Cover your tires

[bruceb58]

Re: Cover your tires

you can't go replacing them every 5 years.

Only if you don't mind your tires failing. It is reccomended to replace tires at 5 years and Armor All on the outside of the tire isn't going to help that fact.

 

[guy74]

Re: Cover your tires

Only if you don't mind your tires failing. It is reccomended to replace tires at 5 years and Armor All on the outside of the tire isn't going to help that fact.

Who's recommendation? Oh let me guess, the people who sell tires, Hmmmmm seems kinda self serving there.
You do what you want, I don't think I'm gonna start worrying about old tires until I see more than a 1% annual failure rate due to structural failure. I have tires here that are older than I am, and they are still in use every year, and I have a 4 year old cooper tire that has only 300 miles on it that blew out in the back of my truck. I respect your point of view, but the practice of changing tires every 5 years is wasteful, and costly. Maybe you need to buy better tires if you don't trust them longer than 5 years.

 

[sasto]

Re: Cover your tires

While you mention it, waxing your paint also does nothing...and that info is from a paint rep. Keeping the car clean of dirt is what makes paint last the longest.

And I'm a diesel mechanic....so whatever you don't change your oil either!

Yes...keeping your rubber out of UV light will...in fact....prolong the life.

Like cribber says "sun, moisture, and heat will destroy everything eventually"

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Cover your tires

Yes...keeping your rubber out of UV light will...in fact....prolong the life.

I am not disputing that sun, heat and moisture will cause rubber to age more. i am disputing that spraying so called protectant does anything.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Cover your tires

I just had a failure on two of my 5 year old tires on a 1000 mile trip to/from Lake Tahoe. Both tires developed large bubbles on the tread. These tires were on opposite sides of the trailer so it wasn't caused by damage caused by hitting a pothole. Running tires that are over 5 years old is just foolish.

I was lucky that there was a tire store that carried my size tire. Personally, I prefer not to spend my valuable vaction time dealing with these emergencies on the side of the road and I am also considerring the safety of my family and the people on the road around me driving on old tires.

 

[boat1010]

Re: Cover your tires

I have really never understood the covering of your trailer tires. The tires on my truck are in the sun just as much as my trailers and I have never seen a car or truck tire covered. Just saying...

 

[guy74]

Re: Cover your tires

I am not disputing that sun, heat and moisture will cause rubber to age more. i am disputing that spraying so called protectant does anything.

Why are you disputing it? Have any personal experience to share? I will share the fact that the tires on my Freightliner and end dump, the ones that have been Armorall'd since they were new (1998), have no cracking or oxidation on the sidewalls, and the airbags (1995) are still without a visable crack, or any oxidation. These tires only get around 5000 miles a year, and sit outside year round. Seems like I have a decent arguement for the use of a protectant. The other day my truck was parked next to a 2009 Kenworth, owned by a local company, and the tires on mine looked much newer in condition than the ones that were over 10 years newer.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Cover your tires

The outside appearance of your sidewall means nothing. The whole tire ages, not just the outer layer of rubber that you see.

If you feel better using Armor All keep on using it...something to be said for anything that makes you feel better.

 

[guy74]

Re: Cover your tires

The outside appearance of your sidewall means nothing. The whole tire ages, not just the outer layer of rubber that you see.

If you feel better using Armor All keep on using it...something to be said for anything that makes you feel better.

The outside appearance of the tire means nothing?? Ever seen a tire patched on the outside to keep the elements out of the steel and fabric?? It is very common in the truck and off road equipment industry, where tires cost big bucks. Armorall keeps the outside layers from degrading and letting the elements into the structure of the tire, VERY IMPORTANT to the life of a tire.

 

[produceguy]

Re: Cover your tires

Guys, its O K, We are talking tires.

 

[guy74]

Re: Cover your tires

Guys, its O K, We are talking tires.

Yep, and even if I disagree with someone on here, it isn't personal, just putting out some of the things I have learned in my long years in industries that "move on tires". Anyway, it may seem like Bruce and I are arguing, but it just means we are both opinionated!
ps- Bruce if you ever find yourself in Southeast Kansas, let me know, I'll buy you a drink!

 

[Gun Dog]

Re: Cover your tires

I stopped using Armorall. I used it religiously on the interior plastic panels of my vehicles since it first came out until about eight years ago. I contribute the premature deterioration of the door and dash panels to this stuff. It seems to dry out the plastics. It looks great all moist and shinny when applied. But when it's worn off the plastics seem worse than the time before. It seems to become brittle. Almost like the Aromall pulls out the binding agents. On my new 250 I use nothing but soap and water. I don't see the dryness as with the Aromall.

As for sharing personal experience, I would like to add that on our Dairy we don't replace tires a lot. We would go broke. Our tractors and harvesters and wagons sit in the field day and night. Mud to the rim. The rubber is as bad as it gets. If a dry rot crack in the sidewall develops a golf ball size hole we pull the tire weld on a slab of rubber and run a tube in it.

You have to keep it in perspective. The harvester is not running at 65 mph down the road. A fifth wheel being pulled at 65 mph with improperly maintained tires is a death machine. Possibly killing others and yourself. These trailers are close to if not at the maximum load limits for the wheels/tires. Where ever possible recommended tire care and preventive maintenance is best.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Cover your tires

I have really never understood the covering of your trailer tires. The tires on my truck are in the sun just as much as my trailers and I have never seen a car or truck tire covered. Just saying...

that's a good question but I think the answer is that as you use your vehicle, the tire itself is shaded at times as you change direction, you have different parts of the tire top or bottom, and the use keeps the weight spread around. And there's the parking on the grass thing. but the boat trailer question presumes a trailer sitting parked in the same place, seldom used. Like I keep my boat in the water and pull it out maybe 4x a year, so the trailer just sits there year round. So a lot of this discussion wouldn't apply to a trailer that's rolled out weekly.

Seems just leaning a piece of plywood against the tire should suffice; assuming you have fenders, too!

One thing to watch: a spare tire laying horizontally on the trailer. That one needs to be covered!

Given my use: 4x a year, maybe once to an in-town mechanic (<20 miles round trip) and 3X to the ramp <3 miles from the trailer lot, that replacing 4 tires is a big expense every 5 years. Maybe I'll do 2 at a time.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Cover your tires

ps- Bruce if you ever find yourself in Southeast Kansas, let me know, I'll buy you a drink!

No plans for the near future but if you want to buy me a drink while I am here, I do accept Paypal!

 

[Av8nBill]

Re: Cover your tires

I have really never understood the covering of your trailer tires. The tires on my truck are in the sun just as much as my trailers and I have never seen a car or truck tire covered. Just saying...

Your truck and trailer tires both have compounds that are released as the tire flexes that help keep them supple. Since you use your truck more often, more of these compounds are released and that helps prevent dry rot. Trailer tires that sit for 330 (or more) days a year don't benefit from that protection.