X-ray study done on 60 worn-out tires

In 2010, the author personally selected 60 worn-out passenger and light truck tires for the purpose of X-raying the steel belts. The tires selected involved a wide spectrum of various tire manufacturers. All of the tires selected had DOT numbers indicating that they were designed and manufactured in compliance with the Department of Transportation regulations and were suitable for use on public roads in the U.S. The purpose of X-raying the tires was to investigate the steel belt conditions and any variations found in a large quantity of worn tires that were appropriately taken out of service because they were worn out. The steel belt manufacturing conditions observed in this X-ray study are typical conditions found in tires and do not have the level of “scientific certainty” for a tread/belt separation and detachment causation hypothesis. The conclusions of this study show that typical steel cord manufacturing conditions, such as observed in the 60 worn-out tires examined in this study, do not impact the in-service performance of tires.