Sidewall Damages

[Carp]

Guys, as some of you may remember, I work for BFG. My current project is trying to develop a test to better evaluate sidewall strength for our recreational off-road tires (All-terrains, Mud-Terrains, etc). (I know, life is rough ) As part of my development, I need to see tires that have been damaged on the trail so I can evaluate how the damage occurs.

Anyway, what I would like is stories, pictures, first hand accounts of how you have damaged a sidewall to the point of air loss, or seen someone damage their sidewall. If you still have the tire, I would love to get it from you. PM me and we can work out some arrangement.

This is why I'm going to GMSTR, to ride around and tell everyone what I'm doing, in hopes of learning more how these damages happen. Maybe even "witness" one. (Hopefully not a UC member )

Thanks!
David

 

[Capt. Jim]

Sharp rocks.

Hard40 had one of my damaged sidewalls repaired up there in the Upstate by some tire shop guy. It had a 2.5" chunk taken out of it on lower 2 one run. This was repaired about 2 years ago and repair is still good.

I hope you guys find out something useful this trip.

 

[GXO]

If you get me some MTs I will tear the sidewalls for you

 

[Carp]

If you've got a place "GUARANTEED" to cut a sidewall, I might be interested...

 

[alkaline747trio]

So if I try really hard to cut my sidewall from here on, and document it...could I get a set of 35" ATs?

 

[Southeast Overland]

I guarantee that if I am given a set of 4 MTs that one will end up cut - even if a box cutter has to be introduced into the situation...

I do think that you have an awesome job by the way...

 

[Blue77FJ40]

Cut my BFG TA sidewall on an easy streambead on some pointy rocks. I kept hearin a shhhhhhh shhhhhhhh shhhhh as I was slowly rolling. Stopped, and found a long vertical slit that kept opening as I rolled over the slit.

My subsequent MTR story: Found that when I stopped on an incline on Schoolbus, that I had rolled right into to a very pointy tree root and it was sticking over 3 inches into one of my MTR's sidewalls. I kinda freaked. When I rolled away from it I heard a loud POP. Stopped, and found absolutely NO damage. Couldn't even see where it had been embedded.

 

[Carp]

So if I try really hard to cut my sidewall from here on, and document it...could I get a set of 35" ATs?

Nope, can't do that. Wish I could, I'd have some set aside for a future Cruiser. But, if you're going to GSMTR, I know there is a set of 35" MT's at the raffle. Probably closest any of us will get to a new set of free tires..

Blue77, thanks for the story... Very helpful.

David

 

[GXO]

I won a set of 35s at a raffle once

 

[TimCFJ40]

OK, I'll play. On my Jeep Buggy (which I'm parting out to fund the cruiser) I run 36x12.50 TSL swampers. I slashed two tires in a streambed on the same side.

For those who haven't been there, Disney, OK is a pretty cool place to wheel. Basically, there was once a huge river that ran through the southeast corner of the state. This river was dammed up for a hydropower project and the shale rock streambed below the dam is dry all the time and open to 4x4ing. The shale rock makes formations like you'd see in Moab, except sharper and MUCH better traction. Anyways, back to the tire slashing.

In the middle of the riverbed there are HUGE gravel bars, probbably 1/2 mile long and 100 yards wide. These bars have some nice berms in them that would get the buggy fully airborne. So, We're getting 3-4 feet of air on the berms traveling down the gravel bars. At the far end of the bar there was a piece of slate rock that was 3-4 feet high and 10-15 feed around that I was rallying around to turn and go back at the jumps. On my last trip around the slate, I cut it a little close and bumped the shale on both inside tires, opening them up with huge 2' long slices from the tire scrubbing on the rock.

Moral of the story... High speed plus sharp rocks = Distroyed sidewalls.

As for a test for tires, I'd make sure that your test includes the tire spinning (as in trying to climb a ledge) and the introduction of a sharp object (as in trying to climb a ledge and having your front end slide off into a punji stick)

Good Luck!
Tim

 

[Carp]

Tim,

That sucks for you, but thanks for the story. That's exactly what I was looking for.

Thanks again,
David

 

[GXO]

Beasley knob has a few spots that have been known to eat sidewalls.

Last time I was there the spot I know claimed a swamper and a procomp MT.