Technical Sanding flaws from new whitewalls???

Long story short Coker tire will accept 4 returned new Firestone 820x15 4 1/4" whitewall bias ply tires due to my displeasure at the randon rubber tits and pits in the whitewalls. Each tire has a flaw in the exact same position showing as either a pit or tit. They say replacements will be identical.
I can shave the tits. Has anyone sanded flaws off whitewalls and if so please explain your process. I won't get than all but I think I can really inprove the finish.
Does anyone have a set of the Denman 5" WW available? Thanks. John

 

It's part of the molding process.

 

I have taken a sharp new utility knife blade and trimmed the knobs off. Looks pretty smooth on my blackwalls where I took the time.

 

Okay. That's bullshit. As much as those tires cost and you have to "FIX" them? If they told you the replacements will be the same, I'd be asking for a full REFUND and going some where else.

 

While I appreciate a tire manufacture that is still producing tires for our dinosaurs, Coker needs to do something about their quality control! Between seeing threads like this and along with me and others getting out of round tires I don't know if I could ever buy any more bias ply tires from them.

We shouldn't have to "shave" out of round tires (in others words take material off of them that you just paid big buck$ for) just so we could keep up with traffic and not have every piece of hardware rattle loose on our rigs!

And having to return them (after you paid to mount and balance them) is a hassle that could be avoided!

 

not acceptable--send em back and get your money back--no excuse for the poor quality especially with the cost.

 

If you don't want to send them back, try a nail clipper with a convex head. That should clean up the tits anyway.

 

I would send them back and get blackwalls . Be sure to ask first if the blackwalls have the same problem.

Charlie Stephens

 

Actually you don't have to fix them that is the way that they came back when Firestone made them. All new tires used to have tits. I suppose that they could come sans tits, but someone is going to have to cut them off and that is a lot of extra overhead for a part that is considered to be a utility part.

You can shave the tits with a razor blade. sometimes you get black spots where the tit used to be. That can be cured with a white crayon.

 

John I'll make you a deal. You true up my Firestones and I'll cut the tits off of yours.

 

I've heard so many complaints about Coker. Diamondbacks would be the way I'd go.

Gary

 

Gary,the problem with diamond back is they don't offer bias ply tires. HRP

 

I don't like all this talk about cutting off tits.

 

I had no such problem with my Coker branded tires. Are the Firestone tires made in original molds?

Sent from my LG-H900 using H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Having to cut tits make me throw up a little. Get Corky on the phone !!!!

 

I haven't tried white walls,
but there's a few threads on buffing black sidewalls to remove the the lettering and makings. 80 grit on a DA seems to be the the way to go.

There's also a few threads on making white walls bigger

 

You could wet sand with 2000 grit after you cut off the excess rubber. But you must sand in circular motions around the whole tire so that you do not get flat spots.

Firestones are made in copies of original molds. Molds only have so long of a shelf life. I have not seen this dramatic of an excess rubber issue but then again it depends on the size as well. Remember Coker makes like a 500 to 1000 tire run at one time, which is why they are advising that the new set will look the same.

In all honesty, the originals were worse off looking then this.

 

Oooooooook.... Cross members.

 

It's not so much the tits, it's also the dimples. That's acceptable? The tits on a regular radial wear off in time. Those are nubs that would take a whole day or two, to remove. So, that's okay too. I just don't get it, I guess.

 

Nope those dies are worn out or at least need a good tool and die man to massage them. I imagine that the tires are functional enough to use but they will never win any beauty contests.

 

There you go - Those Firestone's are as "Traditional" as it gets!

 

Yea but our traditional is more refined this is a new millennium.

 

Yep, they will look like shit when the car is parked.
I bet you can not see them from the drivers seat and nobody will be able to see them at 10 Mph of faster.

Can you tell where I'm going with this ?

 

I counted 60 + - highs that I can trim off each tire and 20 + - lows that I may sand.
I'll use a skiving tool for trimming and that should help the appearance quite a bit.
I won't settle for anything less than the widest white bias ply available even if it means extra effort.
It's just that my work is expected to be perfect and It's fair to expect the same of others. Spending so much money for flawed goods is disappointing and maddening.
Jeff, I appreciate the offer but I'd better do this job.

 

Hey guys I want to clear up some confusion on what you are seeing on this Firestone tire. As others have mentioned, it is part of the tire building process and while it may appear to some as a flaw or blemish, it is not. As the tire heats up in the mold the rubber must have somewhere to expand, the molds has vent relief holes drilled in them. The vent relief holes is where the rubber flows out and you get tits on the tire. Since the Firestone tires have lettering in the whitewall, we cannot buff the whitewall completely smooth. As far I know, this is how they appeared originally. If you think it doesn’t look good and would rather have a completely smooth whitewall, check out our BFG Silvertown tires. They do not have lettering in the whitewall so we are able to buff out all the mold tits, leaving a clean, smooth whitewall.
As always we stand behind our product 100%, so if you aren’t satisfied with it let me know.

We appreciate all you and your business.

Jess Hoodenpyle
VP Sales and Customer Service
Coker Tire
1-800-251-6336
www.Cokertire.com

 

I am with you,,,,
I am more concerned about going down the road instead of how they look parked at a car show next to the lawn chairs,,,,,,,

 

What you don't understand is shaving a bias ply tire to round is and was a common practice when these were new and radial tires had not been invented yet. Mounting a set of old technology and expecting the as good a results as what is on your 2008 honda civic is setting yourself up for disappointment.

Sent from my SM-G900T using H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Yup I don't get the I insist on the look of a tire from 1950 but I'm angry when I actually get a tire that looks or performs like it would have in 1950.

 

I appreciate the response Jess. I attached more photos. The flaws appear to be too random and numerous to all be vents. 60 (sixty) specks, tits, pits etc. each tire. Why are the black back sides flaw and nearly vent free? What exactly besides the raised letters prevent the side walls from being buffed to a higher standard? Is it buffer operator error or is the buffer too cumbersome to individually buff the flaws away? Do you buff with an abrasive or a liquid of some sort? Magnified photos on the Coker web site of these tires show a blemish free ww. I understand evenly spaced tits for venting but this example seems flawed. I will most likely detail these tire to my satisfaction . See my next post. Thanks. John

 

The attached photos are of a tire that came in with a vehicle. I am in no way claiming that they are from Coker.
Raised letters in whitewalls with evenly spaced and identical vent hole remnants I guess. This is acceptable in my mind. Just an example. John