[Belfry]

Walking out to the car after work yesterday I noticed what I thought was some crud on the wheel. I bent over to rub it off and realized they were scratches. :frown2: On closer inspection I see a chunk missing out of the sidewall. (Stock Bridgestone Ecopia with 14,000 kms on it).

What the? :surprise: Any idea what could cause this type of damage? I don't recall hitting anything, hearing any strange noises while driving or parking, etc. I rashed a sidewall once years ago by parallel parking right against the curb. The rim wasn't scratched and the side of the tire was abraded, not just one chunk missing. And I haven't done any parallel parking in a long time.
Secondary question: I think I can see a bit of cord showing at the bottom of the hole, but the tire is holding pressure. Should I replace it immediately or just keep an eye on it given the low mileage?

 

[arathol]

From the looks of the marks on the tire and the rim, either you hit something like a curb or sidewalk or somebody hit the wheel while your car was parked.

 

[Midnightsky228]

replace immediately, any sidewall damage increases the risk of a blowout, I would not drive on that tire. You might be able to get tire warranty for that unless you did hit something and didn't realize it.

 

[Studum]

Yep, it looks like you can see the metal structure through that damage. If so, that's NOT GOOD.

I've seen that type of damage when curbing a tire. The edge of the rim pinches and slices the sidewall of the tire as it folds / compresses under the weight of the car in a way it wasn't designed to be driven on. Could've also happened somewhere with wheel guards like a car-wash if the guards are faulty and / or you rubbed up on one at a weird angle.

 

[sc489]

I would go to a tyre shop and seek advice - no doubt they will recommend a new tyre for safety. The low profile 18" wheels are prone to kerbing damage. I already have a minor scuff after 2 months despite being a careful and experienced driver.

I've bought a rim protector strip (Rimblades) which I'll try first on the front left wheel which is most prone to kerbing (note UK driver on right). You can buy some tyres with rim protection. Does this work?

 

[Davidval18]

@Belfry, It's hard to know what caused the problem on the tire, but it is recommended to go to a tire specialist and check if this issue has damaged the structure of the tire. At the end of the day, if you must then change the tire and drive with peace of mind, for your own safety

I've bought a rim protector strip (Rimblades) which I'll try first on the front left wheel which is most prone to kerbing (note UK driver on right). You can buy some tyres with rim protection. Does this work?

Here is my review of Rimblades:

http://mazda3revolution.com/forums/...earance-interior/189074-rimblades-review.html

They do work well on very small parking mistakes, but don't expect "Miracles" if you hit a curb hard or if you make a very "Nasty" parking mistake as even with the Rimblades installed the rim will get scratched... :|

Not to mention that is a pain in the ass to get the 3M adhesive off the rim when re-installing the Rimblade.