Is it safe to ducktape tires?

I do, and when I posted on the BMW forum once asking what people use, , a person said why?

1. tires are staggered
2. they are not directional

I discovered that in 2008, I was still using a 1970's concept of not moving a tire from one side to another (reverses direction)
That's a whole different debate. Between many new directional All Weather and other tires you can only keep them going one way. If you want to swap sides they need to be remounted. Staggered size and directional means one place only (unless remount).

I prefer cross rotate with asymmetrical tires if possible to help even out wear. Most of my 3 season have that option currently. My winter tires are directional so only get front>back on same side.

Thread discussions also cover those that hate to cross rotate for making belt flex go in opposite direction that it had been. YMMV
 
The reason I ask is 2 out of 8 my tires got tread damage. The tread is torn all the way to the belts.

I didn't have such issues until I started duck taping the tires. It could be just a coincidence but I wonder whether the glue could weaken the rubber.
Hmmm, what brand of tires? and country of origin?
I've had a surprise when a cheap pair of bike grips basically shrunk, hardened and crumbled in a minute with a light spray of brake cleaner inside the grip and on the handle bar.... Never had a grip do that before or since? It seemed more of a catalytic reaction as the brake clean evaporates pretty fast, but I'm no chemist.
So maybe you won the lottery of odd tire chemistry and the perfect solvents in the glue to destroy the rubber?
 
They hold air but both holes are down to the belts. Obviously I drove over something but I wonder if duck tape is a contributing factor.

The first one I will replace the whole set due to age (2018). The second one, I wonder whether it could be repaired and I could drive another summer (around 4/32 to 5/32 tread).

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tire2.webp
 
Duct tape (or Duck tape) did not in any way compromise the tread of your tires. The only potential effect is to leave tacky adhesive residue on the rubber. It would not be detrimental to the integrity of the tire.
 
Top one looks like there was a manufacturing problem where the two pieces of rubber didn't cure together properly. Bottom one is just physical damage from hitting something.

Either way, tape didn't have anything to do with it.
 
It's really a non issue but to start a thread about it, I just don't know. Maybe spread some talcum powder on the residue, whatever...
Just use a special tire crayon on the inside face of the tire next time around.
 
They hold air but both holes are down to the belts. Obviously I drove over something but I wonder if duck tape is a contributing factor.

The first one I will replace the whole set due to age (2018). The second one, I wonder whether it could be repaired and I could drive another summer (around 4/32 to 5/32 tread).

View attachment 248647

View attachment 248648

Those are cuts. Unfortunate, but the duct tape had nothing to do with this. If there was a problem with the duct tape, it would be on the surface and localized to where the tape was and would be immediately apparent when the tape was removed.
 
True ... but then there's this:

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Not true, historically.

“The ultimate wide-scale adoption of duck tape, today generally referred to as duct tape, came from Vesta Stoudt. Stoudt was worried that problems with ammunition box seals could cost soldiers precious time in battle, so she wrote to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1943 with the idea to seal the boxes with a fabric tape which she had tested. ///

Their new unnamed product was made of thin cotton duck coated in waterproof polyethylene (plastic) with a layer of rubber-based gray adhesive (branded as "Polycoat") bonded to one side.”

The “duck” came from what it was made from.
 
Is it harmful to put ducktape on the tire tread?

When doing the winter changeover I started putting a piece of ducktape on the tread where I write with permanent marker which wheel the tire came from.

When it is time to change back I peel off the ducktape. There is some residue remaining, but after driving for a few km, it comes off. The tire makes strange noises when driving with the residue. It is gone almost instantaneous though.

Is it possible for the ducktape glue to leech into the rubber and affect the compound?
Well, this came in to my shop not to long ago. Teenage girl ended up getting a flat and tried to "repair" it.

IMG_20241106_081836.webp
 
Tires come from the factory with a sticker on. I wouldn’t be that concerned.

Assuming the storage conditions were right, I’d look at wide masking tape.
 
But WD40 would attack the rubber, making things worse. Better to leave the small amount of duct tape residue.
Sorry, I thought this thread veered from seriousness a while ago. I agree I might not actually use it for that.

But wouldn’t be using tape either when you can just make a Sharpie notation on the inside rim.
 
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