Tire blowout story

[35-709]

 If they were mine, based on personal experience and the great number of similar stories posted here, I wouldn't wait to find out.  I had a radial truck tire (on the left front - don't remember the make) come apart on me at 60 MPH, it was so sudden and violent that it pulled the truck across the road before I could regain control and bring it back.  Oh so very fortunate it happened on a quiet country road and no one was coming the other way.

I wouldn't play around with aging radial tires for love nor money.   

[Jim Miller]

Yes - you are correct. Given the delays in most business today, I'll need to get an order in.

[71 Fleetwood]

I've had two 'almost' blowouts caused by debris.  The tires burst very quickly and I kept good control.  There must be something about the explosiveness of a real blowout that sends the dynamics awry.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

The trouble with rear wheel blow outs is that one doesn't really feel the tyre falling to pieces, as one drives, unlike the front tyres that are connected to the steering wheel.   Problems here can be immediately felt.

But, when the rear tyre actually blows up, or out, the damage is done.

Years ago, I was driving my 2 1/2 Ton Station Wagon on a rough dirt road, and nothing felt out of place, but as soon as the sealed surface got under the car, the back was all over the place.   Stopped immediately, and found that the right rear tyre, a Radial, has completely destroyed itself, leaving the tread connected to the bead by narrow strips of rubber.

I remember back in the old days, when one got tyres fitted, only the fronts would get balanced, as the rear suspension always took up any imbalance of the rears.   I also recall following a car and the rear end was making all sorts on odd vibrations, and after informing the driver, of my observations, he said that he couldn't notice anything wrong.   Remember that this was back when all cars had  leaf springs in the rear.

Bruce.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

I had a rear blowout on my '59. They were new tires from Coker. Also the white walls started separating from all four tires.

When was this? Biases?

[gkhashem]

I had a rear blowout on my '59. They were new tires from Coker. Also the white walls started separating from all four tires. Another owner I knew had the exact same thing happen on his '59. On trips to Hershey, he carried a sign and one tire to tell the story for those interested.

Here we go again, let's trash the Cokers.

I have had 4 sets of Cokers, never had a white wall separate. Plus they stay white. People must drive their 60 year old cars like maniacs. They are not hot rods!

I get it you like your Diamond Backs.

[76eldo]

There is enough anecdotal evidence out there on Coker Tires to show that they are not putting out the quality product that they once had.
I have Diamond Backs on 2 of my cars and they ride great and the wide white for my 60 is still fresh looking after many years. The double stripes on my 70 Deville are great.
That's enough evidence for me to show that they make a great product that holds up.

I drove the 73 on tires that I didn't check for age. Shame on me.
I won't be doing that again.

Brian

[J. Skelly]

Another time I was visiting my brother and borrowed his car, which was two years old and had Firestone 500s.  One had already gotten a tread separation or blew up on him.  I drove it down a freeway and started hearing a rumbling noise from the front.  I suspected the belts were shifting in one of the front tires.  I pulled over and looked over all of the tires, then resumed my drive at a slow speed in the curb lane.  The noise resumed and the car suddenly became difficult to control.  I pulled over onto the shoulder and shut it off.  I was standing back several feet looking at the front passenger tire when it blew up!  Long story, but the lesson is don't take chances with old tires!  Even if they look good, don't trust them.   

[Lexi]

No one is damning all Cokers but I agree with Brian that there has been evidence that their product has recently diminished in quality. My old bias wide whites on Lexi were Cokers and I thought they were a decent to good tire when I replaced them (due to age). The previous bias tires were also Cokers and no issues with them either. So far then, I was a Coker supporter.

Then in late 2018 I bought the same set to replace what was on my car, (#613118 Firestone bias 820-15 x 3.5 WW). Within a year some were yellowing and also showing much signs of cracking in the white walls. My trunk spare is from the old set and it looks way better than the new ones on the car! This new set I have hardly cleaned, but when I have, I used the same materials I used on my previous set as I was mindful of possible premature aging after reading comments on this Forum. Regardless my worst fears have transpired as at least in appearance these recent Cokers have prematurely aged. My car is also always stored indoors away from sunlight. Nothing has changed except that I am putting less miles on my car and not cleaning the tires as much, but they now look not so good to awful, considering their age. They also don't even clean up as nice as the older set did. So they don't even clean well either.

A small sample so I won't make any broad sweeping conclusions, but I cannot exclude the possibility that Coker Tire quality at least with the type I have regularly used on my car for many years, is not the quality that they once were.    Clay/Lexi

[35-709]

Coker purchased the molds from Firestone & Goodyear (and others) for tires they had discontinued so they could make and sell the older style tires to those that wanted the original look/tire on their cars.  It is said that some of the problem with the Coker "reproductions" is due to the fact that the molds Coker purchased were already worn out.  Cannot verify that but it certainly sounds plausible.

[Lexi]

That is why I said we are not damning all Coker tires, as I thought that some of their product was made by other companies. As poster 35-709 indicated, I as well thought they made all the older tires from vintage, obsolete molds they had sourced, but some newer styles are made elsewhere. Not 100% sure who now makes their tires, so perhaps someone can clarify. Regardless, my 2018 set look like crap when compared to their 10 year old plus exact counterparts, which is at the very least a visual change in quality. There was also a sticker on my new tire wrappings that said "Hand crafted by Mike K". Maybe he can chime in! LOL. Regardless, Coker sold them so they are the "lightning rod" for customer complaints. As the net reports that Coker Tire was also sold to another company in 2018, that may be a factor. Clay/Lexi

Edit: My new set referenced in the above post are copies of vintage Firestone tires, bias-ply, replete with "pie crust" edge and wide white walls. They are a reproduction of a vintage product.

