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I work in the tire industry and I lived in Florida for 8 years. The reason why nitrogen is not a bad idea in Florida is because of the amount of natural moisture in the air, and that moisture is often found in shops' air compressors.
If a tire dealer uses a nitrogen tank, there is an air dryer installed on the system that will ensure you have "dry air" in your tires. Dry air is more important than nitrogen.
As a rule of thumb, tires that have signs of sidewall cracking don't fail catastrophically. They look bad, but the sidewalls are thicker than you think.
By any chance, have you used any aftermarket products to give the sidewalls a clean shine?
Or have you been to a full service car wash that has offered complimentary tire shine?
When a tire is made, the manufacturer will add anti-oxidant agents into the sidewall rubber, which helps fight sidewall cracking. When tire shine products are applied to the tire sidewall, they will wipe off the protection that was designed into the tire. If the product says it contains "petroleum distillates" or if it's got silica in it, it definitely has contributed to the sidewall cracking.
For your next set of tires, avoid these types of products, and tell car washes NO to tire shine.
Since you have time to shop around, you can visit local tire dealers and ask for advice. Hearing that something is a name brand, without knowing the actual tread design, can steer you in the wrong direction. Get the tread designs and go onto the tire websites to read consumer reviews, especially for your car.
There is local tire shop in Charleston SC that has several locations. Gerald's Tire. They stand behind everything they do. They have a great reputation. My last set of tires from them (some 30K miles ago) were Kuhmo. Based on Gerald's reputation, their price, and my experience, I like Kuhmo tires.
I never thought about buying tires online I don't know why I do it with many other things. Haven't used any tire shine and now know to stay away from it. Appreciate the scientific detail, learning a lot here. It's all going into the research book I keep on everything under the sun. Very cool decision guide.
Now what is the difference between tires that cost more including those in the same brand? Construction, materials, thickness, tread?
I never thought about buying tires online I don't know why I do it with many other things. Haven't used any tire shine and now know to stay away from it. Appreciate the scientific detail, learning a lot here. It's all going into the research book I keep on everything under the sun. Very cool decision guide.
Now what is the difference between tires that cost more including those in the same brand? Construction, materials, thickness, tread?
There are a number of factors that determine the cost of a tire. The two primary factors seem to be size and function. High-performance tires will generally cost more than touring tires for instance, larger tires will cost more than same or similar smaller tires, run-flats will cost more than conventional-build, higher treadwear rating will cost more than lower treadwear rating for the same type of tire (touring vs touring for instance) higher speed rating will cost more than lower speed rating, etc.
Now what is the difference between tires that cost more including those in the same brand? Construction, materials, thickness, tread?
Drover mentioned many of them, but sometimes, there are slight differences between tires that are sold to mass merchandisers versus tire stores. If the 2 stores have the exact part number, then they are the same: tire companies don't have time to sort "good ones from bad ones", as I've seen written on other forums.
However, if they have different names and part numbers, yet similar tire names and ratings, mileage warranties, speed ratings, etc... then the biggest difference would be in the tread design. An example would be at Sam's there is a "X Radial LT2" versus a Tire Store that has "LTX M/S 2": both offer a 70,000 mileage warranty, UtQG of 720 AA, T Speed rating.
The complexity of the mold will be the difference in the 2 similar tires- more siping for better traction, different tread pattern for better handling and a quieter ride. If you look at the 2 tires I mentioned above, they look similar at first glance, but one tire has less siping than the other.
Do you recommend run flats especially for low profile applications?
Are there any products I can put on tires to keep them from cracking?
Is rot caused by the sun, humidity, or both? I keep the car outside, no shade but have a garage.
Any brands designed for longer life against rot in Florida?
Three and a half years seems like a short lifespan with only 25,000 miles and good tread.
Before you go this route, make sure you find a shop that will mount your tires. Some won't mount carry-ins.
Also, be aware that all tires have a shelf-life. They age regardless of if they are used or not. So make sure that if you buy on-line, you get ones that haven't gathered dust for 10 years and are out of warranty and no-good, even though they have zero miles on them.
Getting too old Miller to do anything like that. I hire out things these days that I even know how to do like construction stuff and body work. Still it's always good to know how so people can't schnoodle you.
(Nobody around here wants to see this grandmother mounting tires. It's enough that I'll have to do it on my bike)
I usually mount myself and bring to walmart to have balanced. Works great! Usually only costs me like $30 too! ...
Are you saying you can swap the rubber off the rims yourself? I thought they were too tightly fitted to be able to do that without a special tool.
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