Starting December 18, 2008 the Cooper Tire Company began recalling tires that were produced during the period of September 7 - October 11, 2008. The reason stated was that the tires may not have been cured for an adequate amount of time. Anyone who thinks they have tires made during this time period - if you bought tires during or sometime thereafter - should bring the tires into a dealer. The dealer will investigate and if the production falls within that period the dealer will replace the old and mount and balance the new tires free of charge.
The curing process takes an absolute minimum of 15 minutes. Larger tires, or tires that will take a lot of abuse (such as off-road tires), are usually cured for much longer. If the tires are not cured for the correct amount of time, tread can separate and/or shred, which can cause steering difficulties and crashes. Temperatures of 350 degrees Fahrenheit and pressure of 350 PSI are used. Tires are composed of rubber, cords of polyester, steel, and materials. The curing at high temperatures causes a chemical reaction between these materials and gives the tires their strength. The high pressure molds the hard rubber into its final tire shape. Before this process is started the tires are referred to as “green.”
Cooper Tires states that the tires were not cured for an adequate amount of time, which means that either the heat wasn’t sufficient, the pressure was too low, or both. Since the checkout is free, it is a good idea to bring in your tires to a Cooper dealer. Otherwise you could live a scene straight out of the movie The Fast and the Furious.
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