[Carfreak]

STA - Specialty Tires of America produce certain tires such as vintage agricultural & military style for Coker and also available from JEGS and other vintage tire suppliers.

FWIW, specs listed including sizes, load, ply for many of these tires are not correct.

[gkhashem]

Excuse me but I was telling exactly what happened with my '59. I am not lying about it. It seems some people today don't want to hear the truth but prefer to believe conspiracy theories. The author of this topic should have all the facts good or bad so he can make an informed decision...period!

My point is that you are and have been a vocal opponent of the Coker tires, my experience has been fine.

No one said you are lying about anything so cool down and I do not need to be excused since this tire topic often evolves into a trashing of one manufacturer.

To be frank about it, if I want radials on a car I buy off the shelf ones and save $500 instead of giving DB $1250 for a set plus a spare, but if I want the original look and ride I buy bias tires. I buy a bias tire because it looks correct and rides like it did when new. Unless your suspension is all beat up. I personally like to experience my car as it came new, if I want I new car I will buy one. To me the orignal look is only part of owing a classic the other part is the feel of driving one. I want the total experience not half of it.

You decide what you want and I will decide what I want. But blanket statements on products are not usually fair. One bad experience is not necessarily an accurate assessment of the product. I had one issue with a Coker tire and they replaced it. So they treated me fairly in that situation.

Now my last purchase was early in 2018 so I cannot fairly comment on the current quality of the tires.

The whole point of the thread was DO NOT DRIVE ON OLD TIRES NO MATTER WHAT BRAND THEY ARE.



The thread was not about Coker or Diamond Back, I have heard that already many times over from the same actors.

[dochawk]

I've had two blowouts.

One was on my still new 2006 Miata, a few months after purchase.

At 70-75 MPH, it all of a sudden *felt* like a flat, but wasn't pulling or anything, and kept happily driving straight. (it has those stupid huge rims with only a couple of inches of tire).

I pulled over and got out the goo and compressor they included instead of a spare. And watched as nothing happened. 

I looked closer, and saw that the inner sidewall had been sliced through, all the way around, by the rims. 

I then found that Mazdacare would *only* tow to a dealer--on Friday afternoon before a three day weekend, and neither had the tire in stock.  I *almost* turned down buying the car over the $375 tires, but figured that it was only a couple of times over the life of the car, and mentally amortized them into the price.

Anyway, Big O had another Michelin that could be used for half the price.  And on my final set, just before the engine seized the second time, I actually went to a slightly taller tire (which they had in stock, for a *lot* less.  And that stupid design had six gears with no overdrive . . .).


The second was rather clearly not the fault of the tire, in my '97 Eldorado ETC.  Same speed on the freeway, and it *did* take a touch of effort to keep straight pulling to the side.   something sharp had taken chunks out of my tire in a regular pattern.

And the idea of eight years on a tire . . . it's *highly* unusual to get a full three years here.   I no longer even worry about tread; the sides will go to dry rot from the sun long before that.  I was *stunned* to fin a tire wasn't under warranty on the van when it died, as the thought that I'd hit three years didn't even *occur* to me.

[Scot Minesinger]

Agree with Dave Smith, make sure the tires are not much older than 6-7 years.  Felt sick replacing my 7 year old Diamondback radials with 24k miles on them and plenty of tread life, but no sense driving 80 mph on the highway in modern traffic with potentially unsafe tires, so changed them out.  Sometimes cheap tires only last 3 or 4 years.  Buy good ones.

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

The first set of tires I bought for The Ark were Coker "original" bias ply. They lasted 100 miles, couldn't get them off fast enough, they were dangerous, Summit Racing gave me my money back. The Diamond Backs haven't lost an ounce of air pressure since I put them on, ride like a cloud, tread still looks new and I drive like the SSDD graduate that I am.

I *JUST* put a new set of Michelin Defenders on my SUV to replace the Michelin Lattitudes that were on there for 7 years and 60K miles.

Don't try to save money on your tires, classics or daily drivers. It won't end well.

[Big Fins]

I just bought these for the '69 Fleetwood.

https://www.amazon.com/Suretrac-Power-Touring-235-75-2357515/dp/B08DJBSPWX/ref=pd_sbs_4/146-3015420-3814612?pd_rd_w=9rANI&pf_rd_p=0f56f70f-21e6-4d11-bb4a-bcdb928a3c5a&pf_rd_r=FVN9ASXGJZKW6KJT1VPJ&pd_rd_r=ed44ffd7-ee0b-474f-9b75-7219ac704acb&pd_rd_wg=YWFKI&pd_rd_i=B08DJBSPWX&psc=1

Comparably priced at other outlets, I just don't care for the people that I know will be mounting and balancing them. I use my own trusted shop. It will most likely be a car that I resell in a short period of time, so $1300 for DB's is not in the picture. If it was to be a keeper, then I would get the thin/thick double whitewall that DB offers as a factory looking tire.