Tire Pressure (again}

[chessie4905]

Michelin and Double Coin have some kind of connection, or did.

[richard5933]

Michelin and Double Coin have some kind of connection, or did.

https://www.rubbernews.com/article/20171120/NEWS/171129992/michelin-selling-its-stake-in-double-coin-joint-venture

[luvrbus]

You never know where a Michelin tire is made unless you read the sidewall,I don't worry to much about it as long as it has the DOT on the sidewall,I have some Continental 295/80/22.5 takeoff in bold letters they say engineered in Germany in the fine print they say made in China   

[sledhead]

I flat spotted my tag tires being dumb and at that low price delivered I was thinking it might be a good test ? or how much damage can driving with the flat spotted tag tires could do if I drive back home 1600 miles ?
I lost about 3 / 16 of an inch on both

dave 

[richard5933]

Lots of high-quality items are manufactured in China, but in order for the quality to remain constant it's necessary for the company paying for production to stay on top of supervising the plant and maintaining high standards.

Left alone, many factories will take short cuts and use the least expensive method of production possible. Many of the problems in production can be traced back to things like rejects being thrown back into the raw material hopper rather than being properly recycled, contaminating the next batch. This happens everywhere, not just in China. With a US manufacturing plant though, it's relatively easy for the plant to be supervised. That's not as easy when production is overseas.

I have a friend that works for a high-end HVAC company with production in China. They keep people on site at all times to ensure the specifications are met with every batch/run. Companies that don't do this have problems, but obviously doing this costs money. There's a reason some brands cost more, and part of it is the resources committed to maintaining high standards.

When a company like Michelin, Continental, or Goodyear contract with a production facility in China they send people to watch over things. Their company name and reputation is on the line. I'm not sure if Chinese companies are as focused on maintaining high quality standards, especially the companies that come and go or change ownership/names regularly.

I wouldn't trust a DOT mark on the sidewall to guarantee quality. Unless I'm missing something, don't companies self-certify that their tires meet DOT guidelines? I can't find anything to indicate that the DOT does any kind of testing or that third-party testing is required. If I'm wrong on this, please point me to the relevant information.

[luvrbus]

Look at your head lights, marker and turn.stop lights Richard even your brake system they all have DOT approved so why not trust the DOT label on tires ?

[richard5933]

Look at your head lights, marker and turn.stop lights Richard even your brake system they all have DOT approved so why not trust the DOT label on tires ?

The problem is that the DOT doesn't do any testing on these products. From what I've read, each manufacturer self-certifies that their products meet or exceed the applicable regulations and standards. The "DOT Approved" marking is only as good as the company that does the testing to ensure standards are met. Some companies likely use a third-party test site. Others do the testing in house.

Having the DOT marking on the tires doesn't mean anything unless the company that self-certified it is reliable and trustworthy.

Here's some interesting reading on the subject:
https://www.sema.org/federal-regulation-aftermarket-parts
One interesting section is this one talking specifically about the term "DOT-Approved":

Is "DOT-approved" a legal term?
No, NHTSA has no authority to "approve" or "disapprove" vehicle equipment. The equipment is self-certified. Sometimes the term is confused with the DOT symbol, which is required to be placed by the manufacturer on certain items of equipment such as headlamps. This is simply an affirmative statement by the manufacturer that the equipment is compliant with an applicable NHTSA rule.

If you have more specific information on how a tire (or any part) gets the DOT stamp on it, I'd love to know.

[dtcerrato]

Search the mfger. to see if they are ISO 9000,1,2...
certified - if so they would be better from a QAQC standpoint but still not failsafe... I'd rely more on google searches (BBB, etc.) & customer ratings.

[luvrbus]

Here is what is printed in my DOT manual

Products must meet strict regulations standards,specifactions and testing,I believe you will find the DOT and NHTSA are 2 different federal agencies     

[richard5933]

Here is what is printed in my DOT manual

Products must meet strict regulations standards,specifactions and testing,I believe you will find the DOT and NHTSA are 2 different federal agencies   

NHTSA and FMCSA are both sub-sections of The Department of Transportation (DOT).

I agree - the products are supposed to meet strict regulation and standards. Problem is that the companies self-certify compliance.

Reminds me of a trip to Mexico where the tour guide was telling us about the importance of looking for the "925" marking on pieces to let us know that it was real. I asked who does the stamping and who checks to see if the silver meets the standard. The answer was the silversmith. So, the "925" mark was only as reliable as the silversmith doing the marking.

Same for the DOT-approved products like tires. The marking is only as reliable as the company doing the marking.

I'm not saying that any particular tire is not reliable or meeting the standards, just that with newer or less-known manufacturers there is not as long of a track record to check the history.

[Dave5Cs]

Found this;
The company designs and produces tires in partnership with manufacturers based in the United States, China, India, Indonesia and Thailand. Omni United owns the Radar, Patriot and Corsa brand names, and markets, sells and distributes several other brand names. The company was founded in 2003 by G.S. (Goldman Sacks)

In fact, there are only two genuine American brands: Goodyear and Cooper. The largest foreign tire companies with plants in the US include Michelin, Pirelli, Continental, Bridgestone, and Yokohama.