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rwiegand's avatar
rwiegand
Explorer
May 11, 2018

"dimples" on one of my tires

picture 1

picture 2


This is on my trailer rather than the truck, but I figure you guys are smart in the way of tires. I hope you can see it in the pictures, but one tire has developed a couple of radial "dimples" for want of another word. Is this a normal thing or some sign of imminent failure?

For some reason my images aren't posting.






  • and



    Look pretty normal. I'd watch them and possibly go by a tire dealer if they are warrantied to see what they think.
  • Had same issue on many tires, tire rep states normal. Was something to do with manufacturing process.
  • Thanks for fixing my picture links. What was wrong with them? I've never had a problem before.

    The dealer was Costco, they are pretty good for the basics, but it's pure luck of the draw to find someone there who knows something!
  • rwiegand wrote:
    Thanks for fixing my picture links. What was wrong with them? I've never had a problem before.


    Your text didn't actually include the filename. I right clicked and opened the picture in a new window and then copied the full url to the file which included "jpg". I hope that helps.
  • Three of my fifth wheel tires have those same dimples. Going on 3 years, now; no problems.
  • back in the 70's when they first came out with radial tires I panic while in reno and I went into a tire store to buy new tires. I got lucky because I asked an honest tire man about the possibility of the tires blowing out and he told me this was normal for radial tires and the dimple was where the belts met inside the tire.
  • Thanks, I'll stop worrying now. I had one tire blow apart on the trailer a couple of years ago, it was a sufficiently hair-raising experience that I know watch them pretty carefully.
  • OK, the OCD guy in me says:

    While most folks posting in this thread got the overlap part right, what is being overlapped is the plies, not the belt. The belt is completely under the tread and even if they were overlapped (They are butt spliced!), the amount of tread rubber would completely obscure the indentation.
  • The rubber expands under inflation and only belts/reinforcement keeps it from making a balloon.
    So when you have overlap belts, they hold stronger, when the rest gives a bit more.

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