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Posted by Hank [64.119.33.94] on Thursday, October 22, 2009 at 13:02:29 :
In Reply to: Re: the problem is with old radial tires posted by David Sherman [216.18.131.98] on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at 12:33:55 :
... that radial tires flex a lot more than bias ply, which is why they run more economically. Bias ply tires are thicker and more rigid, and don't flex as much. The flexing makes heat, which helps to break the tire down.
Rubber compounds do contain certain volatile chemicals, which work their way out of the rubber over time (we have all seen "dry rot" in tires). This happens even in storage, you can't stop it. Without these chemicals, the tire is weaker.
Heat + weakened tire = kaboom.
Just my baseless theory, anyway.
H