Tires have cracks - how safe are they?

[E-man]

Hi All,

I bought these tires 5 years ago and drove about 8,000 miles on them but I did not take the RV out for about 1 year and when I went yesterday to check it out I notice my tires have cracks on them.

How safe are they with these cracks?



It cost a lot of money to replace all 6 so I’m hoping I don’t have to unless it’s a safety issue then for sure!

[Gonefishing1]

That is dry rotted. They are not safe at all in my opinion. Can blow out at anytime while on the road. I my self would not trust them on any trip. Me my first stop would be a tire shop. But that is just me.

[Cowracer]

How safe are they?

Not at all.

Tim

[5picker]

That, and the fact they are 5 years old would cause me concern.

[Bama Rambler]

I had a set of Michelin tires do the same thing a few years ago and they replaced all 5 of them.

Even though they're five years old, I'd contact Michelin and see what they say about them. You might be pleasantly surprised, and even if they do nothing, you're no worse off.

[sctheis]

Only need to worry if you are concerned about blowouts.

[PSU Turf]

I would not want to be driving behind a trailer with tires that look like that.

[Slow Moon]

I love Michelin tires and use them on all my trucks, cars, and motorcycles. However, in my experience they age out and suffer catastrophic failure earlier than other tires. I don't keep them at all past 5 years, even without cracks.

[jvalich]

Michelin Chart for cracks. Hope it gives you some guidance.

[BLOODYBILL]

Definitely not safe
Highly recommend you don’t drive on them
Save a life

[jtesta1]

Call your insurance provider and ask them if they will pay for an accident that was caused by bad tires.

[Tom48]

Originally Posted by Gonefishing1

That is dry rotted. They are not safe at all in my opinion. Can blow out at anytime while on the road. I my self would not trust them on any trip. Me my first stop would be a tire shop. But that is just me.

I run Michelin's on two trucks. They made me crazy. Within I couple years they start to show that surface cracking on the side walls. Unless they are becoming misshapen I bet they,are fine. Michelin will say, safe for ten years if pressure is maintained. If you are worried, have them inspected by a Michelin truck tire dealer. If that doesn't reassure you then the next level of inspection I understand is to pull one off the rim and look at it.

[wrapperman]

Those should still be safe for a year or two. I called Michelin a year and a half ago on my tires that were worse than yours. They said that is normal. Unless you can see the cord don't worry. Yours looks like surface cracks. Mine are over 7 years old, I still have mine. I do plan on replacing them this year but not worried.
Tires are good for 7 to 10 years. Depends on how they have been taken care of.
I will say when I called Michelin they agreed to replace just 1 tire that I insisted on but I had to pay a prorated cost.
Bottom line is, if you have the money, you don't know how they were taken care of and you just want peace of mind then buy new tires.
Only a tire professional will be able to brake down the tire and inspect the inside to give a better judgment than me.

[dwreefs]

That’s the outside of the tire which is made out of a harder rubber so it tends to crack . The outside is not structural.! ! I have driven many tires like this as some have a higher tendency to do this depending on the composition . I am sure you will get many warnings about this so you will have to make you own choice .

[Tom48]

Originally Posted by Gonefishing1

That is dry rotted. They are not safe at all in my opinion. Can blow out at anytime while on the road. I my self would not trust them on any trip. Me my first stop would be a tire shop. But that is just me.

I run Michelin's on two trucks. They made me crazy. Within I couple years they start to show that surface cracking on the side walls. Unless they are becoming misshapen I bet they,are fine. Michelin will say, safe for ten years if pressure is maintained. If you are worried, have them inspected by a Michelin truck tire dealer. If that doesn't reassure you then the next level of inspection I understand is to pull one off the rim and look at it.

[Dodge Guy]

It’s always the Michelin’s that dry rot like that! Mine cane with Michelin’s. However if I had to do $6000 every 5 years in tires I wouldn’t have a class A!

I would go with a different brand!

[Tundra 2014]

Cost to replace will be a LOT less than repair from blowing a tire. I agree this is dry rot, not safe.

[Brother Les]

Run them....
with Tire Minders...

[Grey Wolf 26RR]

Here are the manufacturer's guidelines for tire life:

https://www.michelinman.com/US/en/he...new-tires.html

[Tiggerdad]

[]That’s the outside of the tire which is made out of a harder rubber so it tends to crack . The outside is not structural.! ! I have driven many tires like this as some have a higher tendency to do this depending on the composition . I am sure you will get many warnings about this so you will have to make you own choice .[/QUOTE]

I will have to disagree with the rubber on one side is harder than the other. That would mean tires can only run in one direction and the other side, if softer will wear faster.

This is common on Michelin tires per other forums I am a member of. As one poster said, call Michelin and ask. Their answer will probably be that they are O.K. to get out of replacing them.