Tires WEATHER CRACKING TIRES

[escavader]

Does any one have any ideas how to keep tires from weather cracking.I have my new BOTA hauler and id like to keep it like new?All my other trailors eventialy end up needing tires replaced prematurely,because the tires are all cracked.Unfortunately i dont have room to store inside.I have tryed armor all but it dont help. I figure theres some of you who store their tractors AND TRAILORS outside,whats good preventitive maintanance? Will wiping them down with an oily rag do anything?
ESCAVADER

 

[DUMBDOG]

The best thing is to keep the tires out of the sun. Plywood squares tucked under the fenders should do the trick.

 

[notamustang]

The best option I can think of is keeping the tires out of the sun, maybe some of those RV tire covers.

Steven

 

[ronjhall]

Keeping tires covered and off ground when not using trailer will help to protect them from weathering.
Here is a link to a thread where I posted a picture of jacks that I added to both sides of rear of trailer.
New trailer needs a lift, help.

 

[theboman]

NEVER put Armour All on tires. Use tire cleaner/conditioners only. Armour All brings the tires oils to the surface to be absorbed by mother nature, thus drying out the rubber coating.

 

[btolle]

On RV's the tires have to be changed after 7 years regardless of tread depth due to sidewall cracking.

From the April 2005 issue of "Highways" (Good Sam RV Club monthly magazine):

"....tires must be replaced after seven years, even if the tread looks good."

And:

"Michelin recommends that they be inspected yearly and checked for cracks. If the cracks are less than 1/32 inch deep, they are OK. If the cracks are between 1/32 inch and 2/32" inch, a tire professional should inspect them. Cracks larger than 2/32 inch require immediate tire replacement."

My personal experience with a "professional" was he (a Michelin dealer) said my motorhome tires looked OK. I blew 2 of them out within the next 2,500 miles, both sidewall failure, and when we changed the whole mess out I had a third one that would not have lasted another 500 miles. When we pulled it off (it was an inside dual) the sidewall had a 1/2" separation about 8" long.

Bill Tolle

 

[BrettW]

Bowman,
Never heard this about ArmorAll. How do you know this? Is is also bad for hoses, CV boots? I heard from a mechanic on TV to spray the CV boots on your cars during oil changes to keep them lubricated and keep them from cracking. thanks, bw

 

[theboman]

On the Armour All, a tire dealer told me this when I went to buy new tires for my all cracked up RV tires.

My RV tires were 5-6 years old, great tread but really cracked. He said I didn't need new tires, unless I was just vain. He said as long as no knots are popping out on the tire, the tire is actually fine. I went thru that whole year and replaced the tires the next spring (no knots but the cracks were much bigger).

Tire cleaners have a rubber portectant to keep the oils in the tire. Since that day I've not put Armor All on any tires, heck tire cleaner works better and is easier/faster to use too.

 

[btolle]

BrettW,

Armor All has been the death of many vinyl dashboards in cars. That stuff is a good example of a poor product that has had outstanding marketing. Having been a used car dealer for years I won't let Armor All near anything I own.

Many petroleum based products will damage rubber and plastic. For instance, the instructions for the dump valves on my RV specifically states not to use petroleum jelly on the rubber seals because it can cause them to swell. I am supposed to use silicone only to lubricate them. However, I don't think silicone is good for plastics.

There is product called 303 Aerospace Protectant that is pretty highly rated. I use it and have had no ill effects so far but it is $60 a gallon. It is recommended by several suppliers of RV parts for rubber seals, for example, Fantastic Fan Company makes powered vents for RV's and includes a small sample of 303 with each vent for use on the seal.

Michelin, at Miichelin Warranty states:

"Tires which become unserviceable due to alterations
such as truing, whitewall inlays, addition of balancing or sealant liquids, or the use of tire dressings containing petroleum distillates, are excluded from warranty coverage."

Appears that Michelin considers petroleum distillates so bad for tires they will not honor the warranty if you use them.

