1984 Toyota Pickup

I PURCHASED A USED VEHICLE WITH NEW LEMANS CHAMPION SE TIRES ON IT (P185/75R14) APPROXIMATELY FIVE YEARS AGO. I ONLY DRIVE THIS VEHICLE OCCASIONALLY (11,000 MILES IN 5 YEARS). ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO THE VEHICLE STARTED PULLING TO THE RIGHT AS IF IT WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT. RECENTLY, WHILE I WAS AWAY AT WORK, THE LEFT FRONT TIRE SUFFERED AND EXPLOSIVE FAILURE WHILE SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY. IT LOOKS LIKE A HIGH SPEED SEPARATION. I EMAILED THE MANUFACTURER WITH PICTURES AND THE RESPONSE WAS A COPY OF THE WARRANTY INFORMATION (12 MONTHS). MY MAIN CONCERN WAS THAT THE TIRE'S STEEL BELTS SEPARATED WHILE SITTING STILL. IF IT HAD HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, ONE CAN IMAGINE THE RESULTS. I IMMEDIATELY PURCHASED NEW TIRES, DIFFERENT BRAND, AND TOOK THEM TO MY MECHANIC FOR INSTALLATION. HE INFORMED ME THAT ANOTHER ONE OF THE TIRES HAD STEEL BELT SEPARATION ALSO. AS I DESCRIBED THE VEHICLE PULLING TO THE RIGHT WHILE DRIVING, HE EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY THE ONE TIRE ON THE LEFT FRONT HAVING A LARGER DIAMETER DUE TO STEEL BELT SEPARATION.

CONSUMER STATES OVER TIME, PART OF THE AXLE SHAFT ONTO WHICH THE BEARING IS FITTED BEGINS TO BECOME THINNER, IN THE SAME MANNER THAT A CYLINDRICAL PIECE OF PLSTICENE WOULD BECOME THINNER IF ROLLED BETWEEN THE THUMB AND FOREFINGER, THE BEARING GRADUALLY BECOMES LESS AND LESS TIGHTLY FITTED ONTO THE AXLE SHAFT, THE FIRST SIGNS ARE A CLUNKING NOISE HEARD WHEN TURNING OR GOING OVER BUMPS, THEN SCRAPING NOISES ARE HEARD FROM THE REAR BRAKES DURING TURNS, BOTH AXLE SHAFTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED, IF THE SYMPTOMS ARE IGNORED, THE BEARING BECOMES SO LOOSE THAT IT BEGINS TO ROTATE AROUND THE AXLE SHAFT, CAUSING THE SHAFT TO OVERHEAT AND BREAK WHILE THE VEHICLE IS UNDERWAY. *SLC