[nojelly]

Barely visible, but still nothing to take chances on, right? I don't recall how it happened, but now that I do think of it, I did have to go to the gas station since the TPMS suddenly went off for that tire while driving.

I already ordered a new set of front tires. Apart from the bubble, the old ones were still plenty good, sigh...

 

[PG-IN]

Barely visible, but still nothing to take chances on, right? I don't recall how it happened, but now that I do think of it, I did have to go to the gas station since the TPMS suddenly went off for that tire while driving.

I already ordered a new set of front tires. Apart from the bubble, the old ones were still plenty good, sigh...

That is an impact break. Likely from a pothole, blunt edge of roadway or some such. The wheel pinches the tire with the hard edge and cuts (think of like a button hole) the inside of the sidewall and air leaks between the inside and outside of the tire carcass and fills it up like a tiny balloon. The tire is ok to drive on till you replace it, but this spot is vulnerable. In case you didn't know what it actually was.

 

[nojelly]

That is an impact break. Likely from a pothole, blunt edge of roadway or some such. The wheel pinches the tire with the hard edge and cuts (think of like a button hole) the inside of the sidewall and air leaks between the inside and outside of the tire carcass and fills it up like a tiny balloon. The tire is ok to drive on till you replace it, but this spot is vulnerable. In case you didn't know what it actually was.

Thanks! That is actually the best explanation I've read so far. Even if there is a chance that the tire would stay fine until the original end of its life, I would not feel good about it, and tires are just not anything to gamble on. Oh well, I will be more careful of such impacts in the future.

It's probably not worth sending the tire to Goodyear to check if it was a manufacturing fault then, is it?

 

[PG-IN]

Thanks! That is actually the best explanation I've read so far. Even if there is a chance that the tire would stay fine until the original end of its life, I would not feel good about it, and tires are just not anything to gamble on. Oh well, I will be more careful of such impacts in the future.

It's probably not worth sending the tire to Goodyear to check if it was a manufacturing fault then, is it?

Nah...They rarely have a defect and that one definitely appears to be an impact break.

 

[sjfehr]

Low aspect tires don't have much tolerance for potholes, especially if pressures are low.

I wouldn't drive any distance on that tire, but I did inherit a set of tires when I bought my car that had bubbles far worse all over the damned thing which means the PO sure did. One of them burst in my driveway after I washed the wheels to sell them and set them out to dry off. Took about 15 minutes to bleed out as I recall, which would be enough time to pull over should it happen on the road, at least for that particular bubble.

 

[eyeofthetiger]

the bulge means that the wire mesh structure underlying the tyre has already been compromised. hope your rim is ok.
the tyre can burst at any time - usually at the wrong time and when running late

I wouldn't want a "pregnant tyre" while going at speed though.....

 

[[email protected]]

The hit could have happened a month ago or more. As you drive and the tire flexes the belts on the inside that are cut can get bigger and bigger. The tire does need to be replaced. If I can help let me know. The tires we sell do come with a road hazard insurance at no charge for two years.