WHY EVERYONE SHOULD LOOK AFTER THEIR TIRES

Keeping your tires in good condition helps prevent accidents! The sidewalls of tires that are parked for extended periods, exposed to sunlight and weather, begin to crack and eventually split. Every year, tire damage and deterioration causes a multi-million dollar problem for RV owners as well as trailer owners and classic car collectors. Tire manufacturers add chemicals to the tire material that inhibit ozone and ultraviolet light damage. UV stabilizers called competitive absorbers are used in rubber to combat UV effects. They work by absorbing harmful UV radiation and converting it into heat so that it can be dissipated without damaging the rubber itself. All tire manufacturers use the same materials for this function, which is carbon black - this is why tires are black in color. All UV stabilizers are eventually consumed in the process of protecting the tires, and this causes the gradual shift to grey in tire color. Tire manufacturers use waxes mixed with the tire rubber to protect against the effects of ozone. When tires are driven, they flex causing the protective waxes to move to the outside of the tire, where they form an ozone barrier. This mechanical process is called blooming, and doesn’t happen if the tires sit unused. Non-use combined with the loss of carbon black work together to rapidly degrade the rubber of unprotected and un-driven tires. The tires soon dry out, crack and split becoming very unsafe to drive.