PS2's cracking at tread to sidewall

808@702 · 03-06-2012, 04:05 PM

My fronts are showing signs of cracking where the tread meets the outside sidewall, right at the edge of the contact point. Anybody experience this? Could it be an alignment thing?
Please chime in.

bigjae1976 · 03-07-2012, 05:27 AM

How old are your tires? Don't think this could be from an alignment. The rubber will crack from a combination of heat, sun, and age.

Pics would help.

GS_Jay · 03-07-2012, 05:47 PM

Mine are doing the same thing... 14k miles on them and a year and a half old...

Space Ghost · 03-07-2012, 05:50 PM

Any track time? Pics would help.

runnerguy1979 · 03-24-2012, 03:55 PM

I saw the same cracking w/ my buddy's 2011 with only a few thousand miles on the odo...I had to take a second look just to make sure. I thought the dry/crack was a bit strange myself.

kitw · 03-29-2012, 12:00 AM

Look at the actual date code of the tire, they may have been old when they were put on or improperly stored.

FastBimmer335 · 03-30-2012, 02:00 AM

Friend of mine started to crack as well.

M3SQRD · 03-30-2012, 04:55 AM

I still have the original set of PS2's on my '09 (May '09 build) and they have zero cracks. I don't know the manufacturing week/year but I'll take a look; however, I won't be surprised if they're manufactured in late '08.

Richbot · 03-30-2012, 07:40 AM

I've got some 0808 date code take-offs with like 12 miles on them I bought from somebody on my car right now. No cracks to speak of, but they were stored in bags out of the sunlight in garage that never gets below 55 degrees even in sub-zero winters.

I would suspect UV exposure coupled with age. I wouldn't worry about it from a safety standpoint unless it starts migrating across the sidewall. The points where the tread meets the shell are stress risers so cracks will often form first there, I've had brand new full wet racing slicks with cracks in them before, and they were only a few months old when I bought them. The PS2's have those little jagged grooves where the tread meets the sidewall, and there's a lot of flex happening right there

808@702 · 03-30-2012, 10:44 AM

Mine are an 0208 date code. I have been hitting it hard with Armorall and it seems to have helped a bit.

808@702 · 04-09-2012, 01:11 PM

So this weekend I actually took my car to a tire guy friend to look at the cracking. He said this is not uncommon with these tires and it is not a safety issue unless the cracks become continuous. He also said I can expect to get another 3 - 4000 miles as the wear bars are still 3/16 deep in the tread which means these tires should approach 25000 miles.

03-06-2012, 04:05 PM	#1
808@702 8th BMW, 520th Surfboard 494 Rep 1,215 Posts Drives: My girlfriends crazy! Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Las Vegas, Nv. and Honolulu, Hi. and Seattle Wa. iTrader: (0)	PS2's cracking at tread to sidewall My fronts are showing signs of cracking where the tread meets the outside sidewall, right at the edge of the contact point. Anybody experience this? Could it be an alignment thing? Please chime in.
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03-07-2012, 05:27 AM	#2
bigjae1976 Major General 1571 Rep 8,076 Posts Drives: 11 E90 M3 Individual Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Houston, TX iTrader: (22) Garage List 2004 BMW M3 [4.50] 2011 BMW E90 M3 [5.25] 2013 BMW 328i [5.00]	How old are your tires? Don't think this could be from an alignment. The rubber will crack from a combination of heat, sun, and age. Pics would help. __________________ 2018 F30 320iX Melbourne Red 2011 E90 M3 Monte Carlo Blue 2004 E46 M3 Imola Red 2000 E36/7 Z3 Steel Blue
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03-07-2012, 05:47 PM	#3
GS_Jay Private First Class 60 Rep 104 Posts Drives: 2017 Sakhir Orange II F80 ZCP Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Nashville, TN iTrader: (0)	Mine are doing the same thing... 14k miles on them and a year and a half old...
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03-07-2012, 05:50 PM	#4
Space Ghost Captain 11 Rep 619 Posts Drives: E92 M3 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: USA-PA iTrader: (5)	Any track time? Pics would help. __________________ 2008 E92 M3, ESS VT-1, AA Full Exhaust, Volk TE-37, PSS10, ST BBK, ARKYM Motorsport Spliter, Vorsteiner Diffuser, BMW Edition Grill/Gill's, BMW Performance Spoiler, AUTOcoture Blacked Out Headlights, LCI Tail lights, Vorsteiner Carbon Fiber Center Dash Insert, Ultimate Racing Pedals (Because Race Car), AA SSK, Speed Cloth.
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03-24-2012, 03:55 PM	#5
runnerguy1979 One Life ... Live It 13 Rep 118 Posts Drives: 2012 M3 E92 6MT ZCP Space Grey Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: The Euro-Zone iTrader: (0)	I saw the same cracking w/ my buddy's 2011 with only a few thousand miles on the odo...I had to take a second look just to make sure. I thought the dry/crack was a bit strange myself.
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03-29-2012, 12:00 AM	#6
kitw Colonel 471 Rep 2,991 Posts Drives: F91 M8, 991.2 GT3 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bay Area, CA iTrader: (20)	Look at the actual date code of the tire, they may have been old when they were put on or improperly stored.
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03-30-2012, 02:00 AM	#7
FastBimmer335 Banned 1 Rep 194 Posts Drives: 335i Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: NY (Currently) iTrader: (0)	Friend of mine started to crack as well.
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03-30-2012, 04:55 AM	#8
M3SQRD Major General 2164 Rep 5,550 Posts Drives: E92 M3,G20 330ix,F22 240iX,F82 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Mid-Atlantic iTrader: (11)	I still have the original set of PS2's on my '09 (May '09 build) and they have zero cracks. I don't know the manufacturing week/year but I'll take a look; however, I won't be surprised if they're manufactured in late '08.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-30-2012, 07:40 AM	#9
Richbot Major General 2760 Rep 5,483 Posts Drives: Jerez Black E90 Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: STL iTrader: (5)	I've got some 0808 date code take-offs with like 12 miles on them I bought from somebody on my car right now. No cracks to speak of, but they were stored in bags out of the sunlight in garage that never gets below 55 degrees even in sub-zero winters. I would suspect UV exposure coupled with age. I wouldn't worry about it from a safety standpoint unless it starts migrating across the sidewall. The points where the tread meets the shell are stress risers so cracks will often form first there, I've had brand new full wet racing slicks with cracks in them before, and they were only a few months old when I bought them. The PS2's have those little jagged grooves where the tread meets the sidewall, and there's a lot of flex happening right there __________________
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03-30-2012, 10:44 AM	#10
808@702 8th BMW, 520th Surfboard 494 Rep 1,215 Posts Drives: My girlfriends crazy! Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Las Vegas, Nv. and Honolulu, Hi. and Seattle Wa. iTrader: (0)	Mine are an 0208 date code. I have been hitting it hard with Armorall and it seems to have helped a bit.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

04-09-2012, 01:11 PM	#11
808@702 8th BMW, 520th Surfboard 494 Rep 1,215 Posts Drives: My girlfriends crazy! Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Las Vegas, Nv. and Honolulu, Hi. and Seattle Wa. iTrader: (0)	So this weekend I actually took my car to a tire guy friend to look at the cracking. He said this is not uncommon with these tires and it is not a safety issue unless the cracks become continuous. He also said I can expect to get another 3 - 4000 miles as the wear bars are still 3/16 deep in the tread which means these tires should approach 25000 miles.
	Appreciate 0 Quote