cav551:
There is a difference between eyeballing the actual item and looking at a photograph however:The issue which really matters is just WHO is declaring the tyre OK? an office whallah, or one of the company’s workshop staff who has come out to look at it?
The tyre looks to be on the n/s of a rigid and is a recap which has had the sipes recut. The sipes, if initially shallower than the rest of the original tread pattern, do not form part of the 3/4 tread width. From that picture I can’t see any cords exposed or able to be exposed. Either the person recutting the sipes missed a section, the tyre is out of shape and a section was deliberately left untouched, or the recut section has worn down because the tyre is out of shape.
Superficially from what can be seen in the picture the tyre is legal at present, but it appears that the bonding of the recap tread is starting to delaminate. This is not unusual and it may take some time for this to get worse, however it does require keeping a close eye upon the depth of the separation because eventually the tread will come off completely and suddenly. Get the pressures checked regularly since low pressure will accelerate failure.
Best practice would remove the tyre and replace it with something of better quality - like a Michelin Remix. The problem with recap and remould tyres is that the casing being retreaded may well be many years old. The reason some operators do not like Michelin Remix is one of price; Michelin reject significantly more casings presented for further use than the other remould companies.
All tyres have a month & year of manufacture date code on the sidewall eg 0718. On a PSV a tyre with a date code more than 10 years old which is fitted to the front axle will attract a ‘minor’ on the MOT. I have just removed 2 tyres from the rear axle of my car, because they were over 10 years old, inspite of them having significant tread left.
good explanation thank you