Tire bead failure explosions often occur during the tire mounting process as a result of a latent design defect present in passenger and light truck tires. Most light truck and passenger tires employ a .037 inch weftless bead configuration, which is subject to failure at pressures as low as 38 pounds per square inch. Low pressure explosions most often occur if a splice of the bead wire becomes impeded during inflation of a tire. This failure is commonly referred to as bead hang-up and has been documented in patent literature, industry documents, and tire litigation since the 1950s.
This bead design hazard was substantially increased by the introduction of the unnecessary 16.5 inch rim size, which accepts the mounting of a 16 inch tire but will always result in bead hang-up and potential low pressure explosions.
When a bead failure explosion occurs in close proximity to a flat surface the resulting trajectory of the tire and rim can cause devastating injuries including amputation of limbs, crushing of facial bones, traumatic head injuries and brain damage.
Multi-piece wheels (rims), often referred to as “widow-makers” in the auto industry, have caused countless serious injuries and deaths to tire mounters since their introduction. There are various multi-piece wheel configurations, all of which are potentially dangerous. In almost every application, a multi-piece wheel can and should be replaced by a single-piece configuration, which has been available since the 1960s, and which eliminates this hazard.
OSHA has addressed the problem with multi-piece wheels with guidelines that can reduce the hazard to some degree. However, one can still be injured or killed even if the OSHA guidelines are followed. For example, OSHA guidelines provide that multi-piece wheels should be inflated in safety cages. Tragically, accidents often occur after a tire and wheel are removed from the safety cage for mounting on the vehicle.
Sidewall zipper failures typically occur during the inflation process, and there is almost no way to predict whether a tire is subject to zipper failure. In instances of zipper failure, the sidewall of a tire catastrophically fails, often injuring the inflator and/or bystanders. These failures are referred to as “zipper failures” because of the appearance of the sidewall after the explosion. Despite widespread documentation of the problem and numerous accidents and injuries, the only action taken by the tire industry to date has been to issue vague warnings of the hazard.