• Jack-it Night: April 2024 RS Meeting Hey Guest: Wed. April 3rd is the next Rising Sun meeting, and you won't want to miss it. We're doing our annual offroad recovery equipment demonstration and trail skills training aka "Jack It Night." Meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. (early) Click here for all the details.

Tire chunking?

SteveH

Hard Core 4+
Joined
Aug 10, 2006
Messages
2,907
Location
Colo Springs
I must be a real 'wheeler now! I took my FJ62 up to the Cloverdale Mine and then the summit of Hermit Pass recently. The roads were brutal, as far as sharp rocks. Today, I noticed massive tire chunking, which I have never seen on any tires I have ever owned. These 3 missing hunks are just the ones I saw casually on the 2 front tires. Tires are low miles and from ~2013. Is this age related, or just abuse related? I did not do a lot of wheel spin, but did in a couple places. I realize that this chunking doesn't really matter, it just struck me as unusual.
 

Attachments

  • 20210720_082303.jpg
    20210720_082303.jpg
    1.7 MB · Views: 249
  • 20210720_082306.jpg
    20210720_082306.jpg
    1.5 MB · Views: 338
  • 20210720_082324.jpg
    20210720_082324.jpg
    1,010 KB · Views: 177

Telly

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2008
Messages
1,329
Location
Monument
I've never seen BFG's chunk like that, even on trails you described. Was it super hot? Wondering if heat was a factor.
 

DaveInDenver

Rising Sun Ham Guru
Joined
Jun 8, 2006
Messages
12,948
Location
Grand Junction
Doubt there's one answer. Age? Sure seems plausible in hot and dry Colorado. Chunking is one failure mode of a tire that's old or defective or abused or some combination.

I don't think chunking is inconsequential necessarily. Although being old there's nothing you can do but run 'em. Newer tires should get a once over for warranty if they do that.
 

nuclearlemon

Hard Core 4+
Joined
Aug 23, 2005
Messages
8,297
Location
windy wyo
I've had swampers chunk like that, but not bfgs.
 

SteveH

Hard Core 4+
Joined
Aug 10, 2006
Messages
2,907
Location
Colo Springs
Tire pressure was likely 28ish - whatever the data plate says. I should have lowered them, but frankly forgot, and I needed all the ground clearance I could get.

Thanks for everyone's thoughts on this!
 

gungriffin

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2017
Messages
1,027
Location
Denver
I had my Toyo AT2s chunk badly towards the end of their life. It isn't necessarily 100% age, but it it probably 75% would be my guess. The rubber on my tires got much harder and when this happened it was more prone to chunking. I think this might have happened as well because the harder rubber caused the tires to slip and burn out more going over obstacles. My truck weighs a lot and I drove over quite a bit of scree. I attribute the remaining 25% to that.
 

Rzeppa

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2005
Messages
8,217
Location
Kittredge CO, USA
I have had newish BFG M/Ts that were siped chunk some in the past, not quite that bad though. I suppose yours could be age related, certainly as the plastisizers outgas over the years the compound will get less flexible. I would have aired down though.
 

baileyfj40

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2005
Messages
399
Location
Bailey, Colo
I had some bfg muds few years back on my fj62 that the side lugs separated until the tire blew.
 

Pz10420

Trail Ready
Joined
Jun 21, 2020
Messages
363
I could see the age of the tires and yes, those trails are brutally rocky.
 

wesintl

RS Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Aug 22, 2005
Messages
8,557
Location
in da house
sharp rocks on weathered bfgs... no surprise
 

AimCOTaco

Cruise Moab Committee
Staff member
Cruise Moab Committee
Joined
Aug 13, 2010
Messages
2,248
Location
Longmont, CO
Lower pressure for a more compliant tire increases traction a bunch and thereby reduces the spin that I think is a lot of the cause here.

I'm guilty of quickie jaunts here and there where I'm running easier stuff for short time and stay at highway pressure due to lazyness/time constraints and I've noticed I tend to chunk out tires much easier in those conditions.

Another help may be to ensure you're rolling when giving steering inputs as opposed to steering when stopped.
 

On the RX

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2016
Messages
1,867
Location
Superior
One set out of three of my KM2s did that when they were about 5 years old with around 60k on them. I like the harder compound that BFG uses as I get almost double the miles out of them. As such, they will chunk off on the sharp stuff when they get older due to what I believe @Rzeppa stated about off gassing of the compound. It has never bothered me and I have never had any issues other than an increase of road noise.
 

SteveH

Hard Core 4+
Joined
Aug 10, 2006
Messages
2,907
Location
Colo Springs
Follow-up - I talked to Discount Tire last week and they measured the tread depth (with an electronic tool) and sent it all off to Michelin. Based on this damage and wear, Michelin will give me 27% off a new set of Uniroyal, BFG, or Michelin (all Michelin brands) tires. About $205. I will likely do this to shave 6 years off my tire age and have better looking tires, if I happen to sell the truck. I will also get to try the new/current BFG style (new, as of 6 years ago, at least).
 

Notyourmomslx450

Cruise Moab Committee
Cruise Moab Committee
Joined
Aug 4, 2014
Messages
3,202
Location
Westminster
I blame the high pressure.
 

AimCOTaco

Cruise Moab Committee
Staff member
Cruise Moab Committee
Joined
Aug 13, 2010
Messages
2,248
Location
Longmont, CO

rover67

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2007
Messages
9,291
Location
Boulder, Co
Yeah nice work on that warranty!
 
Top