Scotty,
I retired last year and drive significantly less than I used to. I had my car inspected and they told me my tires, which are around a year and an half old, are showing signs of dry rotting. I park the car outside on a cement driveway and they told me the cement dries the tires out. Is there any way to keep the tires from rotting?
I've been subscribed for years and want to thank you for the great advice you give.
Can you please post some pictures of the ‘claimed’ dry rotting?
How old are the tires based on the sidewall? All tires that are made after 2000 have a 4 digit code that tells the week and last two of the year of manufacture. So a tire made this week in 2021 will say 2821 when it hits the shelf. If you've had yours 18 months, I would guess them to be about 2.5 years old at most. The cement doesn't "dry" out a tire per se. UV light from the Sun reflects off of everything around the car and eventually degrades the rubber if just left in the sun, eventually causing rubber to crack. Driving around keeps oils in the rubber in motion, helping to keep them from drying out and cracking. Storing the car in a garage will help shield the tires from UV damage, as will a car cover. There's no fully stopping the process, though. All tires will slowly degrade with time.
Just a guess - the folks who *inspected* your car also sold tires.
