vjd3

A couple of my tires (Conti SportContacts) have small chunks of rubber torn or missing from the sidewalls, specifically the part of the side wall that juts out a little to protect the rim from being curbed where it meets the tire (previous owner managed to curb both passenger side rims anyway). Can anyone comment on whether these tires are okay to keep? They are holding pressure just fine.

Thanks ...

Caveman

Pictures would help...

last toy

I know side wall damage is not covered by road hazard warranty and repair shops are not willings to repair side wall damage. These sections of missing rubber could be points of potential blowouts under hard driving. I ssume you have low profile tires which can be even more suseptible to weak spots. I would have a professional tire shop you can trust give you their opinion.

Garth S

Need pics!
Rim protector strips are not structural to the integrity of the tire .... neither effecting the pressure envelope nor the spring rate .... but this is a 'must see' condition.

911C2

The damage could have been doen at instll. Are these original tires and/ or did you have tire rotation recently where they removed the wheel off the rim to mover from right to left???

Pics would help

vjd3

My digital camera's not working ... this is as a result of the previous owner curbing the rims, it's about a one-inch chunk off the rim protection rubber on one, and the rim protection rubber is torn on the other. I'm having my tech check it out now. Thanks for the comments, I'll update when I learn something.

Bull

They likely look like hell, along with the wheels. If in doubt, get rid of the "oh look Clem, he can't park" tires and have the wheels repaired. Then you have no tire doubts.

901aero

I agree with Garth S. Most likely the tires are OK for daily use. Most agree that unrepairable and dangerous sidewall damage is something like a nail to the side of the tire (where the writing is) or anything around the corner of the tread. No Repair. Tire go bye bye. I just tossed a brand new Yoko for that very reason (and not my first!!!).

mike cap

Vic,

With the damage to the rim protection strips you describe, no worries as far as the tire integrity. For cosmetic reasons you can just dismount the tires and move them to the other side of the car, "inside out" to keep the ugly part inboard. A lot cheaper than buying new tires.

Mike Cap
1997 C2
Arena Red

vjd3

I'm not really concerned about the cosmetics, it's barely noticeable, more of an integrity issue. Seems like it's fine, there's a ton of tread on these tires, 5 mm all the way around. Thanks for the input ...

raffi

Since you guys are already discussing this topic would you mind giving me an opinion on this tire.
it has superficial damage but on the sidewall, so would this tire be considered useless?

ed devinney

Raffi - unless the picture deceives on depth that's more than superficial damage. The sidewall is as critical to tire safety and performance as the tread. I would not drive on it.

ddz

I suppose it all depends on how much risk you're willing to live with... I recently ran into a piece of a muffler that dropped off the pickup in front of me- it was an explosive blowout that nearly stuffed me into the guardrail in a split second. It was only quick reflexes and luck that prevented disaster- and I had the benfeit of watching that piece bounce down the road for a few seconds. When I took a look at the tire when it was removed(a conti hi-sport) I was surpised how fragile the construction of the sidewalls looked and how little rubber covered the belts- after the fact it was easy to push a screwdriver through the sidewall close to the location of your damage.
With the way we drive our cars and the hazards they are exposed to I simply wouldn't take the chance myself. The bottom line is that anybody answering your question can only guess at how that damage occurred and what may be lurking just beneath the surface. It's your life...and maybe someone elses too.

Monique

The way I read it is if the cord is not showing, you are safe.

At least this is how we proceed in large, high pressure, high speed tires as fitted to aircraft.

raffi

thanks all for the useful info