posted February 02, 2003 10:49 AM            

Let me hear from you.

posted February 04, 2003 02:50 PM         

I can't directly answer your question, but I can give you some insight into the problem.

White rubber compounds look that way because they use a white filler instead of carbon black. Unlike carbon black which adds some wonderful properties to rubber, these white fillers are just an aggravation.

Compounds that process well, crack in cold weather, and vice versa. Or they don't look white, or they streak, etc.

There are several things that adversely affect white compound performance. I mentioned cold temperatures. Some sidewall treatments attack rubber and white compounds will be more affected than black ones. Extra stretching is also bad - like from underinflation. Exposure to ozone, so being near the ocean, isn't helpful.

The good news is this is never a safety issue. It looks horrible, but the worst thing that could happen is for the white to fall off - the rest of the tire is fine.

Another bit of good news is that this is always adjustable, within the warranty time limit.

Hope this helps.