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Originally posted by Mr. Pockets
Thanks, but I guessed the sidewall explanation myself. Still, I have no evidence to support that guess, and you have still provided me with none beyond your own opinions or knowledge. I am also very interested to see more facts to support the claim that Ford's recommended pressure for the Explorer was at fault for the tread separation that caused so many accidents.
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http://www.citizen.org/litigation/br...es.cfm?ID=1069
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8. Also unknown is the degree to which the design of the Ford Explorer is responsible for the accidents in question. Evidence supports the conclusion that Ford Explorers are prone to roll over. In mid-1989, company engineers outlined the design modifications that could make the vehicle safer, which included widening the vehicle's track width, altering the suspension system, and lowering the vehicle's center of gravity. However, these major design changes would have taken up to ten months to implement. Rather than re-engineer the Explorer, Ford decided to lower the recommended air pressure in its Firestone tires to 26 pounds per square inch ("psi") to make the vehicle less likely to roll over when a driver swerved suddenly, left the road, or had tire failure, despite Firestone's recommendation of 35 psi for the maximum load.
9. Ford's decision to lower the tire pressure may have exacerbated the defects in Firestone tires. The lower tire pressure puts more stress on the tires, leading to the heat buildup and increasing the likelihood of tread separation. Evidence strongly suggests that Firestone model ATX, ATX II and Wilderness tires on Ford Explorers are overheating with highway use, causing the tread to separate and the Explorers to experience catastrophic crashes, not infrequently rolling over and causing fatal injuries. To date, NHTSA has documented 88 deaths and 250 injuries. Dozens of other fatalities occurred abroad.
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http://www.srisd.com/CRASH_Report_Vol_3,_Issue_2.htm
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Upon closer analysis of the tire defect, it appears that the defect becomes dangerous primarily as a result of tire underinflation, which results in very high forces within the wall of the tire. This finding, in fact, has prompted talk of new legislation requiring on-board tire pressure sensors which would constantly monitor the vehicle’s tire pressure and provide a read-out on the dashboard and warning signals. Low tire pressure results in increased tire wear, decreased fuel economy, poor traction and handling characteristics, and an increased likelihood of catastrophic failure or separation from the rim upon hard turns which often precipitate roll-overs in SUV-class vehicles due to their high center of gravity.
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http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz...000915_563.htm
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They think underinflation -- Ford's recommendation that the tires be inflated with 26 pounds of air pressure rather than 35 pounds, as Firestone recommends -- was a factor in the fatal accidents. "Nobody in their right mind puts 26 pounds in an SUV," Borges says. "You can't underinflate a tire and hope it holds up."
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http://www.citizen.org/litigation/br...es.cfm?ID=1070
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Evidence supports the conclusion that Ford Explorers are prone to roll over. In mid-1989, company engineers outlined the design modifications that could make the vehicle safer, which included widening the vehicle's track width, altering the suspension system, and lowering the vehicle's center of gravity. See, e.g., Kevin Carmody, Tire Loss Deadlier On Explorers, Austin American Statesman (Aug. 25, 2000), at A1; Claybrook Aff. ¶ 9. However, these major design changes would have taken up to ten months to implement. Claybrook Aff. ¶ 9. Rather than re-engineer the Explorer, Ford decided to lower the recommended air pressure in its Firestone tires to 26 pounds per square inch ("psi") to make the vehicle less likely to roll over when a driver swerved suddenly, left the road, or experienced tire failure, despite Firestone's recommendation of 35 psi for the maximum load. Id.
Ford's decision to lower the tire pressure may have exacerbated the defects in Firestone tires. The lower tire pressure puts more stress on the tires, leading to heat buildup and increasing the likelihood of tread separation. Claybrook Aff. ¶ 10. Evidence strongly suggests that Firestone model ATX, ATX II and Wilderness tires on Ford Explorers are overheating with highway use, causing the tread to separate and the Explorers to experience catastrophic crashes, not infrequently rolling over and causing fatal injuries. Id.
Ford is seeking a protective order to cover documents that might help answer questions about the safety of its vehicle design and whether its decision to lower the tire pressure in tires on Ford Explorers increased the risk of tire failure. For instance, Ford is withholding documents on vehicle stability and vehicle design, which might determine whether the design of the Ford Explorer makes it more likely than other vehicles to roll over when a tire loses its tread.
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