How to identify damaged OTR tires
It’s vital for operations to inspect their OTR tires daily to maximize tire life and productivity. When inspecting tires daily, be sure to check the following:
- External appearance of the tire
- Rims and valves
- Inflation pressure
In addition, below are some of the major signs of damaged off-the-road tires and what actions to take.
1. Puncture and cuts
| Cause | Result | What to do |
| Small hard object penetrates the tread, casing, and inner liner. | Air Loss and loss of casing strength. | If caught early, the tire can usually be repaired and returned to service. If the cut is too deep, scrap the tire. |
2. Separation (when the tread is separated from the belt or casing ply)
| Cause | Result | What to do |
| Normal shear forces in a working tire after being cut. Keep in mind that small cuts can turn into separation over time. | Heat build-up and consequent increase in size of separation. | Early detection tire may be able to be repaired. If not detected early, tire will be scrap. |
3. Heat separation
| Cause | Result | What to do |
| Excessive TMPH (brake heat and loads) | Tread or bead area separation. Rubber is usually smells burnt. | Stay within TMPH requirements and monitor all loads. |
4. Turn up separation
| Cause | Result | What to do |
| Excessive shear and/or bending force in bead area. Excess load causing tire to bend over top of flange. | Heat buildup and subsequent separation, but may be a manufacturer issue. | Proper and evenly distributed loading of vehicle. Remove once the steel is showing. |
5. Impact breaks
| Cause | Result | What to do |
| Excessive impact energy loading beyond breaking strength of casing. | Immediate air loss (blow out) or damaged cords causing separation. | Scrap the tire and focused on improving clean up and proper operation. |
6. Over deflection
| Cause | Result | What to do |
| Under inflation, overloading | Casing fatigue, heat fatigue, radial cracking, liner failure, irregular wear patterns. | Double-check inflation to ensure it matches the load up to the max allowable. Check rim flange to make sure it is correct. Review loads hauled to determine if overloads are prevalent. Awareness training is required. |
7. Bead fatigue
| Cause | Result | What to do |
| Manufacturing or improper operating. | Indexing on the wheel and potential bead area separation. | Reduce bead lubricant on the tire install and conduct proper operating training. |
8. There’re other signs of damage such as chipper separation, due to manufacturer issue. Continue to run the tires and monitor closely until steel is exposed.
9. Belt edge separation
10. Hydraulic oil damage
Tires are costly investments for your OTR operations, MAXAM Tire always suggest operations conduct a strict maintenance program to ensure maximum tire life. If you have further questions, please contact your local MAXAM rep for assistance.
