tire blooming Archives - Spencer's Tire Shop

Tire Blooming | Find Out Why Your Tires Turn Brown

June 5, 2022March 9, 2023spencer51966@gmail.comMy Tire Advice, tire damage, What's New?

Your tires are “blooming” when the tire’s rubber turns a blotchy brown color instead of black.

Just like tire cracking and dry rot in tires, tire-blooming is common on vehicles that don’t get driven much.

That’s usually because the tire manufacturer used an additive, antiozonant, in the tire’s rubber — Antiozonant protects the tire against dry rot, ozone, and weather-cracking, but on tires that don’t get driven the antiozonant turns a brown color, staining the tire’s rubber permanently.

Most drivers wear out the tire before tire blooming becomes an issue.

But if you have a vintage or garaged car with older tires that rarely hit the highway, like the Corvette tire in this picture, they may be looking a little brown.

Steps you can take to protect your tires.

You cant reverse tire blooming, but there are products you can use to delay the onset and enhance the appearance of your tires.

At Kenwood Tire, we use a few products to clean and protect our customers’ tires and wheels – Right now we’re trying out the Chemical Brothers Diablo Gel tire and wheel cleaner with great results on all wheel types.

See how it works on the brake dust of this Mercedes GLK350 —

When it comes to tire dressings I’m not a big fan, but it’s ok to use a tire protectant like sunscreen. My longtime favorite is Wizard”s Tire Dressing and Protectant because it’s water-based, and doesn’t leave a residue and sling product all over your car!

If you’re a fan of shiny tires, use a water-based dressing like Wizards Tire & Vinyl Shine to finish the job because it won’t harm the tire and contains UV protection — Stay away from solvent-based dressings because they will accelerate tire cracking.

My advice about tire blooming and tire cracking is the same — Just drive! — Even if you have nowhere to go, getting your tires through a driving cycle will make them last longer.

Tire blooming is not usually covered by a manufacturer’s defect warranty because it’s considered a cosmetic condition that doesn’t affect the performance or safety of the tire.

Although blooming tires are not a safety concern, it could be a sign that your tires are old and should be replaced — But if your tires are less than 5 years old, I recommend filing a customer satisfaction warranty claim with the tire manufacturer directly.

Thanks for visiting, Spencer.

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Dry-Rot & Tire Cracking Explained

March 15, 2020June 9, 2022spencer51966@gmail.comMy Tire Advice, tire damage, Tire Insider

If you have seen cracks on the sidewalls or between the treads of your tires, it may be dry-rot and that’s not good.

When is it time to replace cracked tires? Check out this handy chart from Michelin —

Just like us tires weather and age, their rubber becomes brittle, breaking down and creating cracks in the sidewall, tread, and around the rim.

Dry-rot is also known as weather cracking, and ozone cracking.

Tire manufacturer warranties will cover tire cracking and dry rot, as well as other defects, but most warranties expire after 6 years.

Most tires will wear out before cracking becomes a warrantable condition.

That’s because antiozonant, the rubber additive manufacturers use to resist tire cracking and tire-blooming too, is only released as the tire is being used, going through its normal heating and cooling cycles. That’s why RV, trailer, and classic car tires don’t get used that much, so cracking and dry-rot appear faster.

There is no way to fix dry-rotted and cracked tires, but you can slow down the process by using a tire cleaner and protectant.

I use Superior Products Dark Fury to clean wheels at the shop, but for occasional use, I recommend Chemical Guys Diablo Wheel Gel – Used with a soft brush, both of these are awesome at dissolving brake dust without hurting the wheel finish.

And to keep your wheels looking good after cleaning, you can use a non-solvent protectant Wizards Tire and Vinyl Shine.

Check out examples of dry-rot in tires – If you’re concerned about your tires, e-mail me some pictures and I’ll give you my honest opinion.