My off island vehicle sits for most of the time. I normally change the oil and service it once or twice a year but generally it sits in a parking lot. I probably put 3-4K per year on that vehicle for local trips around the cape but rarely drive very far in it. It is a older explorer, which i put new tires on it about 6 years ago, they have about 20K miles or less on them, with little sign of wear. EXCEPT the other day I check the air and noticed cracking all around the sidewalls (about an inch from the rim) on 3 out of the 4 tires, with fairly deep cracking on one of them.

What caused this? Lack of use? Bad tire? I will get them checked but I am sure the guy will say you will have to replace them.

ultraviolet breaking down the rubber is mainly what causes that Jim.

Probably not on the Vineyard, but it would be an issue at most if not all off-island inspection stations. It is with trucks (comm. vehicles), not to the degree it would be with passenger cars but something that will be scutinized. I feel silly telling an engineer it could have to do with the rubber drying out from outside sources, but simply that is generally the cause. All of my comm. vehicle stops I only found one vehicle that I had to red line for this. It was a crane that had no business on the road anyway. The tires were huge, and too expensive for the guy to replace. The crane was too tall to load onto a low boy because the total height was over 14'. So thats why he drove it over the road with a CON section 5 plate. Like a dleaer's plate, but issued specifically to developers/builders.

I always got a kick out of the ads for cars in the Gazette, if the ad said it was a GIC, good island car, that meant it had a current sticker. Regardless that upon transfer the sticker is void. Always like that one.

I bought a '94 Buick with 50k and new tires at 40k. It sat for 2 1/2 years. Three of the tires were so dry-rotted (cracked) that they wouldn't hold air for more that a week at the end of which were completely flat. The rest of the car went to crap, too. Rotted brake lines, water leaks, yada, yada. Sitting is the worst thing for a car.

iffin they sit around with minimal use treat heavily with uv protectant or use tire/wheel covers like you sometimes see on mobile homes..

yeah...thanks that is what I was thinking too, rot/UV problems. I will replace them this week. I think I was hoping to hear you all say that "you have defective tires, they will replace them!"

I have never bought tires for that vehicle and bought it new in 1993. I had about 50K on the originals then ford replace all 5 for free during that bridgestone nightmare of tires blowing up about 5 or 6 years ago. And have about 70K on the vehichle now. So I am guess I am due even though they have at least another 25K+ miles of treadlife still on them.