloaded?

How about letting a viper bite you because you were assured it was defanged?

Accidents happen. I am surprised at how many people are willing to trust their live to a mass produce product without a second thought. The only way to be sure is to test yourself not some 16 year old punk at discount tires. I Would have thought it would have been common sense, i guess i was wrong there are more stupid people then i thought.

So think about it next time you are walking down the stairs. If that next step is 1/2 inch shorter and you fall and break something, will you call a doctor or a lawyer. As for me i will watch my step.

Oh and the rest of us will keep an eye on the news for your lawsuit against a tack manufacturer for not painting them bright enough and causing you to sit on one. Have fun with or complete and utter dependence on other people, my 6 month old daughter seems to enjoy that so why not you too.

trouble with Salaman's argument is He wouldn't know He had a defective valve stem until it was too late.But He claims to be ummmmm responsible and all. Yawnnnnnnnn

Larry

YEAH!

But much Like Amusement Parks today, there is a certain element of danger we consumers like to have in the products we buy! No big deal! When a new tire you just shelled out a hundred bills for explodes at 70 MPH its FUN for the Whole Family!

Sincerely

The Bush "right".

Read the article, redneckshill. It has nothing to do with tires exploding or Bush.

What a fucking idiot.

"Accidents happen.

Posted by salamandagator at 2008-06-24 03:27 PM"

A manufacturer producing and selling a defective valve stem is not an "accident," retard. The mfr SOLD these defective stems and made money from them. i don't think it is too much to ask for the mfr to be RESPONSIBLE for the consequences of its choices and actions. Or in salamn's world are corporations exempt from responsibility, and only individuals have this req't? What a shill.

"trouble with Salaman's argument is He wouldn't know He had a defective valve stem until it was too late.But He claims to be ummmmm responsible and all. Yawnnnnnnnn"

I would know as soon as it's a problem, i would fix it ,that would be the end.

" i don't think it is too much to ask for the mfr to be RESPONSIBLE for the consequences of its choices and actions."

The consequences of it's actions are limited to the leak. It is not their fault the driver was a dolt, their liability ends with the valve stem. If you bothered to read the company's press release the were nice enough to off to pay for tire damage. See my problem is i keep forgetting that people like you exist, one that would have unlimited liability become mandatory. And, still there will always be those who neglect an object that holds their life in its hands and those who are surprised when it fails. In the end, if he would have kept up on his maintenance it would have been avoided.

You would like to seize on this opportunity to stoke you hatred of anyone or anything that is more unsuccessful than you, any chance to "rage" against "the man." Too bad you have thrown out reason in the process. So, keep those eyes firmly shut, pretend you don't see people driving on low and flat tires. Keep up the good work keeping rational thought from polluting your brain waves.

"You would like to seize on this opportunity to stoke you hatred of anyone or anything that is more unsuccessful than you,...

Posted by salamandagator at 2008-06-24 05:25 PM"

I'm not even sure what that means. ("More unsuccessful"? When Bush said we should "make the pie higher," were you the one in the audience nodding his head in agreement?)

"more unsuccessful"

Spell check and dyslexia do mix.

DAMN, They do NOT mix.

Hey Vernon without air in that ring of rubber all You have is a ring of rubber You do not have a tire.

You are right, Larry. In fact, there is a store near me called Discount Rings of Rubber. Their showroom is indeed filled with rings of rubber, not tires.

I've always thought that One Tire + One Rim = One Wheel, no?

One Tire + One Rim = One Wheel

Yes.

Be Well.

Rim is incorrectly used as a replacement for wheel, the rim is the outermost part of the wheel that the tire mounts to. A wheel is made of the center section welded(usually) to the rim and is a completely separate entity.

"CENTER" plus "RIM" equals "WHEEL".
Wheel plus tire equals wheel and tire, get it?