I checked BF Goodrich's site and they say the same thing. Oddly, their wording is exactly the same so BFG may be owned by Michelin.

Bill Tolle

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( so BFG may be owned by Michelin. )</font>

I can't remember just when it was, but quite a few years ago, that Michelin, B.F. Goodrich, and Uniroyal "merged". I'm not sure who owns who in that deal, but my brother was a B.F. Goodrich dealer, and of course, could get the Uniroyals from the B.F. Goodrich company owned warehouse and could warranty Uniroyals as well as Goodrich in '91.

 

[coveredbridge]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( BrettW,

Armor All has been the death of many vinyl dashboards in cars. That stuff is a good example of a poor product that has had outstanding marketing. Having been a used car dealer for years I won't let Armor All near anything I own.

Many petroleum based products will damage rubber and plastic. For instance, the instructions for the dump valves on my RV specifically states not to use petroleum jelly on the rubber seals because it can cause them to swell. I am supposed to use silicone only to lubricate them. However, I don't think silicone is good for plastics.

There is product called 303 Aerospace Protectant that is pretty highly rated. I use it and have had no ill effects so far but it is $60 a gallon. It is recommended by several suppliers of RV parts for rubber seals, for example, Fantastic Fan Company makes powered vents for RV's and includes a small sample of 303 with each vent for use on the seal.

Michelin, at Miichelin Warranty states:

"Tires which become unserviceable due to alterations
such as truing, whitewall inlays, addition of balancing or sealant liquids, or the use of tire dressings containing petroleum distillates, are excluded from warranty coverage."

Appears that Michelin considers petroleum distillates so bad for tires they will not honor the warranty if you use them.

I checked BF Goodrich's site and they say the same thing. Oddly, their wording is exactly the same so BFG may be owned by Michelin.

Bill Tolle )</font>

You know, that kind of surprises me. I don't know about tires, hoses or PVC boots, but I do know that the care instructions for my pro-line rubber hip boots stated, among other things, to apply Armor-all to the boots after each use to preserve the rubber and help prevent it from cracking. It sure seems to be working so far, and I had several pairs rot and crack in a few months time before I started using the Armor-all.

I wonder what Michelin knows that Pro-line doesn't? Or is it a different rubber compound? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[BrettW]

OK,
can someone set me straight on this Armor-All issue? How can it be bad for rubber / plastic when it is made for the very purpose of protecting it. Doesn't make sense to me.
bw

 

[Junkman]

It is simple.. it is called advertising. You don't have to prove your advertising claim, and for the most part, there is only a grain of truth in most advertising claims, as compared to the true value of the product. Do you actually believe that if you use XYZ shampoo that your hair will actually be thicker? In the old days they were known as Snake Oyl salesmen.... Today, the charlatans have taken on a new title...... Advertising Executives.... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Tom_H]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( On RV's the tires have to be changed after 7 years regardless of tread depth due to sidewall cracking.

"....tires must be replaced after seven years, even if the tread looks good."

"Michelin recommends that they be inspected yearly

a Michelin dealer) said my motorhome tires looked OK. I blew 2 of them out within the next 2,500 miles,)</font>

I had an '80 VW diesel pickup with a shell on back that we used to camp in. In the summer of '91 we headed out with 8 y.o. Michelins that had good tread & looked in great shape. After crossing the Mojave Desert, we pulled in to the motel in Needles, CA, got out, and saw huge bubble gum like bubbles all over the sidewalls of all 4 tires, like aneurysms on a worn out aorta. Now Needles ain't no metropolitan place: a million miles from nowhere in the desert and two places that sell tires. Neither of 'um ever heard of this idea called competition either. Almost could'a bought another vehicle for what those 4 tires cost. Salesmen were nice enough though. One explained that the polymers in the synthetic rubber simply break down into smaller and weaker molecules over time, and tires just can't take heat after they're 7 y.o. ' got the idea they'd made this sale a pretty good number of times before. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Moral of this story: never venture into the desert with old tires.