Cracks in tyre sidewalls

[cort1977]

Opinions on cracks in tyre sidewalls? I'm talking minor shallow cracks, not down to the wires. Ok if kept an eye on or will every nun and kitten die for miles around?

[dollywobbler]

I'd be checking the date code. If over seven years, I'd be itching to replace them. Over ten years and they'd be in the bin (like the Rover's front tyres were).

[vulgalour]

They can get bad surprisingly fast and then your tyre can explode.  Nobody wants that.

 

Mikeknight's Prelude had super cracked sidewalls, he was astonished at how much better the car handled when he put new rubber on that didn't have the appearance of dried out Playdough.  I was very relieved, especially since a lot of the bodyroll went away, which as it happens was tyre sidewall roll.

[Mr Livered]

I got in my Mazda last weekend but couldn't drive away because the nearside front tyre was completely flat.

 

It had what appeared to be a small sidewall crack, but in fact - contrary to appearances - it was more like a hole. I shouldn't have ignored it.

[plasticvandan]

shoe polish works well

[Sigmund Fraud]

Those superficial cracks are usually an indication that the rubber is aging. They seem to occur much sooner than they used to, proof that modern tyre compounds are rubbish for longevity.

 

Ideally, you should get new tyres. I wouldn't, but I'm an idiot who's willing to risk his life for the sake of £80.

[Minimad5]

Why piss around with things like Tyres and brakes ?

They are the most important things on a car.

 

But what the FAWK do i know

[TRW]

Those superficial cracks are usually an indication that the rubber is aging. They seem to occur much sooner than they used to, proof that modern tyre compounds are rubbish for longevity.

 

Ideally, you should get new tyres. I wouldn't, but I'm an idiot who's willing to risk his life for the sake of £80.

 

I would prepare for a flaming with that attitude as a blowout may involve more people than just you.......

 

Some things on a car you can't Fuck about with when replacement is needed.

 

I do agree with what you say about the life of modern tyres though. They use to last much, much longer in years gone by.

[Sigmund Fraud]

I would prepare for a flaming with that attitude as a blowout may involve more people than just you.......

 

Some things on a car you can't Fuck about with when replacement is needed.

 

I do agree with what you say about the life of modern tyres though. They use to last much, much longer in years gone by.

I don't see why a flaming is in order, superficial cracks are not an MoT failure point so the legislator does not consider them an imminent risk to kittens and nuns.

[Micrashed]

Im in the Meh! Court here with small cracks.

 

But I keep an eye on them every week and when they start getting worse I either bin them or use boot polish and sell the car / caravan / Air France Concorde on to the next punter....

[Junkman]

Why piss around with things like Tyres and brakes ?

They are the most important things on a car.

Nah. The most important thing on a car is the engine, which must have loads of POWAH.

[TRW]

Tyres are one of those things that go either way on opinion. Not wanting to have a go at you just saying its one of those things that people never agree on. My view is why gamble when you can buy a pair of budgets for under £100 with 18 months or so use.

 

As this is Autoshite - 185 65 x 14 Colway with sidewall cracks all round please. Bought from the local breakers for £7 each (non including fitting*)

 

*No balancing whatsoever.

[Junkman]

When I got the RBM, it had 30 year old cracked Pirelli Cinturatos on it.

I never had that much fun outside a bed, especially in the rain.

Just cornering sounded like something from The Sweeney, people loved it.

Now I have this naff newish stuff on it. Like all newish stuff, it ruined everything.

[Bren]

shoe polish works well

As does 45psi.

[tooSavvy]

Why piss around with things like Tyres and brakes ?

They are the most important things on a car.

 

But what the FAWK do i know

 

Oh Err, missus....

 

 

These aren't even the right part for my car...... (but outrageously cheap!! N.O.S.)

 

 

TS

[richardmorris]

A friend has just replaced the original tyres on her 05 reg golf gti which has now done the grand total of 15,000miles. Tread perfect, but quite deep crazing to the side walls. Passed the mot ok as the tread was fine, but was recommended to change them as a hit on a pothole could blow it out.

