ok, guys, please take it easy on me - i'm def the girly girl type who is not a car expert. check out my front rt. tire. what is going on here???

 

Looks like you are rubbing a lot of curbs.

 

Looks like frost or salt build up.

In an area that had snow?

 

That's not snow. That's rubber.

Some white letter tires have a white ribbon of rubber covered with a black layer on the outside. For whatever reason, your black layer has peeled away to expose the white layer. One way this can happen is that you drive the truck with the tire deflated, so that the sidewall collapses and scrapes against the ground, scraping off the black. Another way it can happen is if you frequently scrape against curbs. I suppose it's possible it could peel off on its own, but it seems more likely that your tire has been abused in some way.

If the truck was driven enough on a flat tire to cause that, the sidewall may be damaged. You probably ought to get it checked at a reputable tire shop.

(Note that I said reputable tire shop, which disqualifies Firestone.)

 

It's just a coloration thing, as others are saying. The white wall has been exposed. The black layer that covers the white lettering is very thin and easy to scrape away.

I don't see that tire becoming dangerous any time soon, but be easy on it.

 

Yeah its curb rash bad but it looks safe to drive on to me.But it would be on top of my list to replace as soon as you can afford to.

 

A word of advice, next time you buy tires don't buy ones with white letters on them and that will not happen.


Do keep an eye on that tire though as it was abused in some way to have caused it to do that.

 

Or don't rub the curb so much haha

 

ok, guys, i have to admit - yep, i'm always hitting the curb....just not easy being a woman and driving a truck...lol...every boyfriend i've had has always pointed out my curb hitting habit....just happens at my house when i park on the street after work....

 

but i still don't know why the tire should look that bad!!!

 

Because it's been destroyed. If it's bothering you that bad, you could just buy a new tire or new set of tires.

Or maybe you can try that flex seal stuff on the side. Just spray it on and see if it stays. That'll make it black again.

 

Or run the white letters on the inside

 

A xj is a smaller suv to most of us,I'd hate to see you in a crew cab dually lol.My ex drove my old truck twice both times she backed in to the neighbors mail box across the street backing out the driveway.She was use to driving a civic and my old truck that civic would have fit in the bed of it lol.

 

If it really bothers you, have a tire shop turn it around so that the white strip is on the inside where people won't see it. A regular shop will probably try to sell you a new tire, but those tire shacks in the questionable parts of town that specialize in used tires will do it cheap (~$15) and fast without the pressure, and some of them are surprisingly good.

 

I would take it to a shop to make sure your sidewall isn't compromised in any way. It shouldn't be but better safe than sorry