atl2nyc

I've had the F1 GS-D3s on my car for about a year now and in the last few months I've had two flats. On both occasions, I've been told that the tire was no longer usuable because of the heat ring indicator (I don't recall if that was the exact term, but in both instances they cited the indication the heat ring gave them about the tire being no good).

I've had numerous flats with other kinds of tires and never once have I had to get a brand new tire. In the case of the F1 GS-D3s, I drove less than a 1/10 of a mile on the flats (I know this because I've noticed both flats as I exited my subdivision -- and the tires were not flat the night before). With other flats, I've usally driven very slowly at least a mile on them (I know, not smart) in order to make it to a gas station or an intersection off the highway. And I never had to get one of those tires replaced because of the "heat ring."

So I've got two questions:
1) what is a heat ring and do all tires have it
2) do the F1 GS-D3s self-destruct when they go flat or is more likely that the places I have gone to in the past have neglected to check the heat ring on the other tires and just plugged them?

Thanks...

Luke@tirerack

Without seeing the tire in question I can only conjecture an answer based on the customer's description.

A heat ring indicator isn't a tire feature, but a term that may be used to describe a tire condition.

All non-run-flat tire sidewalls deflect (bend) excessively if operated while completely flat, and the exterior of the tire's sidewall may come into contact with the road, or the interior of the upper sidewall may come into contact with the interior of the lower sidewall. This rubbing will usually cause a visual ring to appear around their exterior circumferences due to the scuffing, as well as blistering or grinding away some or all of the interior innerliner rubber on one or both sidewalls. Since the interior innerliner rubber is the only part of the tire actually designed to retain air, wearing it away or damaging it results in the need to replace the tire.






Additionally, the rubbing may generate enough heat to cause a thin blue circumferential ring to appear in the sidewall rubber, indicating that the rubber was overheated. Since heat generated by running the tire flat has caused this bluing, it also results in the need to replace the tire.

In our experience, the Eagle F1 GS-D3 is no more prone to these conditions than other tires of similar sizes and profiles.

Unfortunately it is more likely that the places you have gone to in the past have just plugged the tires without dismount them from the wheel to check the condition of their innerliners.

atl2nyc

Thanks Luke!