 

Some people I've talked to in the x1/9 club are still driving around on the original, low mileage tyres from 1983. They're complaining that their modern vauxhaul astra outhandles it, but wont listen that the tyres are dangerously old and compromising safety.

[Bren]

To appreciate the importance of having good tyres, people need to ride a motorcycle.

 

If joe public did this, I'm pretty sure the sales of wanli ditchfinders would tank overnight.

[Split_Pin]

I'll tolerate the odd bit of crazing in the tread but sidewalls I'm not sure. I had a cracked air valve stem and I replaced that immediately.

[Junkman]

To appreciate the importance of having good tyres, people need to ride a motorcycle.

 

Like so?

 

 

Brilliant!

Needs drum brake up front, though.

[spike60]

With some Corvette owners originality is the holy grail and on the forum a couple years ago there was a mid-60's one the owner was crowing still had the original whitewall tyres. A total waste of a car, currently unusable.

[HillmanImp]

This happened to the Visa recently:

 

 

Stuck a load of SATSUMA DANGEROUS TOYS AND TYRES COMPANY boots on it the next day that are so hard they can cut a diamond, as I needed the car for work that day but am replacing them with some winter tyres shortly and will get some good ones for the summer.

 

Why piss around with things like Tyres and brakes ?
They are the most important things on a car.

 

I like to be able to steer too. 

[cort1977]

Thanks for all the responses, some food for thought there. Car has 93k miles on a 2001 but I suspect gaffer owned with few miles in the last few years so tyres have been mostly sitting around I think. The tyres have loads of tread and are dated 3810 so only 4 years old. I think I will keep them for commute for now but replace sooner rather than later.

[plasticvandan]

Can beat you all,my old 1957 reliant regal soft top still had its factory pirelli aereflex xply tyres fittedfitted,and were still mot able!

[beko1987]

Zx had cracked tyres on it when I bought it. Front 2 are replaced, rear two are the bbetter of the 4 that were on there for now.

 

The 1994 pirelli spare was quite cracked after 2000 miles, it went back under the car for another day...

[Lord Sterling]

When I got my shonky 827 Coupe, the sidewalls on all of the tyres were cracked to buggery, Steve the mechanic told me not to worry as it'd pass the MOT like that. Soz, I don't care, if they look shonky, they definitely are, I went straight away and changed the tyres as one my first and most important jobs on this car.

 

Tyres, brakes, steering and some other essential to safety mechanicals are essential to keep the car at the very least safe. Especially as I sometimes do high-speed motorway runs (like I did today) cosmetics and other non-urgent stuff on the car can wait.

[Junkman]

Especially as I sometimes do high-speed motorway runs (like I did today) cosmetics and other non-urgent stuff on the car can wait.

 

What kind of high-speed would that be? 70? 80? 90?

I drove a car to 330 mph with tyres not dissimilar to this on the front wheels:

 

 

I want my 30 year old Cinturatos back. They were fun.

Or even better: Bring back the good old Polyglas GTs. I had those on my '74 ex State Department Impala, which got a State Department motor, a 454 cubic inch plant,

State Department suspension, State Department shocks. It was a model made before catalytic converters so it ran good on regular gas...

 

Oh, and a word of warning: Before I put the current tyres on the RBM, I had a set of tyres on it that were marked "low noise". Those are so quiet, that they don't drown out

all the other worrying noises every self respected Autoshite emits. Avoid at all cost.

[tooSavvy]

▲▲▲▲ oh? What car was that then.......

 

..... or were you just a Pizza delivery man

 

 

TS

[Junkman]

▲▲▲▲ oh? What car was that then.......

 

..... or were you just a Pizza delivery man

 

 

TS

 

 

Sorry, never delivered pizzas, since I hitherto failed to recognise them as suitable for consumption by humans.

However, I delivered newspapers in a former life. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung to Barcelona. With one of the last Thissier CXes

that still had an SM engine fitted. That's how old I am. You should have seen the tyres of that thing. All six of them. Frightening.

Does that count?

[tooSavvy]

Awesome........

 

TS

 

U wochinn 'blooz bros'?

[Junkman]

U wochinn 'blooz bros'?

 

U not?