Do I have dry rot on my '11 tires already?

[Dr Plastic]

I had the same tires on my '08 Malibu (Hankook Optimo) for almost 5 years. This is perfectly normal. It is due to the tread flexing under load and acceleration. Proper rotation of your tires will help alleviate this but it is normal.

[peterk9]

Originally Posted by Dr Plastic

I had the same tires on my '08 Malibu (Hankook Optimo) for almost 5 years. This is perfectly normal. It is due to the tread flexing under load and acceleration. Proper rotation of your tires will help alleviate this but it is normal.

It kind of makes me feel good that I replaced these tires the day I picked up my Explorer. I just went back and read some reviews on them on Tire Rack and although a few really liked them the overwhelming reviews are not great. Out of 138 reviews it scored 4.9 out of 10 and received 2.5 stars out of 5. I based my decision on reviews from back in the early part of 2011. The most recent ones were from this past summer and they aren't any better.

Peter

[VinceL]

It's funny that you say that Peter, because I too read those reviews and was worried about the OEM tire. To my surprise, and tremendous relief, I have found them to be very competent performers. The are quiet, ride well, handle well, and are fantastic in the rain. Of course, rain is the predominant form of precipitation we get in these parts, so that probably has a lot to do with our satisfaction of the tire. We just don't have to worry about the cold weather aspect of their performance.

[colintrax]

Originally Posted by Bill #4 Explorer

Colintrax, I agree with you on points 1 and 2. Further, a 10 degree temp difference effects tire pressure (assumes dry air) by about 1 PSI.

As for #3, I disagree. The combination of lower than ideal tire pressures, combined with an aggressive driving style (hard corning and tail braking) will allow that tire shoulder to roll over more, and create that wear pattern.

This is further enhanced by the Explorer's +6,000 pounds riding on a low-profile 20" tire.

The tires never really get that hot either. For example with some of my sports cars, this wear is evident, but does not exhibite the "scaled" look. It's more "polished" and rounded because the tires can get very hot & sticky.....plus they corner better than an Explorer (thank God!).

What is tail braking? And you do have a point, I was thinking of driving down the interstate, not while cornering. I don't use these tires (97 explorer with all terrains) but mine will definitely get hot. A solid 20~30 degrees hotter than the outside air.

[Bill #4 Explorer]

Originally Posted by colintrax

What is tail braking?

To quickly explain, tail braking is a high speed performance driving technique to transfer weight and rotate (steer) a vehicle through a corner. You do this with the proper application of braking, throttle imputs, and steering imputs.

[Dr Plastic]

Also these tires (Hankook Optimo) are OEM on Porsche, VW/Audi and BMW to name a few...

[Bill #4 Explorer]

Originally Posted by peterk9

It kind of makes me feel good that I replaced these tires the day I picked up my Explorer. I just went back and read some reviews on them on Tire Rack and although a few really liked them the overwhelming reviews are not great. Peter

And how many of those "reviews" were for our tires size on the newly designed Explorer? I'm guessing zero. Relevance is also pretty close to zero.

Peter, try as you might, you just can't come to terms with being ripped off by your local tire dealer, and you keep trying to justify your purchase.

[Bill #4 Explorer]

Originally Posted by Dr Plastic

Also these tires (Hankook Optimo) are OEM on Porsche,

Really? Porsche? I did not know this. I am certain not on the Boxster, Cayman or new 911 (991). Maybe a Pano or Cayenne??

[Dr Plastic]

I did see them on a Boxster..........

[peterk9]

Originally Posted by Bill #4 Explorer

And how many of those "reviews" were for our tires size on the newly designed Explorer? I'm guessing zero. Relevance is also pretty close to zero.

Peter, try as you might, you just can't come to terms with being ripped off by your local tire dealer, and you keep trying to justify your purchase.

Okay, okay Bill, you're right. I don't think any were for our size but I don't know what size an Impala uses and I didn't see any for an Explorer. Actually I think the smaller sizes would usually perform better in wet and snow conditions since there is less surface to hydroplane and push through snow. Even the reviews weren't always consistant. Some would say it was great in wet weather while others said they were dangerous. I guess the only way is to try them.
As for getting 'ripped off', I don't feel that way at all. I would have dumped them even if I didn't get anything for them, so I considered $80/tire a bonus.
At the time I acquired my Ex, cost was not a problem. In my current situation, and having a set of dedicated Winter tires, I likely would keep the Hankooks if the same senario presented itself.
You can't blame a guy for trying.

Peter

[Bill #4 Explorer]

^It's all good, Peter!

[RandyH2]

"Normal"- Perhaps normal for these tires but not for tires in general. I have never noticed this on any car I have previously owned and they were all driven much harder than the Explorer. One step in cleaning my cars is detailing the wheels/tires so I would have noticed the dry-rot appearance on other tires.