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Originally Posted by BFBurk
Great discussion! I've had the same BFGoodrich radial T/A's on my car since it was built in 1989.
They always seem to shake at high speed and high speed balancing seems to work but does not seem to eliminate the problem. I did have one left front rim that had a wobble 12 years ago and I chucked it up in the lathe and took a 20 to 30 thousandth cut where the rim contacts the spindle and trued up the wheel. I replaced that tire and it was much better. All the other rims were fine.
I still have the same tires(minus the one that was on the out of true rim) and they wear like iron. The tires must have a very hard rubber compound.
I think low profile tires are hard to keep balanced and need rebalanced yearly or at least once every couple of years. When I need new tires, I will keep what was discussed here in mind.  |
They probably have turned into rocks!
Am I reading correctly, your tires are 18 years old? Please read below and consider some new shoes for your hot rod.
Tires: Aging Dangerously
Copyright Ó Safety Research & Strategies, 2006
Tires, like any other rubber product, have a limited service life regardless of tread depth and use. The dangers of "aged" tires is a little known problem outside of the industry and one that is likely the cause of a significant number of tread separation problems. "Aged" tires are often unsuspectingly put into service after having served as a spare, stored in garages or warehouses, or simply used on a vehicle that is infrequently driven. In many instances these tires show no visible sign of deterioration, and absent any visible indicators, tires with adequate tread depth are likely to be put into service regardless of age.
Tire age can be determined through decoding of the required DOT number molded into the side of a tire; however, the DOT date coding is consumer unfriendly and confusing. [Decoding the DOT Number]
Following the Ford/Firestone tire investigations in 2000 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began examining tire aging as a factor in tread belt separations and proposed a tire aging test in 2002 [Docket 2000-8011-19]. However, overwhelming industry opposition and the lack of an agreed upon aging standard led NHTSA hold further rulemaking and to begin additional research [June 26, 2003 Final Rule, Docket 03-15400-1]. As a result the agency is currently testing tires to discern possible test protocols that would ensure tires do not fail catastrophically before they wear out. This process is still several years from fruition. Following NHTSA's decision to commence additional research in 2003, SRS president Sean Kane, (formerly with Strategic Safety, LLC) began documenting a trend of catastrophic tire failures in the U.S. in which the tires were six years old or older. Kane also found important evidence that tire manufacturers have internal recommendations related to tire aging that were either never disclosed publicly. A summary of these findings along with a recommendation that NHTSA consider a tire expiration date requirement was submitted to the agency on September 17, 2003 [Docket 15400-12].
One of the most important documents disclosed to NHTSA regarding the industry knowledge of tire aging is the British Rubber Manufacturers Association (BRMA), which consists of the same tire manufacturers who are present in the U.S. market, recommended practice dated June 5, 2001. The BRMA's recommended practice on tire aging states
"BRMA members strongly recommend that unused tyres should not be put into service if they are over 6 years old and that all tyres should be replaced 10 years from the date of their manufacture."
It also notes that environmental conditions like exposure to sunlight and coastal climates, as well as poor storage and infrequent use accelerate the aging process.
"In ideal conditions, a tyre may have a life expectancy that exceeds 10 years from its date of manufacture. However such conditions are rare."
The BRMA document goes on to say that aging may be identified by small cracks in the tire sidewall, however,
"'[a]geing' may not exhibit any external indications and, since there is no non destructive test to assess the serviceability of a tyre, even an inspection carried out by a tyre expert may not reveal the extent of any deterioration."
Further, Kane's comments to NHTSA disclosed little-known warnings in the owner's manuals of German vehicles (i.e., Mercedes, BMW, Audi, VW) and Toyota that tires older than six years posed dangers. This information, combined with a number of other technical documents provide clear evidence that the tire and vehicle manufacturers are aware of, and likely in the possession of important data and testing upon which these obscure findings were based. However, none of this information was disclosed to NHTSA in response to its request for comments about tire aging.