How does this even happen to a tire???
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 153
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From: Sacramento via San Francisco
2002 C320
How does this even happen to a tire???
So after starting the day off locking my keys in the car yesterday, I of course had to end it with this crazyness. This is my front drivers side tire. I have no idea how or what happened. The pics dont do it justice its even gnarlier in person. What a day......
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 153
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From: Sacramento via San Francisco
2002 C320
Yea my buddy said its the tirewall seperating, and its a defective tire. idk. They werent the most expensive or the cheapest, 160 per I think. I wish i could afford Perilli or somethin like that. But DEF not buying these again.
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,848
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From: Orange County
2005 C Wagon (No snickering please!)
It is a bruise from running over something making an impact to the side wall. That tire is also overloaded.
Low profile tires are a fashion statement, and as you have discovered, not cheap. Put some stock wheel sized rims, and get a set of Michelin or Nitto's to have happy motoring.
Perilli (I think he means Pirelli ) has not made good tires since Italty ruled the world.
Low profile tires are a fashion statement, and as you have discovered, not cheap. Put some stock wheel sized rims, and get a set of Michelin or Nitto's to have happy motoring.
Perilli (I think he means Pirelli ) has not made good tires since Italty ruled the world.
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Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 153
Likes: 0
From: Sacramento via San Francisco
2002 C320
It is a bruise from running over something making an impact to the side wall. That tire is also overloaded.
Low profile tires are a fashion statement, and as you have discovered, not cheap. Put some stock wheel sized rims, and get a set of Michelin or Nitto's to have happy motoring.
Perilli (I think he means Pirelli ) has not made good tires since Italty ruled the world.
Low profile tires are a fashion statement, and as you have discovered, not cheap. Put some stock wheel sized rims, and get a set of Michelin or Nitto's to have happy motoring.
Perilli (I think he means Pirelli ) has not made good tires since Italty ruled the world.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 153
Likes: 0
From: Sacramento via San Francisco
2002 C320
The whole car is only a fashion/style statement. Nothing more. Matte black isnt exactly easier to maintain. To be honest, it's a real pain in the *** and barely worth the trouble. I wouldnt recommend it. I know I'm in the minority when it comes to this, but I really have no interest in performance aspect of cars. Once you lift the hood its all a foreign language to me. I've never added one thing for performance sake. And probably have done a whole lot of things that made that aspect worse even. But for me it's about being able to be creative and share ideas as well as seeing others. Not that I dont see the appeal, for the other stuff as well and respect it. It just doesnt do it for me. To each his own I guess.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 153
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From: Sacramento via San Francisco
2002 C320
It does look overloaded now. But at first i couldnt tell what was wrong. The car was just pulling to the left. You can't see the damage with the wheel on, so I thought to check the air first and it was only at 36psi, which was maybe 5 min before i took it off and saw this. One blow can do this to 3 different sides of a tire?
Super Member
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 587
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From: Boston
12 E350 4Matic Sport
I've been driving with a damaged rear-right tire for over 8 months now. The interior sidewall has multiple cracks and leaks about 2psi/day...but all I have to do is pump it back up before driving distance and all is good.
Your tire on the other hand looks like something more than just sidewall damage...shouldn't warp like that unless the tire is complete crap.
Like someone upstairs said, do yourself a favor and get a new set of tires before something bad happens.
By the way, cool ride man.
Your tire on the other hand looks like something more than just sidewall damage...shouldn't warp like that unless the tire is complete crap.
Like someone upstairs said, do yourself a favor and get a new set of tires before something bad happens.
By the way, cool ride man.
Last edited by Crna Mechka; Mar 8, 2013 at 10:15 AM.
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 506
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From: Argyle, TX
10 Tahoe LT, 07 Silverado Z71, 99 BMW R1100RT
Most likely yes. My daughter's W203 also has 19" Nankangs that were put on by the PO. Two tires had tread separation just like the one in OP's case in a matter of just a few weeks from each others.
LOTS of tread still left on them, but the construction just sucks.
Since I was pretty sure the remaining two will do the same soon, I replaced them all.
EDIT: Checked OP's pictures more closely and yes, his tires is exactly the same Nankang model my daughters car had. Get rid of all of them asap. You'll be much better off.
LOTS of tread still left on them, but the construction just sucks.
