Posted by Matt in Colorado [208.84.58.122] on Wednesday, November 06, 2013 at 23:08:59 :
In Reply to: Re: 19.5 flat tires posted by TGP (IL) [64.12.116.207] on Wednesday, November 06, 2013 at 21:31:51 :
I am sure that this is the exception.
But I had a 1999 DRW new, had a warranty claim when the truck was about a year old and sat at the dealer for a few months (I was not happy) they called and said my truck was done, I went and picked it up as I had a haul to do.
As soon as I got out on the highway over 40 MPH I heard a high pitch squeal. I went back to the dealer and asked them if they drove the truck on the highway. They said no. The mechanic said they fixed the warranty issues, drove the truck around the block a few times and it ran great so they never saw the need to take it on the highway. He and I jumped in the truck and got out on the highway. He heard the same squeal I did when we were over 40 MPH.
He thought it was an odd noise and thought maybe it was coming from a bearing or a brake hanging up. We went back to the dealer and he put it on the lift. He checked all the hubs and nothing was hot. He checked all the u-joints and they were all tight. He checked all the fluids in the truck and they were where they should be and he checked everything else he could think of ALMOST. Then a 2nd mechanic helped him look it over, both were perplexed and had no idea. They said I should just drive the truck, it must be something odd from sitting for almost 3 months, and will work itself out.
With no other choice I went and grabbed my gooseneck trailer, boogied to Fairfield, IA, picked up a Dodge and hauled it to Flagstaff, AZ distance of 1350 miles. I heard that same annoying high pitched squeal the whole way, just kept the radio turned up.
After I dropped the truck off in Flagstaff I found the nearest truck stop to take a nap. Pulled around to the back of the truck stop which was a gravel parking lot and stepped on the brakes and heard a tire drag like a brake was possibly hanging up (first time I had been on gravel since the squeal started) I got out, walked around and checked all the hubs on truck and trailer. None of the hubs were hot like a brake had been hanging up.
Checked all the tire pressures. I discovered the inner driver's dually was flat with 0 PSI. I aired it up to 80 PSI, decided not to take a nap, got back on the highway and noticed immediately the high pitched squealing noise was gone. I discovered the noise was the flat inner dually tire rubbing against the outer inflated dually tire.
I guess no one thought to check the tire pressure. It had went flat due to a small a nail, I found out later that day. I told the mechanics at Dodge when I got back and they just laughed. I told the guys at the Firestone dealer where I bought the tires from and they said the tire should have came apart after 50 or miles or so. After fixing the small nail hole I put another 30,000 ++ miles on that same set of tires and never had a problem with that tire again.
I guess there are exceptions to everything. I also saw about the same thing happen on a tire on a tandom dually trailer once, for a decent distance.
Matt