Tire Sidewall Bulging
09-30-2009, 11:08 AM
#1
Senior Members
Thread Starter
Unfortunately I don't have any pictures to share at the moment, though I'm curious if anybody has run into a similar situation as mine. 'Was hopping in my car this morning and noticed the front left tire sidewall on my factory Potenza RFT was bulging out about half an inch from where it should be. The surface area of the bulge is an oval shaped region- probably 2"x1.5" across. The bulge runs from about a half inch from the tread to about a half inch from the location of the tire bead. Has anybody seen anything like this before? Could this be the effect of hitting a ~2" elevated road surface at 40mph (the street I'm thinking of is where they're replacing the road and you drive on ground/grooved up road which is roughly 2" lower than where the real road should be until you reach a point where the newly laid road is) while running my KWv2's at 75% stiffness? The ka-thunk sound of hitting that 2" transition was unsettling. 
I can probably drive on the bulging RFT for another couple days until I figure out what I want to do. Here are my obvious options. Please help me decide what I should do, or if there are other options:
- Replace the RFT with another. Not sure if I have to replace both front tires in the process to maintain tread wear consistency across both front tires. Decrease the stiffness of my KWv2's in the process. I imagine this will cost something around $750 for tires, mounting and balancing.
- Replace all wheels/tires with 20's and only drive the car on weekends (while being a little more careful and also decreasing the stiffness of the KWv2's). I just bought a Volvo as a daily driver, so this seems like a reasonable alternative which will only cost a little more than replacing both front tires.
If I do decide to get new wheels and tires, where should I get them? I like the black satin apperance and style of the Miro M6 Time Attacks.
Thanks.
I can probably drive on the bulging RFT for another couple days until I figure out what I want to do. Here are my obvious options. Please help me decide what I should do, or if there are other options:
- Replace the RFT with another. Not sure if I have to replace both front tires in the process to maintain tread wear consistency across both front tires. Decrease the stiffness of my KWv2's in the process. I imagine this will cost something around $750 for tires, mounting and balancing.
- Replace all wheels/tires with 20's and only drive the car on weekends (while being a little more careful and also decreasing the stiffness of the KWv2's). I just bought a Volvo as a daily driver, so this seems like a reasonable alternative which will only cost a little more than replacing both front tires.
If I do decide to get new wheels and tires, where should I get them? I like the black satin apperance and style of the Miro M6 Time Attacks.
Thanks.
09-30-2009, 12:02 PM
#2
Members
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Northern, NJ
Posts: 77
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by west' post='1021308' date='Sep 30 2009, 03:08 PM
- Replace all wheels/tires with 20's and only drive the car on weekends (while being a little more careful and also decreasing the stiffness of the KWv2's). I just bought a Volvo as a daily driver, so this seems like a reasonable alternative which will only cost a little more than replacing both front tires.
09-30-2009, 12:56 PM
#4
Contributors
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Thousand Oaks, California
Posts: 11,084
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 2008 550i Jet Black on Black Leather, SAT with Paddles, Logic 7, Comfort Seats, NAV, Sport Package, PDC, Xenons, Sirius, Trinity 12W LED Angel Eyes, RPi GT Exhaust, M rear spoiler, ACS Roof Spoiler, Tinted Tail Lights, Bimmian Carbon Fiber Pillar Trim, Bimmian Shadow 550i emblem, RPi Scoop, E60 Forum Cling, Mtec bulbs in fog lights, Mtec 2W LED for License Plate Light Bulbs, K&N Filter, Bimmian LED Smoked Side Markers, Blackout roundels, Carbon Fiber Kidney Grills.
Retired Rides - 1989 325i convertible, 1995 M3, 2002 X5, 2005 545i, 2008 X5 (Lemon)
Do whatever it takes to be able to drive it DAILY!!
09-30-2009, 04:31 PM
#7
Members
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Mississauga, Ontario
Posts: 173
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 2004 BMW 545I
M sport suspension
Active Steering
M sport interior
Navi
Low ride sports
Originally Posted by west' post='1021308' date='Sep 30 2009, 02:08 PM
Unfortunately I don't have any pictures to share at the moment, though I'm curious if anybody has run into a similar situation as mine. 'Was hopping in my car this morning and noticed the front left tire sidewall on my factory Potenza RFT was bulging out about half an inch from where it should be. The surface area of the bulge is an oval shaped region- probably 2"x1.5" across. The bulge runs from about a half inch from the tread to about a half inch from the location of the tire bead. Has anybody seen anything like this before? Could this be the effect of hitting a ~2" elevated road surface at 40mph (the street I'm thinking of is where they're replacing the road and you drive on ground/grooved up road which is roughly 2" lower than where the real road should be until you reach a point where the newly laid road is) while running my KWv2's at 75% stiffness? The ka-thunk sound of hitting that 2" transition was unsettling.
I can probably drive on the bulging RFT for another couple days until I figure out what I want to do. Here are my obvious options. Please help me decide what I should do, or if there are other options:
- Replace the RFT with another. Not sure if I have to replace both front tires in the process to maintain tread wear consistency across both front tires. Decrease the stiffness of my KWv2's in the process. I imagine this will cost something around $750 for tires, mounting and balancing.
- Replace all wheels/tires with 20's and only drive the car on weekends (while being a little more careful and also decreasing the stiffness of the KWv2's). I just bought a Volvo as a daily driver, so this seems like a reasonable alternative which will only cost a little more than replacing both front tires.
If I do decide to get new wheels and tires, where should I get them? I like the black satin apperance and style of the Miro M6 Time Attacks.
Thanks.
I can probably drive on the bulging RFT for another couple days until I figure out what I want to do. Here are my obvious options. Please help me decide what I should do, or if there are other options:
- Replace the RFT with another. Not sure if I have to replace both front tires in the process to maintain tread wear consistency across both front tires. Decrease the stiffness of my KWv2's in the process. I imagine this will cost something around $750 for tires, mounting and balancing.
- Replace all wheels/tires with 20's and only drive the car on weekends (while being a little more careful and also decreasing the stiffness of the KWv2's). I just bought a Volvo as a daily driver, so this seems like a reasonable alternative which will only cost a little more than replacing both front tires.
If I do decide to get new wheels and tires, where should I get them? I like the black satin apperance and style of the Miro M6 Time Attacks.
Thanks.
10-01-2009, 05:51 AM
#9
Members
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 81
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
What you have there is most likely the result of a pothole - called pinch-shock. When the tire hits a pothole hard enough, it can actually pinch the sidewall on itself between the rim edge. When this happens severely enough, it actually rips the sidewall liner from the inside and allows air to escape into the sidewall, leaking into the outer layer of the tire. That's why you see a bulge. Anyway, you definitely don't want to drive on it that way for too long because the integrity of the tire is now compromised.
10-02-2009, 11:00 AM
#10
Senior Members
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: San Antonio
Posts: 695
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by bloomjbmw' post='1022018' date='Oct 1 2009, 08:51 AM
What you have there is most likely the result of a pothole - called pinch-shock. When the tire hits a pothole hard enough, it can actually pinch the sidewall on itself between the rim edge. When this happens severely enough, it actually rips the sidewall liner from the inside and allows air to escape into the sidewall, leaking into the outer layer of the tire. That's why you see a bulge. Anyway, you definitely don't want to drive on it that way for too long because the integrity of the tire is now compromised.
Get 20s if you want to spend a ton on tires AND wheels and you hit potholes.