Since I was pretty sure the remaining two will do the same soon, I replaced them all.EDIT: Checked OP's pictures more closely and yes, his tires is exactly the same Nankang model my daughters car had. Get rid of all of them asap. You'll be much better off.
Last edited by TexFinn; Mar 8, 2013 at 02:52 PM.
Super Member
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 968
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From: San Francisco, CA
2005 c230SS
Looks like the tire areas are ballooning, which means the rubber is stretching, internal layers separating, etc. I wouldn't drive on these anymore unless you are planning to replace your rims and possibly fenders as well 
Fyi this happened to one of my stock tires a couple of years after I purchased the car ... yes it was one of the new tires on the car from the factory ... so even good tires can have this problem.
Fyi this happened to one of my stock tires a couple of years after I purchased the car ... yes it was one of the new tires on the car from the factory ... so even good tires can have this problem.
Last edited by jkowtko; Mar 8, 2013 at 07:10 PM.
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 947
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From: Las Vegas, NV
I drive a Toyota Hybrid...
Diamondback make the best tire, i had them on my benz a set of 4 for $350 shipped to my house brand new, they were good at making sure your car traction control have to be blinking everytime you drive
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2002
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From: So. Oregon Coast
C230 Sport Coup + 2006 W164 ML350 + 99 Ford Escort RIP
FYI- Those 'fix a flat' aerosol cans will cause your tread to separate.
People don't seem to know that.
Thats bad, get a new tire quick before a blow out occurs.
This is why I still have 17's.
People don't seem to know that.
Thats bad, get a new tire quick before a blow out occurs.
This is why I still have 17's.
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 947
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From: Las Vegas, NV
I drive a Toyota Hybrid...
MBworld Guru
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 22,058
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From: Diamond Bar, CA
W206 PHEV AMG
Nankang are decent taiwanese tires. They even sponsor local club races in taiwan.
Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 113
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From: va
2013 c63 amg
hankook are great tires, high tread wear rating. also yokohama even higher tread wear rating, very reasonably priced, hankook fr. 95.00each rear 120.00each 420 treadwear rating. tis what i have on both of mine, gonna see how well they hold up, so far so good 1year on fronts, 6 months on rears, may try yokohama they have even higher treadwear rating 510 i think bout 15 to 20 dollars more a tire is all.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 5,054
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From: fort worth, tx
06 C230 SS 6spd
its hard to compare tire treadwear ratings because each manufacturer uses a different test to get the treadwear. I believe there are 3 different tests that companies can use. So one company's ratings might be different to anothers.A 300 treadwear could be 250 on another company's chart. also you cant just list brands and say they have high tread rating. Each tire is different from summer tires to all season. all season tires usually have a higher treadwear compared to summer because of the tire compound is softer so it heats up faster for the summer tires so they become stickier and grip faster.
Hankook v12 evos are a good bang for the buck summer tire that many members on here can atest to. Michelin are higher in price but great tires for our cars. Usually Continential arent reviewed very well for our cars but the DWS and DW are great tires, I currently have the DWS and love them.
Just do research and depending where you are what type of tire you'll need. If you're in cali and places that dont snow a lot a good summer tire is probably good enough. more up north you can look at an all season tire.
Hankook v12 evos are a good bang for the buck summer tire that many members on here can atest to. Michelin are higher in price but great tires for our cars. Usually Continential arent reviewed very well for our cars but the DWS and DW are great tires, I currently have the DWS and love them.
Just do research and depending where you are what type of tire you'll need. If you're in cali and places that dont snow a lot a good summer tire is probably good enough. more up north you can look at an all season tire.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2005
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From: Orange County
2005 C Wagon (No snickering please!)
Nothing wrong with Conti's DWS except the better tires come from Germany. The ones from Mexico and Brazil can be made with different formula containing more polyester.
German tires are made with Nylon. This is an unusual plastic in that it does not expand when heated. It actually contracts. This makes the tire hold the rim better, and keeps the belts and cords in place.
Look on the side wall to make sure all your tires come from the same country.
German tires are made with Nylon. This is an unusual plastic in that it does not expand when heated. It actually contracts. This makes the tire hold the rim better, and keeps the belts and cords in place.
Look on the side wall to make sure all your tires come from the same country.
