cracking tyres

[xsport]

there seems to be a lot of tyres cracking , especially in the tread depths lately reported. i have read a little regarding the chemicals used during the manufacture process which contributes a lot to this problem. the E.U clamped down on the use of certain polluting chemicals during manufacture. i am wondering if these laws were applied to the japanese tyre producers , toyo etc. if they were produced abroad they may still have the good old way of making a lasting tyre ... without cracks appearing after a few years only ..

[slovcan]

Originally Posted by xsport

there seems to be a lot of tyres cracking , especially in the tread depths lately reported. i have read a little regarding the chemicals used during the manufacture process which contributes a lot to this problem. the E.U clamped down on the use of certain polluting chemicals during manufacture. i am wondering if these laws were applied to the japanese tyre producers , toyo etc. if they were produced abroad they may still have the good old way of making a lasting tyre ... without cracks appearing after a few years only ..

Precisely. I had to throw away a set of Michelins recently and have heard folks say they've had Avons and some other Euro tires cracking prematurely, as well.

Asian tires don't do it. I just bought a set of Nexen tires to replace the cracked Michelins. They were made in South Korea. There are a few Korean tire makers and all seem to be good. But, be careful because even they do offshore manufacturing - some also made in China and the Czech Republic. Pretty sure the Czech plant will also be following EU rules.

[Mike Trident]

I can confirm Avon tires crack. I need to replace all four of mine because they are all cracked, which is so annoying since there is a lot of tread on them. Probably something like 7 to 8 mm.

The car had Hankook when I bought it , and I wore these out. I'll be going back to Hankook tires, which are South Korean.

[Lagetha]

My recently purchased 75 came with 4 badly cracked tyres, with seemingly legal tread depth, however the MOT history showed very low mileages for recent years. When I checked the dates on the tyres, 2 (Landsail) were 2009, 1 (Avon) was 2008, and one (unknown) was 2007... Safety first so 4 new tyres (Autogreen SC1) fitted now. I don't do high speeds, or racing line cornering.

The condition of the original tyres was a bargaining chip in negotiating the price I paid for the car from an advertised £950 down to £800, so this largely covered the tyre replacement price of £220.

[xsport]

it makes you wonder about paying the extra for premium tyre brands. whats the point if you are at risk with cracking tyres only a few years old ? hope you fare ok with your new tyres , but at £55 a corner , i have my doubts that they will be on there for a good while. ... all the best with that. ....

[Lagetha]

Originally Posted by xsport

it makes you wonder about paying the extra for premium tyre brands. whats the point if you are at risk with cracking tyres only a few years old ? hope you fare ok with your new tyres , but at £55 a corner , i have my doubts that they will be on there for a good while. ... all the best with that. ....

In my view, I could either splurge for premium tyres a little less frequently, or be frugal and buy budget tyres slightly more often - I've driven for over 50 years on all kinds of rubber in all kinds of cars and never felt unsafe. However at BigRuss's recently, which is about 40 motorway miles from my home, he pointed out the cracks in my tyres and I went home a little slower than on my outward journey.

I fitted 2 Autogreen SC1s on the front of my now dead PT Cruiser in 2018, and after 15000 miles tread was down to 3-4mm, but the casings looked OK. I think the problem with the tyres I got with the 75 was more lack of use - they've been a feature of many an MOT advisory over the last few years, when the car was averaging 500-1000 miles per year.

[polinsteve]

Originally Posted by xsport

it makes you wonder about paying the extra for premium tyre brands. whats the point if you are at risk with cracking tyres only a few years old ? hope you fare ok with your new tyres , but at £55 a corner , i have my doubts that they will be on there for a good while. ... all the best with that. ....

I always go for premium brands, the reasons being:
Normally superior braking distance
Wet weather performance
Economy rating
Smooth and quiet running

I've also found that many cheaper tyres give a much harsher ride and the difference in price, generally, isn't huge. I'm happy to buy cheap with most things, but in my opinion, tyres and brake pads are never worth saving a few quid by buying cheap.

[roverbarmy]

The ten year old Hankooks on the rear of my Sportage had cracks in the treads but that is to be expected!!! Lots of reports of cracked Avons at well below the six year mark. Hard tyres = long miles but cracking may well occur if you don't do the mileage.

[xsport]

cannot grumble at 10yrs service ! are they asian made or EU ? seems to me that the clean environment strategy from the EU was not thought through very well for the european market. the limitation of certain chemicals during manufacture has resulted in a boost of tyre production and profits. But were was the advantage to the environment by doubling production quantities and energy usages and polluting even more ? not to mention delivery pollution aspects. no wonder the manufacturers welcomed the move. sounds as good as the petrol v diesel pollution enforced by the E.U a few years back.

[MissMoppet]

Originally Posted by slovcan

Asian tires don't do it. I just bought a set of Nexen tires to replace the cracked Michelins. They were made in South Korea.

I've happily used Nexens for many years but I had to buy one last year which came from China.