pascal

This could happen to any tire as they don't have a lifetime shelf life.
Especially if stored in a bad environment (high temperature fluctuations).
That's why you have a date of manufacture on tires, so you can track the shelf life before mounting...


OP, good catch for sure.

157dB

OZONE kills them the fastest.
Being stored next to a brushed motor
can kill them quite quick.
Or anything that produces OZONE
for that matter.
Temperature fluctuations have little
effect on the half life of a stored tire.
Unless its stored on a rim and pressurized
to the maximum pressure listed on the sidewall.

JIM5.0

Ozone? I never thought of that before but it sounds like it makdes sense I assume it promotes oxidation and thus rubber rot.

Stoenr

Looks like stress cracking from under inflation.

Not getting out my tire book, but pretty sure those 20's with that low profile would require a little more than 35psi to = the load index of what the tires that come with the cars are.

TylerT

Nice catch! That could've ended terribly. I love my Nitto 555's

Diabolical!

Definitely needed more pressure.

*Edit* No amount of tire pressure would have helped. It seems the tires are garbage:

http://mbworld.org/forums/wheels-tir...en-raptor.html

Hack Job

FWIW, I kept the pressure at 35psi, the car is not garaged, and no ozone (???) exposure. All 4 tires had similiar cracks although that was the longest one and they were all on the inside. Once deflated I could open the cracks and see cords.

I'm d*mn glad they didn't come apart on a morning commute! The 'Crestuky 500' can be crazy in the mornings...

157dB

http://www.tire-information-world.co...rioration.html

Ozone is an odorless gas, which some people call the electric train smell.
Although it is more concentrated in cities and manufacturing centers, ozone
is a normal part of the air we breathe everywhere. When combined with
ultraviolet (UV) light, ozone causes rubber to dry and become brittle and
results in tire sidewall deterioration.

rjwz28

Rikens are garbage. The only selling point is the price... dirt cheap. I'd run Hankooks, Generals, anything before I'd run something like a Riken. Good choice swapping to Nittos.