Break in period for tires?

[George Bynum]

Originally Posted By: Jonny Z
I had a set of HydroEDGE installed on my 02 Camry 2 months and 4K ago. Inflated @35PSI I had driven through some heavy downpours and I have to say they are the best rain tires I have had on this car (vs. Toyo Proxes, Michelin Destiny).

Your traction may vary, of course.
That's what I assumed and what I hope to see. My traction may vary ... hopefully for the better as time flies.

 

[Drew99GT]

Did your van come with a supercharged 3800 by accident?

 

[George Bynum]

Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
Did your van come with a supercharged 3800 by accident?
No, and I don't supercharge the battery.

I'm a very conservative driver. I left the driveway yesterday, backed out into the road, wheels still turned, GENTLY applied gas in forward direction, no leaves, no water, no dead squirrel under the tire ... accelerated, heard wheel spin and traction light came on.

This didn't happen with the old tires. I'm of the opinion that there is a "slick" (low traction) skin that has to be worn off. Or maybe, getting 90,000 warrantee did some things ... the wet 350+ miles I put on it the day after buying them may have done nothing to scrub it off.

Time will tell. I live in "Greenville" SC and have many friends who work for Michelin. I'll pick at them.

 

[CapriRacer]

George,

This just doesn't make sense. No one should have dry traction problems - except when you are ...ah... how do they say it?.... driving with "spirit".

So I tend to think there is something wrong in the car

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: George Bynum

This didn't happen with the old tires. I'm of the opinion that there is a "slick" (low traction) skin that has to be worn off.


New tires have more or less mold release residue on them, but it comes of really quickly once the tire is being used. Maybe some sicko buttered up your new tires.

 

[Papa Bear]

Are you applying ArmorAll to the tread instead of the sidewall ??

 

[George Bynum]

Originally Posted By: Papa Bear
Are you applying ArmorAll to the tread instead of the sidewall ??

Don't drive with "spirit", sense the slipping, but it cannot be a CV joint, can it? ASS_U_ME it to be the mold release. Re ArmorAll ... not at all, no "dressings" of any type yet, and usually just scrub very well. Capri, while I doubt it, maybe SOMEHOW the tire is slipping on the rim; time to mark them and observe. I'm not losing air at all.

 

[CapriRacer]

Originally Posted By: George Bynum
...... Don't drive with "spirit", sense the slipping ......maybe SOMEHOW the tire is slipping on the rim; time to mark them and observe. I'm not losing air at all.



Rim Slippage!! That's it!!

First verify it by making a mark on all the tires where the valve stem is. Then check afetr you've experienced the problem.

If this is so, have the guys take the tire off them rim and clean both the rim and the beads with alcohol. Alcohol will not damage the ruber or the clear coat or paint on the rim, but will dissolve whatever is there. Could be silicon - that's been know to cause this problem.

 

[wantin150]

Wow, never would have though that! Heck, I figured if the tire slipped on the rim, the thing would immediately deflate.

 

[Jonny Z]

CapriRacer,

Would being on the high side of the acceptable rim width range make this more likely?

 

[CapriRacer]

Originally Posted By: Jonny Z
CapriRacer,

Would being on the high side of the acceptable rim width range make this more likely?


Let me put it like this:

If the design rim width was a 10 for this property, then a rim at the high end of acceptable can't be any worse than a 9.

If you do bead stretching, then this could drop to a 6 or 7.

But add silicone (Notice how I change spellings without blinking an eye!) and we're talking about a 3 or 4.

 

[Jonny Z]

Now, would a rim width on the low side make it an 11?

 

[oilnoob425]

I dunno, I think good quality tire is good to go right after installation. At least it was the case with my summer and winter tires. Those babies were at the top of their shape when they were very brand new. I had no initial issues that needed some misterious "break in".

 

[George Bynum]

No slip there ... and the word you want is silicone ... sometimes slick stuff, but silicone compounds are not always that. There are silicone rubber type compounds that withstand high (500F+ in my experience)temperatures. And siliconE caulk is resistant to many agents. Silicon is an element that is hard; it is used in solid state electronics. (Sorry, one of my pet peeves)

MAYBE the slip that first day in the wet has me not thinking straight and it is just a wiring problem.

 

[George Bynum]

OK, end of the story. After about 1500 miles, they are great. All slipperiness is gone. I can accelerate "with vigor" as Capri puts it (well, on a 3.4L Venture, perhaps vigor is a little over the top) and there is no slipping wet (or dry). The wet road problem probably wasn't as much hydroplaning as some reduction of friction that I saw dry as well. My guess ... these 90k rated tires probably have some "skin" that had to wear off. They now look flat black; they looked glossy (no treatment, even the under label was) for over 1000 miles.

Thanks everyone!

George