Tires falling apart?

[lifelongslacker]

About two years ago, I put a set of Pro-Comp MT 31x10.5xR15LT on my 97 isuzu rodeo. I love taking the truck through the mud and they handel great in the mud. Also great on road.
Anyway, they are now showing a hairline split alond the sidewall all the way around the tire, ON ALL 4 TIRES!!! the rodeo has not had too much use for the last 9 months while I was gone, and I was just wondering if this is normal after it sits for a while, and if it is safe to be riding on these?
Thanks.

[Ramblin Fever]

Can you take a couple pics and post them for me?? I've gotten pretty good, with 3-4 trucks and a couple of trailers, at being able to tell if the tires are dry-rotted, etc.

Just went through this ourselves on our boat trailer, tires are only 2-3yrs old, have PLENTY of tread, but dry-rot beat them down so bad.

Also I want to see how your truck looks with those tires too...do you like them in snow/ice??

[lifelongslacker]

I can e-mail you the pictures if you like, but I can't seem to get them to post on this site. I tried the FAQ section, not really helpful.

[Ramblin Fever]

Try photobucket.com - free service for uploading pics

[lifelongslacker]

Thanks for the tip. If you can see this crack that runs around the tire about 1" away from the bead. That is what appeared on all 4 tires.

[Ramblin Fever]

How much air are u running in those tires??

And, yes, those are typical cracks from a vehicle having sat for some time in between movement.

When the tires spin, they tend to keep themselves pretty well lubricated, when they are left to sit, they dry out much faster.

My boat tires looked like that, only slightly worse. If you bought those tires from a shop in town, I would highly suggest asking them they're opinion on what they feel with them being safe or not.

Generally, if they have mild cracks, few and far between each one, not one long continuous one going around the rim, your looking at normal drying out.

Your cracks are continuous and go all the way around the rim, from what I can tell. I'd have them checked, and keep your speed below 50mph until you're able to.

Next time you're on leave, best thing to do, is to get some half tire covers from a boat/rv store, and cover those tires up from the elements. That helps a lot.

Keep me posted. Very nice truck, and that's a beautiful section of property you have there.

[lifelongslacker]

There are at 35psi. I just ordered some Big horn MT tires from a local shop, they will be put on tomorrow. I asked a few local shops and they all said that they probally should be left to lower speeds and cooler temps than the 100's that it hit this week.

[Ramblin Fever]

Your psi is good - sometimes if it's too low, they'll wear/dry out faster.

Post a pic after you get your new shoes on - nice truck!

[lifelongslacker]

These are the Maxxis Bighorn Mud Tires. I havn't taken them in the Mud yet, but they ride alot smoother on the road than the Pro Comps, Thay also make ALOT more noise. Hopefully they will blend in with all the other random noises my truck makes.

[FL 3.2L]

I like the black steelies. I want some for my Jeep.