tigers
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: Tires and Ozone

To: tigers@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Tires and Ozone
From: Steve Laifman <SLaifman@socal.rr.com>
Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 13:17:44 -0800
Yes, and Yes.

To speak directly to tires, the rubber does oxidize from contact with 
the oxygen in the air, resulting in checked, or cracked side wall 
rubber.  My '50's vintage Dunlop Gold Seals were purported to be made of 
nearly pure gum rubber.  Anyway they gripped well in the dry, cracked 
quickly, and 10,000 miles was a good life.  The early Michelin X tires 
were a good deal harder, lasted forever, had poor grip in the wet, and 
did not crack.   Armor All had yet to be invented, but used car lots put 
brake fluid on their car's side walls to make the tires look like new.

Additives, later in the 60's, seemed to reduce oxidation, and may have 
been from rubber additives.  Certainly they turned brown quickly, and 
Armor All was better than brake fluid to make them look good.  Once you 
started, you were addicted to it, or your tires quickly looked like s--t.

Stories sound right, and match real experience.

Steve

___
Steve Laifman
Editor - TigersUnited.com



stubrennan@comcast.net wrote:

><- - - snip - - ->
>"...discourage the use of products like Armor All on the sidewalls of the 
>tires because the Armor All can solubilize the waxes and then remove them 
>over time."
>
>Anybody else heard this?
>
>Stu
>
>  
>

Dan Cordray wrote:
<- - - snip - - ->
I recall several of the Michelin technical persons who were 
participating in this meeting stating rather strongly that the use of 
Armor All type substances on tires or other rubber parts was highly 
discouraged, and the stated reason was more-or-less as described in the 
chemist's letter. That was 15 odd years ago and I don't know if the 
recommendation remains the same today.

Dan




<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>