Tire damage question

[Brookse]

Hi guys:

I hope you can all help with this. Attached are some pics of my Nitto 555RIIs. I don’t drive the car much and store it over the winter with standard radial tires. I put the Nittos on in the Spring and they looked fine. Taking them off last week you can see it looks like they were cut with a razor blade on the tread and the sidewall. I called Nitto and they said to take them to a Nitto dealer for inspection but honestly I don’t trust anyone trying to sell me something - “yeah, they’re bad, let me sell you some new ones...”

Usually I keep about 30lbs in them but recently I’ve been driving around with 16lbs or so. I guess I should mention that I have been keeping the car in the garage with the lower pressure where it sits from weekend to weekend until I drive it. It did get cold around here for a week or so but I am quite sure it never got below the 15F Nitto cautions against.

Attached there is a pic from the Nitto website showing what the cracking looks like. My tires really don’t look like that, do they?

Finally, someone did tell me that with the low pressure in the tires, and the car resting like that, and with the colder weather we got (maybe to 30F at worst) that the rubber just got “pinched” and cracked. But even so is that a cosmetic thing or a safety thing?

Any input on this is appreciated.

Thank you.

Brad

[WillyB93]

All the pictures but the last one makes it look like it has been hitting the inner fender metal on the rear, didn't catch what size they were. The rear end has a little movement from side to side unless you have updated the bushings.

[sc-rcode]

I agree it looks like the fender is cutting them, is your car lowered?

[Brookse]

Ooooooohhhhh. You guys are pretty smart. Yes, the car is lowered. Ford C-springs I think it is? Not the lowest ones.... The tires at 275 40 17 I think - whatever it is that replaces the 245s.

So, are the tires okay to drive on? At least in a straight line? The bigger question is beside rolling the lip, how can I stop this?

Again, thanks guys!

Brad

PS: That last pic is from the Nitto website showing cracking under freezing, which I'm sure did not happen.

[WillyB93]

Rolling the inner fender lip or switch back to a smaller tire is about the only cure for the issue. I'd say the tires are ok for a little bit but defiantly a watch aspect over the next few months or year depending how much it is driven.

[sc-rcode]

I would say the tires still have a couple good burnouts left in them lol! If you do decide to roll the fenders you might look at Eastwood’s rolling tool or have someone professionally roll them, if you have someone else do it make sure and verify that they will be using a fender rolling tool and not a big hammer which is what I have seen done way to many times.

[Brookse]

Thanks guys. I think I will find a lonely country road somewhere next Spring and leave them on the pavement, then get some new ones. Will definitely follow your advice on the fender roll. As always, thanks!