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I just got back from the tire place and they said my Rocky Mountain tires had tread separation and had to be replaced, so I had to buy new tires.  These tires were on a second car that only gets driven about 2000 miles a year.  They had about 8000 miles on them and had lots of tread left.  The tires were approaching five years old and the tire dealer said, "Tires don't last more than five years.  After that they rot and tread separation is common."   I think they were defective and the tires should have been replaced free.  It appears that Rocky Mountain tires are Arizona tires, which are made under the Kelly tire brand which is owned by Goodyear Tire Company.  

Do people think tires rot by five years?  Is tread separation normal at less than five  years? Does anybody know a phone number for Rocky Mountain, Arizona or Kelly to make a claim on these defective tires?  

you will get a better answer so keep checking back..

you are going to need the DOT numbers off the side wall of the tires...

usually on the inside side wall near the rim ... each tire has a different number...

 

First, it is pretty common for folks to mis-diagnose irregular tire wear for a separation.  The fact that the tire shop didn't offer to do an adjustment is a clue.

On the other hand, it looks like the Rocky Mountain is a Discount Tire house brand - and they could have been made by anyone.  A brief Google search turned up tires made by Falken and not Kelly.  Hopefully you went to a Discount Tire (or in California, Ameerica's Tire).  If so, they normally will give you credit on your purchase.  If not, you've got a problem.

Trying to deal with issues on tires that have already been removed is problematic.

5 years?  Depends on where you live.  Rubber degrades depending on temperature and the intensity of the sun.  For example, in Arizona, where the temperatures are very high, 4 or 5 years could be considered normal for weathering.

The DOT code will be helpful in determining who made the tires.  Here's a link to help you sort this out:

http://www.barrystiretech.com/dotcoding.html

If you've already replaced the tires, and don't have them in your possession, you have a problem that will basically be unsolveable.  You have to wonder if the tire place you went to is being 100% honest and not trying to sell you something - which brings up the question about why you went there in the first place.  

This was at "Discount Tire" (http://www.discounttiredirect.com).  I bought the tires from them originally.

It was a web search where I found Kelly.

> 5 years?  Depends on where you live.  Rubber degrades depending on temperature
> and the intensity of the sun.

I'm in Houston.  It is hot here, but the sun shouldn't have much to do with it since the car is in the garage almost all the time.

> You have to wonder if the tire place you went to is being 100% honest and not trying
> to sell you something - which brings up the question about why you went there in the
> first place.  

There was definitely something wrong with the tires.  I went in because the steering wheel had begun to shimmy severely.  After the tires were replaced the shimmy was completely gone.  

This is surprising on 2 points:

1)  That Discount Tire didn't offer to do something for you - no matter how small.

2)  A separation is warrantable - and it would be Discount's best interest to return the tires to whoever manufactured them for credit.  

This make me believe that perhaps the tires weren't separated, but worn irregularly - and that is NOT warrantable.  That would completely explain everything that happened - the shimmy, the no warranty, the diagnosis of "separation".  

They did give me a small (emphasis on small) rebate.  

I saw one rotate on the balance device. The tread squirmed around like a snake.  The guy who had mounted them for the balance called several other workers over to see it.  All watched with interest.  

hi if the second car was used regularly then the age should not make any difference the breakdown of tyres is caused mainly with the Sun this breaks down the carbon structure in the tyre compound. Separation is most common when the tyre starts getting really worn and is caused by water coming into contact with the steel belt the belt rusts this causes oxidization and the tread layers are separated causing the tyre to go out of shape. these days the tyre technology has improved drastically and it is very rare that we have faulty tyres. i have been in the tyre trade for 40 years and my opinion is that the dealer was correct to advice you on a set of new tyres, but i dont think he explained why very well and it came over as a hard sell. you will be safer on your new tyres. eric roberts tyre specialist  your tyre problem