Before I took the Hudson to USA last year I ordered 4 new tires for peace of mind(or so I thought). They were purchased through the Australian Dealer for DB and I received photos from him showing the tires all wrapped and with all tech data on them. I even contacted DB directly and was assured they were a popular tire. Well we had a vibration issue and today it went to the wheel alignment/suspension guru and he couldn't believe the state of these tires after only 7000 miles. Three of them have bulges and one has a horizontal split on the sidewall. I have really had bad luck with tires on this car and now I am concerned about what to do next. I think I will replace them but with what? I think Venezia are Chinese tires and DB just grind the sidewall and apply the whitewall. The suspension guy is concerned especially with that one with the split that it will just explode. It has gone on the back for the time being. Hate to have a blowout on the front at 110 km/hr. I will be following up with DB. These are 205/15/70 .
I am not questioning your ability, but this statement suggests, (to me) possibly, that there may be issues with the car set up, suspension, wheel alignment etc. With all the international shipping, has something moved or been bent, straps over tightened, in transit ? Personally, I stay away from Chinese tyres, but that’s just me. .
First two pics look normal to me. See it all the time on the tires. Third pic is different. How many plys are the sidewalls? Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
What size are the tires? What is the load rating on them? What does your car weigh? If you are running a 205- 15 tire on a car as heavy as I think your Hudson is you may be overloading them. I do not know if they make an XL (extra load) in that size. I think they make them in 215 and up. The crack on the side may have been caused by hitting a pot hole or a curb.
That cracked tire needs to come off!!! Sidewall Indentations / Undulations Fig. A: Vertical indentation on sidewall from rim to tread. A common byproduct of radial tire construction, sidewall indentations/undulations are more noticeable in tires with taller sidewalls or operate at higher inflation pressures. Fortunately sidewall indentations are a cosmetic condition that does not affect the performance of the tires. Tire casings are reinforced by multiple fabric cords encased side-by-side in a thin sheet of rubber. Radial ply tires feature one or more layers of cord (depending on the tire's required strength) that run parallel to each other from bead to bead (with each individual cord running up the sidewall, across the tread and down the other sidewall). Because of their "straight across" radial orientation, the overlaps where the sidewall cords are lap-spliced may cause indentations. When the tire is being cured, it is pressed against its metal mold. However when the tire is mounted on a wheel and inflated to operating air pressures, it is free to expand. These overlapping splices may create slight indentations since the stretching capacity of the lap-splices is slightly less than the rest of the body ply. In reality, the splices are the most reinforced area of the tire's sidewall. Since radial tires feature steel cord reinforcing belts under their treads to keep them flat, indentations only appears on the sidewalls.
I had a set from DB that I bought years ago got my '66 Chev truck & they had the same obnoxious indentations (no cracking). I complained patiently & reasonably & they finally threw me a bone by giving me $25 back on each tire. They weren't very communicative & could have done a lot to diffuse my anxiety by giving me a simple explanation like the one Egads gave above. I didn't know if it was a safety issue or what at the time. And, with tires, you can't just stick them in a package & return them. I do now understand that it may be "a common byproduct of radial tire construction," but you do see other similar tires without it (and that's what I expected, esp. for the price). You'd think that they might mention the possibility of the flaw (for lack of a better word) in their description.
What EGADS said above about the sidewall indentions is spot on. In the industry it's called "body ply overlap". The one with the crack needs to be removed from service! Looks like a sidewall separation between the body plies and the body covering. Dismount the tire and inspect the inner liner in that area.
I wouldn't drive to the pub on that cracked tire! I don't know anything about these other than they say Good Year on them and they have a cool sidewall design.
Checked the load rating per tire and it is 1620lbs so 3240lbs for front and same for rear. The total weight for the Hudson originally is 3715 kerb weight total. With this car we have put a full chassis under it but that just replaces the original sub frame and lots of built in structure at the rear. With a lighter engine in it even at the maximum weight would maybe 4000 - 4250 lbs well below the load rating front and rear. Diamond Back recommend that you run 40psi in these tires(see their website). Will definitely replace maybe 2 tires and put them on the front and 2 of the best of the 4 on the back. PS They are 215/70/15 not 205/70/15
Forget pretty! Get a set of modern tires that might come on a new large car. Major brand if available. Save the "pretty whites" for show.
"When tires are replaced in pairs...the new tires should always be installed on the rear axle and the partially worn tires moved to the front." ( From Tire Rack website ) This is if all 4 tires are the same size. The truth: Rear tires provide stability, and without stability, steering or braking on a wet or even damp surface might cause a spin. If you have new tires up front, they will easily disperse water while the half-worn rears will go surfing: The water will literally lift the worn rear tires off the road. If you're in a slight corner or on a crowned road, the car will spin out so fast you won't be able to say, "Oh, fudge!" There is no "even if" to this one. Whether you own a front-, rear- or all-wheel-drive car, truck, or SUV, the tires with the most tread go on the rear.
^^^^ yeah I never really believed in that, I'd rather have the good ones on the front so that in case of an emergency I can still steer the car and to keep the car from pulling due to bad tires. Years ago that was the preference, New to front.
Firstinsteele, Diamondback can put a " pretty whitewall " on almost any tire you want, I had them put a whitewall on my nitto 555r drag radials for my 4400# drag week car that runs low 12's and they have held up great.As far as new in front or rear , would you rather you had a worn tire blowout on the rear that could take out a 1/4 panel and possibly roll the car, or on the front where you still have a chance for some control. If you have ever had a rear blowout, you'd believe it.(scary either way )
I believe the "new to the rear" started with the world wide take over of off topic FWD vehicles. I've had a couple blowouts at speed over the years. Both on the back of RWD vehicles, that were very controllable from 70mph down to a stop on the right shoulder. I'd prefer not to try that maneuver with a front blowout at speed. -Dave
I'd never put the worn tires on the front...trying to control a vehicle after a front tire blow-out is nearly impossible at anything at or above 70 mph...while a rear tire blow-out is nothing more than an inconvenience...and easily controllable... R-
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