Tire dilemma - Need some advice
02-10-2005, 09:34 PM
#1
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 148
Tire dilemma - Need some advice
Okay, so the other day when I was putting air in my tires, I noticed a flap hanging off of my front passenger side tire. It was still attached, but it was like flapping off.. not leaking, but still very unsafe. So, I had the full size spare in the trunk, popped that on, and I didn't even think anything of it. I just figured eh, wear and tear, could have been a pothole or something (I live right north of Boston, we don't call them potholes, we call them car cemetaries because not just the tire will fit in there). So I had the new one from the trunk on there, brought the bad one to a shop, got a new goodyear RSA put on there, cost me 210 bucks. I wasn't too mad because I just figured it was normal wear and tear. Now I'm reading all this stuff about cracks on the RSA's and I'm smacking myself for it. This probably wasn't even my fault, nor wear and tears fault, but a sucky tire fault. So now what do I do? I have a practically brand new tire running on my passenger side (probably like 20 miles on it), and and brand spanking new sucky Eagle RSA back in my trunk that I don't want anymore. Any advice on what I should do?
Also, on a sidenote, I was looking on tirerack.com and I found these 2 tires:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....omCompare1=yes
and
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....omCompare1=yes
Both seem to have great overall scores, and I definitely need something that will handle well in the snow. One is also about 100 bucks cheaper and almost exactly the same... Definitely better than my Eagles. Anyway, advice, input, anything to help me... Will goodyear take my brand new sucky eagle that I still have the receipt for? Do I put in a claim? Try to get the old tire back that there was a tear in? What tires do I replace them with if I can? Eagle's or one of the two mentioned above? Any/everything will help - Thank you!
Also, on a sidenote, I was looking on tirerack.com and I found these 2 tires:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....omCompare1=yes
and
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....omCompare1=yes
Both seem to have great overall scores, and I definitely need something that will handle well in the snow. One is also about 100 bucks cheaper and almost exactly the same... Definitely better than my Eagles. Anyway, advice, input, anything to help me... Will goodyear take my brand new sucky eagle that I still have the receipt for? Do I put in a claim? Try to get the old tire back that there was a tear in? What tires do I replace them with if I can? Eagle's or one of the two mentioned above? Any/everything will help - Thank you!
02-11-2005, 06:52 AM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 880
Whoa up a minute. The problem the RSA's have had wasn't "flaps hanging off the tire" ... it was splits in the sidewall that usually looked like they'd been made with an X-acto knife. Since you got your tire replaced, there's not much way of knowing if the tire was defective. As you put it, it may have been a cut made by a pothole or some other road hazard.
If you did this just the other day, you might check with the tire store and see if they still have your old tire. Most dealers go through a lot of rubber in a day, so it may be at the bottom of a big pile, or may have been hauled off already. But if they have it, you can take another look at it and see if it is the sidewall split problem.
Otherwise, closely examine your remaining tires to see if any of them have thin splits in the sidewall area. Better yet, have the tire store put the car on the lift and check them with a bright shoplight, including the back side of the tire. If they find splits on any of them, you have a case for getting reimbursed for the one you bought.
In spite of all the hate lavished on the RSA here, most people don't consider it a bad tire at all. I know I'm very happy with mine.
Mike
If you did this just the other day, you might check with the tire store and see if they still have your old tire. Most dealers go through a lot of rubber in a day, so it may be at the bottom of a big pile, or may have been hauled off already. But if they have it, you can take another look at it and see if it is the sidewall split problem.
Otherwise, closely examine your remaining tires to see if any of them have thin splits in the sidewall area. Better yet, have the tire store put the car on the lift and check them with a bright shoplight, including the back side of the tire. If they find splits on any of them, you have a case for getting reimbursed for the one you bought.
In spite of all the hate lavished on the RSA here, most people don't consider it a bad tire at all. I know I'm very happy with mine.
Mike
02-11-2005, 11:49 AM
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Bay Shore, NY
Posts: 819
Knock on wood I have not had a single issue with my RSAs. They have actually performed quite well in every bad road condition I have encountered including ice and snow. I still won't use them again when I need tires. I will look at Michelin at this point.
02-11-2005, 09:55 PM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: a meadow south of Atlanta
Posts: 8,143
leopor - As Mike_TX said, some folks have had good service from the RSAs, and some who didn't were treated very well by Goodyear.
You may have trouble attaining redress with the flapper (especially if the tire is no longer retrievable), but you should (as suggested by others here, examine the other RSAs very carefully. The splits are just as likely to be on the side of the tire facing toward the car as on the side facing away from the car. A few even found splits inside the tire after it had been removed from the wheel.
Just from curiosity, what were the dimensions and shape of the 'flap', and exactly where on the side of the tire was it located? Was it 'hinged' to the tire on the edge toward the wheel, toward the tread, toward the front (at the time the part of the tire with the flap was in contact with the ground) or toward the rear? Was there any sign of cutting (like if you had run over a scrap of sharp metal), or did it look as if the flap was just gradually separating itself from the tire carcass? Were any signs of cords/plys or other inner structure of the tire visible?
You may have trouble attaining redress with the flapper (especially if the tire is no longer retrievable), but you should (as suggested by others here, examine the other RSAs very carefully. The splits are just as likely to be on the side of the tire facing toward the car as on the side facing away from the car. A few even found splits inside the tire after it had been removed from the wheel.
Just from curiosity, what were the dimensions and shape of the 'flap', and exactly where on the side of the tire was it located? Was it 'hinged' to the tire on the edge toward the wheel, toward the tread, toward the front (at the time the part of the tire with the flap was in contact with the ground) or toward the rear? Was there any sign of cutting (like if you had run over a scrap of sharp metal), or did it look as if the flap was just gradually separating itself from the tire carcass? Were any signs of cords/plys or other inner structure of the tire visible?
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