Brown Ring Around Sidewall and Vertical Indentation on Radial Trailer Tire

Published 04/09/2020

Products Featured in This Question

Provider HD ST235/85R16 Radial Trailer Tire - Load Range G

(232)

$299.32

Griot's Garage Rubber Cleaner for Vehicles and RVs - 35 fl oz Spray Bottle

(3)

$18.75

SM Arnold Medium Duty Speedy Cordless Drill Cleaning Brush

(0)

$10.95

SM Arnold Vehicle Carpet Brush - 8-1/2"

(1)

$10.45

Question:

On the way home from Florida to Pa my back passenger side tire has a brown ring around the sidewall . There is also an indentation where the brown ring is. Thought I rubbed the tire but letters and numbers on tire arent rubbed. Also, the tread wore on the inside of same tire. Any Idea?

asked by: Frank K

Expert Reply:

The good news is that neither of the browning nor the indentation were caused by anything you did or didn't do and that they're not as serious as you may think.

The browning on your tire's sidewall is commonly referred to as "tire blooming", and it's a process that happens when the chemical used in the manufacturing process to prevent premature dry rot, pushes through the surface of the tire's sidewall. I recommend using a tire cleaner, like # 34911136 and a brush like # 38183-062 to add to a cordless drill or a simple brush like the # 38185-640 to thoroughly clean the sidewall. Do this on all tires, not just the rear passenger tire, to prevent blooming and repeat as regularly as possible.

The vertical (wheel to tread) indentation you see on your tire is known as tire undulation, and it happens naturally on radial tires because of the way they are constructed. This is especially true with bigger tires that require a higher PSI, where the extra air pressure combined with the heavier load, pushes up against the ply. This common condition is purely cosmetic though, and does not affect your tire's performance.

expert reply by: Carla M