Defective Tire Indication??

....these sidewall ply laps are perfectly normal. In my nearly 43 years of driving, I can't recall a tire without this feature !

Good question...but sometimes, we look, hear and feel too deep, and see issues where none exist with automobiles.

S-

That is actually the strongest part of the radial ply; the overlapped
cords. Start to immediately worry when you have a bulge about that wide
down the sidewall.

I have the exact same tires on my dually and also have the same indentations. I have over 27k on them and aside from the fronts cupping ,even though I have flipped them at about 17k and YES i have a good balance on them, they are really good tires. my rears dont show any wear at all..I wasent concerned about the indentation at time of purchase as it was all the way around...if it was just in one spot then I would have passed...I have had tires over the years that have had one indentation on the sidewall and after 20k or so miles that indentation became a "outdentation" and that was no bueno...so like others have mentioned no worries on that indentation :)
Cameron

OK, a couple of fine points to nitpick.

First, that indentation is the overlap of the PLIES (not the belts). It is indeed stronger there than the rest of the tire.

Why don't you see indentations in passenger car tires? You do, but a passenger car tire is inflated in the 30 psi range, not the 70 to 80 psi range. If you look carefully, you will find at least one indentation for every ply (not belt ply) a tire has.

Also, notice in the photo a circumferential indentation 360 degrees around the tire in the mid sidewall area - where the lettering is. That is where the ends of the plies are. The plies are turned up around the bead - a hoop of steel wires - and they end in the mid sidewall area. Because of differences in the amount of material, you get bulges and indentations, and that is one of those areas.

You may think it is a weak point. But actually it is a strong point. This is the area where to belts are connected, and double lapped and cemented. The fact that the area appears as an indentation is evidence that it does not inflate as much as the rest of the sidewall. That is because it is stronger. Does not distort under pressure as easily.

I have wondered about that myself. One dealer told me it was created when the end of two or more belts were located at the same point on the tire. I would think that would create a weak point but have been told that it does not. I'd like to see one dissected to see if that is the fact.

I've had many tires with that indentation with no failures attributable to it. Both OEM and purchased. I usually get 50K to 70K on them.

It has to do with the sidewall cords and where they are lap-sliced.
Strictly cosmetic.......

Tire Dents