JBarca wrote:
......This tread crack is an issue in my case. Can you comment on this?....
Rubber cracking is a function of the material properties, the amount of movement, and the number of cycles. It think it would be obvious that the more movement, the more likely the rubber is going to crack - AND - that the rubber in a tire might not show cracks, but could develop them after a little flexing.
Put a different way, you can NOT sure sure a tire is OK if it doesn't have cracks.
On the material properties issue, different types of rubber have different cracking properties. Some get brittle at low temperature. Some are very resistant to cracking. The problem is that the types of rubbers used in tires tend to age and crack.
- and here's where it get complex: In some respects, cracking is to be expected. It's a matter of degree.
Plus, tire manufacturers have different approaches when it comes to crcaking. Some think that a tire that is old ought to look old (ie. cracked) Some will use crack resistant rubbers in the sidewall.
- side note: Because of the properties needed, crack resistant rubbers can NOT be used everywhere in a tire. Plus, the use of waxes (which form a barrier) and anti-oxidants (AO's) can slow down the cracking, but can not prevent it. But the use of waxes creates appearance issues (off color, non-black), and the use of AO's is expensive.
