How fast do tires dry rot

Given that Americans drive over three trillion miles every year, according to the Department of Transportation , those millions of tires are needed to replace worn, damaged, aged or dry-rotted tires. If a tire dry rots, tire components, such as the tread, sidewalls, belts or bead wire, may separate.

Tread separation or sidewall blowout at highway speeds could result in a crash. Cracks on the surface of the rubber, whether on the tread, shoulder or sidewall areas, are a good sign your tires are ready for recycling.

Tread wear is another reason to replace your tires. You might have heard that you can use a coin to gauge tread depth, but nothing beats a compact and easy-to-use tire tread depth gauge.

We delete comments that violate our policy , which we encourage you to read. Discussion threads can be closed at any time at our discretion. Tire dry rot can wear out your tires long before you can tell Your tires can have plenty of tread but still need replacement. Brian Cooley.

March 26, a. Now playing: Watch this: Tire rot can dry out rubber long before the tread is I think our dads might be brothers. Tire replacement is pretty straightforward to the cost-conscious: when the tread wears down or a hole can't be patched. The reality is more nuanced than that. Tires are complex components that undergo amazing stresses during even the most mundane of drives. But your tires can become compromised even before they begin to bald.

One of the most common reasons tires may wear out prematurely is the development of dry rot. The term dry rot is used to describe a specific type of tire decay that can occur as a tire ages or is regularly exposed to harmful substances and conditions. Once dry rot appears in a tire, you only have a short period of time to attempt to repair the damage before the tires become unsafe for driving. Minor dry rot can be addressed by a professional using a tire sealant.

Tires with advanced dry rot must be replaced. Dry rot allows air to escape the tire, making it difficult or even impossible to keep the tire properly inflated. Dry rot can also cause unnatural rubber expansion while driving that actually breaks the tire apart. Tires with dry rot are much more likely to develop leaks, holes, and blow outs. In extreme cases, the tread may separate from the rest of the tire entirely.