Vantage V8 4.3 - Cracked Tyres

[JWR88]

Hi

I've been advised by Aston I need new front tyres due to cracking between the tread. Tyres have plenty of tread.

Is this correct? Why does this happen?

Thanks
James

[mikey k]

They have perished
It is an MOT failure and quite dangerous on a high power car.
I'm guessing its an older car, when is the MOT due?
Maybe do it now and get the tester to look at them carefully.
Then decide if they are bad enough to need doing.

[Jasper Gilder]

Got my TVR SX out for the Summer last year and found huge cracks around the edges of the tread blocks. Didn't wait for the MOT - binned them and got new ones. Shame as they were SO2s - but had been on the car a good few years

Moral of the story - drive more and wear out your tyres before they drop to bits

[brakedwell]

Tyres fitted to performance cars should replaced when they reach lfive years old, especially if the car is not used regularly. The date of manufacture is printed on the tyre as a three digit number (046 = 4th week of 2006)

[Jay_Davis]

brakedwell said:

Tyres fitted to performance cars should replaced when they reach lfive years old, especially if the car is not used regularly. The date of manufacture is printed on the tyre as a three digit number (046 = 4th week of 2006)

You should really start checking them after three years. How long they last can vary widely with the kind of environment they are in.

[JWR88]

The car is just over three years old, and I think on original front tyres (12,000 miles). I'm told it's the winter that causes the cracking, the car unfortuneatly is kept outside .

[JWR88]

Ignore... Responded in wrong thread

Edited by JWR88 on Thursday 19th January 11:29

[Mr Noble]

My dealer said the same to me yesterday! That mine are starting to show a few cracks. Don't need changing yet but he said in 2 - 3 months they would.



Apparently Bridgestone have stopped making the AM9 version of the 050A's and don't recommend fitting a mix of the new spec and old spec, so the next bit of bad news for the OP (like me) may be that you actually need to replace all 4 tyres!!


Is this correct of not? I had a look for tyres and black circles and Event tyres are still showing the AM9's for sale.

[Token Jock]

Mr Noble said:

Apparently Bridgestone have stopped making the AM9 version of the 050A's and don't recommend fitting a mix of the new spec and old spec, so the next bit of bad news for the OP (like me) may be that you actually need to replace all 4 tyres!!

Is this correct of not? I had a look for tyres and black circles and Event tyres are still showing the AM9's for sale.

So if Bridgestone aren't making the AM9 version what tyre should be used?

[kerbys]

Bit of a shame your only changing tyres once every 4 years+

Solution use your car more and get the use out of it!

[mikey k]

Mr Noble said:

My dealer said the same to me yesterday! That mine are starting to show a few cracks. Don't need changing yet but he said in 2 - 3 months they would.



Apparently Bridgestone have stopped making the AM9 version of the 050A's and don't recommend fitting a mix of the new spec and old spec, so the next bit of bad news for the OP (like me) may be that you actually need to replace all 4 tyres!!


Is this correct of not? I had a look for tyres and black circles and Event tyres are still showing the AM9's for sale.

Find that hard to believe as they currently still fit it to new cars and have just released a new variant for the Vantage S.
What did they mean by new spec & old spec?
They were hard to find after the Tsunami
Check a few on line places for stock
I tend to use Camskill & black circles

[mikey k]

Front

http://www.blackcircles.com/catalogue/bridgestone/...

Rear

http://www.blackcircles.com/catalogue/bridgestone/...

[Token Jock]

I wonder if the "not making anymore" is down to the old and new spec tyres and not mixing them depending upon which tyres actually need changing.

AM9 spec used to be "CNB" designated and the production process was changed and "DAM" became the new spec
"DAM" is PAH free (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon)

I copy word for word a post from blackice1 who works at AM Amersham.

"Bridgestone changed there tyres to PAH free tyres early lasy year , now if all of your tyres are the old spec , then what the dealer said is true. CNB on the sidewall of the tyre is the old ones, DAM is the new spec.

Here is a bit from a service policy Letter in December 2009

• Only install Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) tyres.
• Do not mix tyre types at either the front or the rear of the vehicle (refer to Figure 2).
• The vehicle can have PAH-free tyres at the rear with current production tyres installed at the front (refer to
Figure 1). Thus, if a rear tyre needs replacement, you must replace the two rear tyres with OEM tyres.
• PAH-free tyres must not be installed at the front with current production tyres installed at the rear."

Link to the thread:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Both these designations are written on the sidewall. I changed all 4 tyres in May last year and they were "DAM"

John

[mikey k]

Do not mix tyre types at either the front or the rear of the vehicle (refer to Figure 2).

For the sake of clarity I take this to mean do not mix them on the same axle?
But I presume it is OK to put one set on front and different set on back (and vice versa obviously )

[Token Jock]

Mikey I read it as:

Don't mix DAM and CNB on same axle

You can have DAM tyres on the rear with the older CNB on the front

You can not have DAM tyres on the front with CNB on the rear.

Fortunately for me all 4 were replaced at the same time.

[mikey k]

I'm going to check mine then!
(to see what the factory's using at the moment )