2001 Michelin MXT sudden internal structure fail

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GuillaumeG

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The video here

Hey guys,

Friday, i was driving back from work, and i suddenly heard a burst noise, but not very loud... I thought about my tires, so i swerved a bit to feel if i had a flat tire...doesn't seem like so... i kept driving a bit, hearing a noise like if i had an unbalanced tire... i stopped to find my tire like that !!! incredible, first time i ever saw this !!! it still kept pressure fine... watch the video, i'm still astonished whenever i look at it. i managed to drive it back home 10 miles away...
 
If you wonder, the car is a french Citroen AX... it's a very small car, with small 145/70R13 tires, but 640kg, and not a huge top speed either (45 hp!)
 
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Originally Posted By: GuillaumeG
2001 Michelin MXT


Are those tires really 14 years old?


If so that would explain why Mich recommends replacing tires at 6 years.
 
Yes they were 14 years old, i thought the only danger was as the rubber became harder, it would loose grip... i'm mesmerized that such a thing could happen without a pothole or a kerb being hit
 
That's the same reason all the RV's have blowouts on tires with a ton of tread, old hard rubber falls apart! I actually don't like tires with a 700 plus tread wear because by the time they wear out I don't feel safe driving on them.
 
I'm sure it was that giant bee that stung your tire
wink.gif
. Great car, I'm friends with a few Citroen club members in Chicago, USA. I'll join the club when I get my SM
 
That happens when the tires get old. My wifes horse trailer did the same thing . The spare had a lump then a few weeks another tire had a lump on it so all the tires were replaced.
 
Glad you are safe, but age is a key factor in tire safety.

I can't say if that was the problem with your tire's defect, but there are multiple sources citing the importance of not using tires beyond their recommended useful time. There's was alot of discussion in the US about this very issue, but the law was not enacted.

I had a similar issue years ago. The tires were 8 or 9 years old at the time of failure.
 
Yeah those tires are way past their proper usage time. But who am I to speak, I've got a tire on my trailer that's 14 1/2 years old and another that's 12 years old. Works just fine.
 
had a boat trailer tire do that it bulged out so far it was rubbing a fender.
 
Last edited:
Allow me to confirm - even though I don't like doing failure analyses by photo - much prefer seeing it in person - that it is a belt separation.

If the tires are 14 years old, then, ultimately, that is the cause.

As rubber gets old, it loses its structural properties. The belt edges of a steel belted radial tire are the most highly stressed area of the tire and they typically fail first - usually under the edge of the top belt. Over time the separation grows until it encompasses the entire width of the belt. The separated area forms a elongated triangle - and that is why the tread on this tires is S-shaped.

But a disturbing aspect of the report is the "burst" noise that was heard. I wonder if there was impact damage caused by - say - a pot hole, and because the tire was old, the result was a small separation that grew in the 10 miles it took before the tire was removed. There does look to be damage to the tread in that area, but it is hard to tell from the video. That's why I like to see these things in person.

So, perhaps, we are looking at a combination of factors.
 
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