I have recently bought ( 2 or so months ago) a set of Fire Hawk SS20's and my problem is i hop ei explane this right, the outer part of the tire wall above the White Letter of FF SS20's there is a brown band almost rust colour on every tire, perfetly even and round.. i cant seem to get it off is it a deffect or is there a way to remove it please help......

Thanks guys

Dan

What are you using on them? I suggest a cleaning with an SOS pad (if you have alloy or painted wheels use care not to scrub on the wheels with the pad) A bucket of water and a new blue pad and some elbow grease will fix you right up. Scrub the letters too, you'll love the results. If it's not a build up of cleaning products like tire black I bet the tires are under inflated and you are driving on more of the sidewall than you should be...

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...Dennis
The '69 (http://chevelles.com/showroom/fine69_03.jpg) & the '96 (http://chevelles.com/showroom/fine69_02.jpg)
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im running them on Vette Rally or Monte rally rims.. i always check the pressure level and there fine.. i was just reading this thing about the tires oxidizing or something and thats why they turn brown, but i just find it weird how perft and even the bown ring is,.. but maybe thats what happens i dont no..

My bfg's do that too,I think it comes from too hash of a chemical when you/I clean them.

Do you use anything like Castrol Super Clean,Purple Power or anything like that.

When they get real dirty that strong stuff works good but it turns them brown so you have to keep cleaning all the time.

If you're developing a straight line (almost as if masked off) there is more to the mystery!!

i am thats what it looks like someone has masked off the wheel and painted it black and left a brown ring around the wheel wall

I have seen this happen on slicks before and when it does it's time to throw them away. Usually an indication that the rubber is aged, at least it is with slicks.

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Ken Jett
1966 SS396 3800lbs
460ci Grimes Twister
11.88@120.46 w/1.76 60'
Team Chevelle Member
Atlanta, GA.

My 66SS (http://kjett.home.mindspring.com)

My Firestone (Coker) belted redlines on the '68 turn brown , too. Especially when exposed to direct sunlight. In my case, it's from using Meguire's Tire Shine. It goes away when I re-treat the tires. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/confused.gif

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Bill Burke
TC#613
ACES#3920
'68 Corvette L-79 coupe
'80 Camaro RS 355 Vortec
'02 Corvette Convert.

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since there still while i hope there still under warrinty I hope I can go back to Firestone and replace them

My BFG Radial T/A's do the same thing. I gotta break that scrubby out and put some real elbow grease into it, and they look like new again.

Amazing what a perfect line it makes between the brown and black.

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70 Impala Sport Coupe (350)
67 Chevelle (I wish, still looking and saving)
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Try a $3.99 can of some stuff called "No Touch WHITE LETTER Tire Cleaner". Just bought it today for the first time at the Navy Exchange (only place I have ever seen it) and used it to clean the white letters on my truck tires and also the BROWNING that was occurring on them. ( I also think the Meguiars tire wet stuff causes browning but I could be wrong, it did it to both my cars I think)Well, the can advertises to clean white stuff and browning and I think it worked pretty well with minimal scrubbing and its cheap so it may be worth a shot. later

Guys the SOS pad is an old school thing that works better than any can of cleaner I've ever seen. For $4 you can have a beer and a whole box of them and one pad will do all 4 tires and if you have any chrome it will make it sparkle better than chrome polish. It will also remove light pitting if it hasn't gon all the way through...

I had a thought on the defined line mystery, maybe a couple hard corners have caused the sidewall to roll and be driven on. I assume the area closest to the tread is the part turning brown.

I have the same brown ring on my BFG's. I never wash them so it's not the chemicals! http://www.chevelles.com/forum/biggrin.gif I always thought it had something to to with which part of the tire flexes most and heats up. I though it was the heat doing something to the rubber. Only a guess I really have no idea! http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif

chris

Might it have to do with the tires waiting for someone to buy them for a long while.. and when the tires are stacked waiting the only part that would be really exposed (especially if they were stored outdoors) would be the outside ring on each one? Just a thought.. I leave my winter tires out stacked by my shed and they get greyish/brown, but they're just winter tires, so I never worry about it.

Thanks for the reply, my tire probelm is solved for now, a real big thanks goes out to DjD with the S.O.S pads, they worked wounders the best $2.43 ive spent the tires look brand new. Just hope it last.

Thanks again guys

Dan

Always glad to pass on a tip Dan. Back when I was 6 or 7 my dad would let me help wash the car and since I was closer to the tires than he was I got the blue pad. I've always been amazed at what it does for dirty white walls (a few years before white letters).

All tires get this way. Buy some Bleach-wite tire cleaner. It will easily remove this. Great for letters and whitewalls too.

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Bob (Pa.)

1963 Impala 283
1966 Chevelle SS 409
1969 Malibu 307
1972 Malibu 307
1969 C10 stepside 350
1971 Cheyenne 20 3/4 ton
Somebody stop me... :)

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Sometime in a past life I read that this was oil bleeding from the rubber, When they quit they are getting old and hard. At one time they used a different compound for the belt than the side wall. Maby this is the reason for the line. Things could have changed from the Polyglass days. I think Dennis gets the good cleaning tips when he takes his cars to the detail shop. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/biggrin.gif Bob J.

[This message has been edited by Bob Johnson (edited 06-03-2002).]

Ouch!! I owe you for that one Bob!! http://www.chevelles.com/forum/wink.gif

Hey Bob , i was just gettin ready to post something about that.Thats sounds like an idea,That the rubber around the outside is different from the sidewall.I don't keep a set of tires long enough for them to get old so thats not the browning problem.I just clean them and don't worry about it too much.

Another thing,What size are ya'll runnin.I just got 2 for the rear in 245/60/14 and i had a time finding them.Finally Sears had 3 in stock.I went to 3 places and they all had to order them.We need to do something about this tire thing.I think i read a post a few weeks back about some manf's that are going to stop making 14" and 15" tires.Just no in demand anymore,All are going to 16"+

[This message has been edited by supersport396_2000 (edited 06-03-2002).]