Dear all

I don't know if I am lucky or not.

I was driving home today all of a sudden I heard this loud noise and loss control. I walked out of the car and I found the right front tire cracked open.

The inner side of the tire ( facing the engine )are cracked open. I could see the metal wires, it looks nasty.
I went home and took all of my tires off and inspected them all. I found the left front tire also has cracks, but nothing compare to the right side.

Could this be factory defect ?

What will be the possible cause of this "danger" crack open tire ?

What should I do to prevent this from happening in the future ?

What are some tire recommadtions ?

Information about my car.
93 300E
H&R lowering springs
2.2 inch rear
1.8 inch front
The front appears to be lower then the back.
Koni Sports adjustable shocks (firmest at the front and mid firm at the rear)
OEM tire size 195-65-15
Upgraded tire size 215-45-17
The cracked open tire was a Dunlop SP-9000. On my car for about 1 year. I say about 30% left.
I had a set of P-7000 summer tires before using 225/45/17 and nothing happens. ( was it because I used 215 instead of 225 ?)
Any tips or concerns will help. Thank you very much for your time.

Pete regards

Thank goodness nothing happened to you.

If this was new tyres that was just purchased, it might do some good to have them checked by your store you bought them from. They should be able to send the sample of the tyres to their lab for tests. However, this would be futile if there has been evidence of tyre-patching, or grazes from kerbs. I have done this before when my Bridgestone burst open while driving on the expressway (at 160km/h!). The offending tyre was freighted back to Japan for lab testing, and the report did not indicate any malice or neglect on my part. They didnt specify manufacturer's liability though it was very obvious that they felt "guilty" and compensated me with a set of 5 brand new Bridgestone in exchange for me not proceeding with legal action. (Yes, I did threaten them with legal action as their local sales rep just cheesed me off and challenged me to take them to court - my lawyers did a good job ).

On my W126, I had Dunlop SP9000 too. Like you, I noticed cracks before it burst. My conclusion was that the sheer curb weight and body stress of the W126 was too much for the tyre to bear.

I had fine little cracks developing on the 2 SPs I had at the rear, while the front (Bridgestone) was okay.

Needless to say, I changed all to Michellin and have experienced better comfort and road-handling. Besides, there isn't much vibration now as the balancing is not as sensitive as the Dunlop.

It has been a year since I changed over to Michellin, and after 40,000 km, the tyre thread has still some 75% to show. Apparently, the heat distribution on the Michellin Energy series is just fantastic.

Count your blessings and I would recommend a change to Michellin. Never compromise on safety and tyres.

__________________
... Kerry

126 tailed by a 203, 129 leading the pack.