Do tires fail due to age, cupping, cracks?

[Stig / Major Tom]

TIRES (cars or scooters) Sidewall cracks. Cupping treads. Tires too old. All stuff we worry about.

For good reason, or not?

I know you can ruin a tire's tread by under or over-inflating it. Stuff sticking into the tire, or striking it (sharp-edged potholes?) cause tires to fail while underway on the road.


Have you known a tire to fail for any other reason in the past 25 yrs?
 

I'm not advocating running a tire until you see the cotton.....as some guys do.

But so many two wheel tires develop cupping, pretty soon, and most tires over several months old have sidewall cracks.

Are tires actually causing wrecks, and I'm just not in the loop? (last time I knew of a tire letting go was @35 yrs ago)

This is a serious question.
Stig

[MJR]

Depends on the situation. https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=30

Tire cupping can be either tire, suspension or road surface related. I get uneven wear on my scoots most likely due to the tire interaction with the grooved concrete freeways that act like taking a belt sander back/forth on the thread.

I can't recall normal checking of tires causing any problems but if it gets deeper or starts a bubble under the thread then that's a problem.

[Redk]

Stig, I seriously run tires that show the signs you mention.
And I have lost control and gone down with some serious scars from the habit of doing that.
I seriously advise others to run the best equipment they can afford to, especially on the street at high speed.
redk

[Mr. Paul]

I haven't had a spill, yet. I have had front tire cupping due to badly worn front shocks. I guess one side was much weaker than the other causing too much side flexing. I replaced the shocks and all is good now. Good post Stig.

[Scooter Dan]

I've only had one tire blow out on me on the San Diego Fwy. back in 68. My Yamaha Catalina blew the rear with a passenger at 70mph. Didn't drop it and rode it out. A real pucker moment for me and outside of that have only had one go flat, my SW at a red light. I've been very fortunate. I should monitor tire pressure more as this is a good reminder to check mine before my next ride. Thanks for the heads up Tom.

[CROSSBOLT]

Really good thread, Stig! Having lived in a motorhome for seven years all over the country, tires was one of the continuing hot topics. The recommendation was standard to replace after seven years regardless of tread depth. Main reason was sidewall deterioration. Saw many destroyed RV's because of blow outs, mostly on 5th wheel trailers but did see a couple of motorhomes with enlarged wheel wells. The sidewall cracks near the rim bead is the first indicator that replacement is close. My NOS DT300i had tires 3 to 4 years old with nearly zero miles. Back tire wore to the tread wear indicators in about 4000 miles, way under what was expected even for the Maxxis. A 2016 wearing so fast sets off alarm bells.

Karl

[MJR]

Really good thread, Stig! Having lived in a motorhome for seven years all over the country, tires was one of the continuing hot topics. The recommendation was standard to replace after seven years regardless of tread depth. Main reason was sidewall deterioration. Saw many destroyed RV's because of blow outs, mostly on 5th wheel trailers but did see a couple of motorhomes with enlarged wheel wells. The sidewall cracks near the rim bead is the first indicator that replacement is close.

I seem to recall with our RV that dual wheels added to the issue due to heat buildup between the sidewalls in an area not easily seen. I remember a few times having tread coming off the tires (even those old Firestone ones decades before the Ford Explorer problems) on a few different brands. Two times stand out when one rear tire came apart ripping out the sewer hose and throwing it out on the highway while another had come apart and my father stepped into a fire ant hole inspecting it alongside the road. RV owners know all too well the meaning behind "getting there is half the adventure" and while they might not have been the best at the time I can look back with a smile at all those times we spent in various repair shops across the country.

[Redk]

I haven't had a spill, yet.

Excellent !
Congratulations !!
I couldn't begin to count the times...  and I will gladly let you tally up many of mine as you like so you don't Ever need to do so !
Also can not count a single one that was not pilot error.  All my fault !
redk

[blue]

Some tires might look good.but might be worbed.Or dont ride straight because of wear.the tred might all look good but not always the case.Its best to change tires every 2 years.

[Scooter Dan]

I know this thread is about bike tires but I'm sure glad to hear this discussion about RV's. On my recent 5500 mile road trip to the west coast I saw lots of motorhomes, trailers, cabover campers etc. I thought about the prospect of having one, especially traveling with a dog? I saw mainly motorhomes with tire issues and thought about handling such a big box with a blow out? I 've got a 16' flat bed construction trailer that really eats up tires too. Several have wrapped up around the fenders tearing them up. At a family reunion last weekend my wife's uncle who has a 39.5' 5th wheel toy hauler says he runs 10 ply truck tires on his. Seriously thinking about a cabover camper for my 3/4 ton Duramax diesel Pu. I'll definitely be thinking about air bags and good tires for that rig.

[Forbes1964]

I believe that tires are tires no matter what they are on. And the same things cause them to fail. As for cupping, that may affect ride and handling, but it doesn't usually cause failure. As for cracks, the small very fine cracks may not be a problem if the tire is not too old. Some brands of tires actually have pictures showing what types of cracks are cause for concern vs. what can be ignored. But larger cracks are something I would not chance. Age seems to be a greater concern. I've seen some very old tires ridden at high load/ high speed with no problem. But the failure rate is high enough to make it not worth the risk. And when tires fail due to old age, it's not pretty. And when there are cracks AND old age , replace those tires immediately!


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