Bubble in sidewall

[Ronin8002]

So it seems I have a slight bump or bubble on the outside sidewall of one of my tires (Mickey Thompson Baja ATZ Radial 265/75/16, load range E).

It's about 2" wide and extends from near the bead all the way up to the shoulder of the tread. It sticks out maybe 1/4" at the furthest...hardly even noticeable...only reason I saw it is I was about to wash the truck and noticed that some of the lines/letters on the tire were distorted in one spot. You can feel where it is when you run your finger around the sidewall.

I have no idea how long its been there. I don't recall hitting any bad potholes or sharp objects that would cause that kind of damage. I thought it was a defect but Mickey Thompson won't replace it under warranty because they consider it to be damage caused by the owner

Fortunately I have a spare one that's already mounted on the same type rim....I'm just a little irritated that a 3-ply sidewall tire could get "damaged" that easily.

Is it unsafe to drive on the tire with the bubble on it? I figure it will get worse with time but until then I thought I could put some more miles on it before it gets big enough to be unsafe. Or am I asking for trouble doing even that?

Here are some pics...it's really hard to see it so I circled it:

 

[wood1]

I was always under the impression that a bubble is a broken belt. I wouldn't use a tire that was damaged like that. For the sake of a couple hundred dollars... if something ever happened and someone was injured needlessly...

 

[waskly]

from the pic it looks like the tire seam, i could be wrong the pic isnt that clear. if it an actual bubble, i would get a new tire.

hit any curbs lately?

 

[LONO100]

same exact thing happened to me on a set of low pros i had on my old ride. you dont want to ride on that thing, you cant see from the inside, but on the inside of that bump the sidewall is stretched out and thinner than the rest of the sidewall and it would be dangerous to ride on. just cut your losses on that tire and get a new one, especially if you have a family and they ride in your x! what i would do is look for a used tire of the same kind you can get for half price at a tire spot or on ebay, and then use that tire on your spare and run the newer one that was originally your spare.

 

[Tbars4]

...If it were I, I would immediately take it to the shop where I bought it...

...Who knows?..It may be a defect from the manufacturer which they will replace or at the least, they are notified that this may be one of many that have this problem..

..I look at it like if I don't show and tell the shop that supplied the tires, look how many other people might just be resolving the same problem on their own out of their own pocket while the manufacturer isn't being notified..

..I wouldn't drive on that tire for long...:scratch:..unless you got Scotty riding along keeping an eye on it..

 

[Ronin8002]

Lol, thanks for the advice all. I'll put this one out to pasture.

Vendor was sympathetic but they are an online dealer and don't offer anything beyond the manufacturer's warranty...and the manufacturer basically told me that this wasn't covered....so looks like I'll be getting a new tire out of my own pocket.

 

[Tbars4]

..Out of curiosity and perhaps it might help future readers, what is the specific date stamp on the bad tire and when did you buy it?

 

[lounge lizard]

that is a separated belt in the side wall.

the date code is real important considering they still sell tires from the 90's manufactured date

definately take it back to where you had them installed and get it off before it blows out. you never know they may pro rate the tire exchange.

 

[Ronin8002]

Will take a look and post up in the morning.

 

[Ronin8002]

Well after the DOT letters I see a UPW8 and then I don't see any numbers. I'll look more closely later and check the other side of the tire also to see if I can get the date.

Interesting, the letters UP indicate Cooper Tire & Rubber in Findlay, OH as the manufacturer and the letters W8 indicate Siam Tyre in Thailand as the plant where it was manufactured.

Doing a google search for "tire code UPW8" shows that I'm not the only one who's had problems with tires from that plant.

 

[lounge lizard]

see that!

now you just have to make them give you a new tire!

