Spotting Dry Rot in Tires and How to Prevent It from Happening

Don’t let dry rot ruin your expensive tires before you use them fully. Learn the symptoms, why it is caused, and what to do to avoid dry rot!

Transcript:

When was the last time you took a good look at not yourself but your tires?

Like ourselves, tires also start showing signs of age and misuse by dry rotting.

Now’s the time to criticize our tires rather than ourselves in the mirror.

Hi, I’m Nancy at Kneble’s Auto Service Center.

Before I tell you the signs of dry rotting, how this may occur, and what you can do to help slow the process down, please give us a like on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and check out our YouTube channel.

Tires, like humans, show signs of aging.

Thankfully, we last a bit longer than the rubber that our tires are made of. It is important to know the condition and age of your tires.

On average, tires will last between six to seven years.

When examining your tires, here are three items you need to look for to show the following signs of rubber breaking down.

Cracks.

They may be seen in the sidewall or tread.

The tire may feel brittle, and you may notice parts of the rubber even flaking off. The color of the tire may start to fade from black to gray.

And tires are coded with their manufacturer date on the sidewall.

For example, your tire may have the number 4115 at the end of the DOT or Department of Transportation Number.

This number represents the tire manufactured on the 41st week in the year 2015. Hence, this is an example where your tires are seven years old, do not ignore signs of aging tires.

Driving with dry rot tires is dangerous as a blowout can occur at any time. Reasons for dry rot are not just from the tire’s age but also from not using the vehicle.

If your vehicle sits in one place for a long period, this causes stress on the tire; hence, cracks can start to develop.

This can even become worse when the tires are exposed to long periods of sunlight, which can increase dry rot.

Driving on under-inflated tires may also lead to dry rot.

And overloading your vehicle with weight can stress tires leading to dry rot.

Vehicles are designed with a specific size, tire, and weight capacity.

So check your owner’s manual for that information.

Some easy preventative solutions to help prevent premature dry rot of the tires include rotating your tires.

This allows for tires not to be in the same location for a long period. Use your vehicle, so it’s not parked in the same location for long periods.

Now, I understand that our older crowd has no reason for this, but maybe a nice drive around town or to your favorite restaurant that happens to be next door, Freddy J’s Bar and Kitchen.

Tires are expensive, so having them not prematurely needing replacement is certainly best for your pocket.

Thank you for watching, and check out a new video every Wednesday at 12:30.

And if you need help determining the condition of your tires or know it’s time to replace them, please feel free to call us at 609-625-3286 or schedule an appointment through our website.

We are located here at 5473 Somers Point Road in Mays Landing. You’ve got it. Next to our favorite restaurant, Freddy J’s Bar and Kitchen.

See you here.