Quote Originally Posted by NightFlyer View Post
Personally, I don't get the reason for the bans, but then again, it's not my forum.



Although it may not have been steering rack replacement related, Mr. Rice's rear tire does appear to have a slight toe-in - at least in the pic of the mounted spare, although it could just be the angle at which the picture was taken. Admittedly, I've never seen Mr. Rice's car in person.

However, toe-in or not, I still attribute this particular problem to being caused by a poorly made Asian tire.
I think knowing the date code on the tire is very relevant. It may very well have been recently purchased but I want to know when the tire was made so we know how old it was when it blew out. Much of the damage could have been from slowing down till you could get off the road. I would suggest the owner of the car check all of his other tires ASAP. If the car has been lowered that would account for the heavier than normal side wear. If the tire was recently purchased then just how many miles were out on it? If the tire failed prematurely and was not overloaded or old the owner can contact NHTSA and report the failure. If they get enough reports they can issue alerts and recalls to other owners of these tires if they see a pattern.
David Teitelbaum