We are driving down the freeway and we hear a clicking noise and then a ting (as if something flew out of a tire) and then a whirring noise and realize the tire is now flat. We pull over and there does not appear to be any odbvious holes in the tire. Weeks before my husband had been telling me to check the tire pressure and I wasn’t able to. We are guessing that it had been a few months since the tire pressure had been checked last. He filled the tires up about a week prior to the blow out. Each tire was about 5-10 psi low. This is a 1979 Cadillac Coup Devile on true spoke rims and good condition used tires. My question is: What is the most likely cause of the blow out?
The sidewall was probably rubbed out of the tire. The sidewalls are much thinner, have fewer plies, and running with the tire pressure low can make them pasteboard thin. Eventually, they give up the ghost.
Once a tire has been run low and the sidewall worn the tire is junk. If the other tires have been through the same exercise then you need to consider a full set. It’s cheaper than a funeral.
Wow. 10 psi low is really dangerously low. You really need to be a lot more vigilant about tyre pressure.
If you bought used tires thats the likely culprit. Its a serious compromise running around on subpar tires that can kill you.
You didn’t say whether you had the tire checked or repaired. There are too many possibilities to speculate. There could have been a puncture, even though you didn’t see anything, or the sidewall could have been cut by something on the road.
Regardless, driving on under-inflated tires is dangerous, and it’s VERY hard on the tires. Get in the habit of checking the tire pressures AT LEAST once a month, and more often if possible, and keep them properly inflated at all times. This will also help you attain the maximum fuel mileage possible for your car, which saves you money.
“…We hear a clicking sound…”
That is probably an object that has penetrated the tire.
“…Then a ting…”
The object coming out
“…the tire is now flat…”
Yeah, the penetrated object caused the flat.
" …there does not appear to be any obvious holes…"
In the tread area, punctures can be hard to find. Take the tire off the rim. Punctures are much easier to see from the inside.
BUT
There is a 10% probability that the puncture occurred in the sidewall and you will never find it due to the damage.
Nevertheless, the most likely cause of the blowout is a puncture.
Thank you all for your responses. We replaced all of the tires today with all new winter tires and the one rim is now bent so we are on a hunt for new rims. I guess its time for me to make tires a high priority, regardless of whether or not the popped tire was punctured. Thanks again for your feedback. I appreciate it.