It definitely was, Peter.
Ford built a vehicle that rode like crap (Explorer), so ended up recommending tire pressures that were lower than the tire manufacturers wanted. The few people that actually check their air pressure, go by the placard on the door jamb from the manufacturer. Tires that are under inflated undergo too much sidewall flex, which builds up heat. Take a paperclip, straighten it out in your hand, and then bend it back and forth repeatedly. It'll get warm to the touch, then break. In the tire business, that's a blowout...and at interstate speeds, it causes rollovers and deaths.




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