 

[Tbars4]

...I don't know why it's not a sticky but I did some digging for ya.....This should help you find the date..
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=230295&highlight=tire+age

 

[Ronin8002]

Worth a try maybe! Actually I found a guy who might be interested in buying the other 4 good ones off of me...was thinking about getting some Goodyear Wrangler Duratracs in the same size but load range C instead of E like these M/T's. I'm just tired of dealing with vendors that I have to email instead of being able to go to an actual brick and mortar shop and deal with them face to face.

 

[sport97]

My parents tires have the same thing on their tires. Crappy as Goodyear tires. They were on there since new,and on several tires. I've also seen many other Goodyear wranglers with the same things on the sidewalls. I'll check them tomorrow to see if they are still there but I seem to recall looking last month and not seeing them

 

[det107]

...was thinking about getting some Goodyear Wrangler Duratracs in the same size but load range C instead of E like these M/T's. I'm just tired of dealing with vendors that I have to email instead of being able to go to an actual brick and mortar shop and deal with them face to face.

I buy my tyres from local shops w/ hazard warranty (a few dollars more). Once I went offroading & got a sidewall flat (shale rock). The shop honored the warranty w/ new tyre-

 

[lounge lizard]

there is a difference between a "dimple" and a "bulge" in the side wall of a tire.

a dimple in the sidewall of a tire, which looks like a very small "V" style groove that can be seen at the right angle and felt sometimes, is where the belts in the sidewall are joined together in the process of making the tire

a bulge in the sidewall of a tire, which can be seen from a distance and easily felt by running your hand over it that feels like a golf ball in the sidewall of the tire, is where the belt has separated and is shrinking back along the belt line.

think of the muscle in your arm. if you tear the muscle in you arm it starts to pull back up your arm and makes a bulge where the muscle is contracting and a dip in front of the bulge where the muscle use to be.

this is how it was explained to me by a tire rep. after having issues with a lot of tires in this area.

another way to find them sometimes is if you have a slight shimmy in the steering wheel, but the alignment is good, the tires are balanced properly. but still a slight shimmy.

if you check the tires for dimples, bulges, any "defects" in the sidewall near the tread line. this may be what is causing the slight shimmy in the steering wheel.

 

[Ronin8002]

...I don't know why it's not a sticky but I did some digging for ya.....This should help you find the date..
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=230295&highlight=tire+age

Thanks Tbars! Of course it seems the date is on mine is on the inside sidewall so I'll prob end up taking off the wheel to read it.

 

[Ronin8002]

I buy my tyres from local shops w/ hazard warranty (a few dollars more). Once I went offroading & got a sidewall flat (shale rock). The shop honored the warranty w/ new tyre-

that's what I'm thinking of doing this time...more expensive but better/easier customer service in the long run.

 

[Ronin8002]

Thanks for the explanation. Based on your description this is definitely a bulge, though it is fairly minor at the moment.

there is a difference between a "dimple" and a "bulge" in the side wall of a tire.

a dimple in the sidewall of a tire, which looks like a very small "V" style groove that can be seen at the right angle and felt sometimes, is where the belts in the sidewall are joined together in the process of making the tire

a bulge in the sidewall of a tire, which can be seen from a distance and easily felt by running your hand over it that feels like a golf ball in the sidewall of the tire, is where the belt has separated and is shrinking back along the belt line.

think of the muscle in your arm. if you tear the muscle in you arm it starts to pull back up your arm and makes a bulge where the muscle is contracting and a dip in front of the bulge where the muscle use to be.

this is how it was explained to me by a tire rep. after having issues with a lot of tires in this area.

another way to find them sometimes is if you have a slight shimmy in the steering wheel, but the alignment is good, the tires are balanced properly. but still a slight shimmy.

if you check the tires for dimples, bulges, any "defects" in the sidewall near the tread line. this may be what is causing the slight shimmy in the steering wheel.

 

[Ronin8002]

Found the date for the bubbled tire; 3110, so the 31st week of 2010.

All but one of my tires has that (I have 5 tires), with the odd one out being 3210

Interestingly enough all the 3110 tires took a lot of weight to balance, whereas the 3210 only took a couple of ounces.