>>SNIP
>There was a note recently on team.net about someone seeing a
>circumferential crack around their Kum-ho. I don't know all the >details
>on this, but this past weekend at a Milwaukee SCCA event, a Kum-ho
>apparently came apart along a similar line. Along the inner sidewall >if I
>heard correctly, bringing the car to a halt. (safely >thankfully) Maybe
>someone who has better information can fill in or >correct me.
>>SNIP
I have been holding back on saying anything in regard to this matter until I
could post some pictures of the tire. I am the driver that had the problem
with the Kumhos at the Milwaukee/Chicago Region Event. I don't have the
pictures developed yet but will post them as soon as I can. Just to set the
tone, here is some background on the day:
Climate: The day was cold (45ish degrees) and very wet.
Car: 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX
Tires: Kumhos, 8th event on them. I hadn't rotated the tires from front to
rear all season, (I hoped I would only have to buy 2 at a time) but since it
was raining, I put the rear wheels on the front. I would almost call them
new.(Lots of tread left)
Tire Pressures: 46 Front 36 Rear
Situation: I entered a left hand sweeper and heard a loud bang/scraping
sound. I brought the car to a halt and took a look. Turns out that around
3/4 of the inner sidewall, (passenger side), the tread had separated from
the carcass. Exposing the cords but allowing the tire to hold air. (THANK
GOD!) Had the tire lost air, I bet I would have rolled the car.
>>SNIP
>I wasn't the poster this time but I have had this happen to me a couple
>of times and I reported it a nubmer of months ago. It is due to extreme
>underinflation. Kumhos need at least 6-8 more lbs of air than BFG R1s.
>Once I went from 27 lbs cold to 33 lbs cold the problem disappeared.
>THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS!
This was not an issue of underinflated tires because of the Tire Pressures I
was running.
>It may have something to do with running full tread versus not, or
>running the tire in the opposite direction it was originally intended.
>(Here we go again!)
I haven't done that yet....and now I probably won't.
So where do I go from here? Any suggestions?
Thanh "All Kracked Up" Dombroe
13 GS
>From: washburn <washburn@dwave.net>
>Reply-To: washburn <washburn@dwave.net>
>To: Karl Rickert <alfakarl@hotmail.com>
>CC: autox@autox.team.net
>Subject: Re: kumho crack
>Date: Mon, 04 Oct 1999 20:59:21 -0500
>
>Karl Rickert wrote:
> >
> > Normal? You've got to be kidding! No tread seperation is normal. It's a
> > defect if you ask me! If you had the same problem with a set of street
>tires
> > you'd want a replacement right! Well same here!
> >
>There was a note recently on team.net about someone seeing a
>circumferential crack around their Kum-ho. I don't know all the details
>on this, but this past weekend at a Milwaukee SCCA event, a Kum-ho
>apparently came apart along a similar line. Along the inner sidewall if
>I heard correctly, bringing the car to a halt. (safely thankfully)
>Maybe someone who has better information can fill in or correct me.
>Personally, I'm buying American. :)
>
>PLW
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