He said repairing a steel-belted tire compromises its integrity. Likewise, he warned about riding on a steel-belted spare tire. Because those tires are stored inflated, the life of the tire is shortened significantly. Nonnamaker also suggested that buying tires from a service station is a risk because the ozone created by gasoline fumes cuts the life of a tire. Finally, he stressed the importance of proper inflation of steel-belted tires.
Lower inflation allows more heat to be built up when the tire is in use.
Heat places strain on the chemical bond between rubber and the steel belt. The more heat, the greater the stress on a tire. Anyone who is using Wilderness AT tires or the other two models recalled by Firestone should keep them inflated to at least 30 pounds per square inch, Nonnamaker said. Ford originally recommended that the tires be inflated at 26 pounds per square inch. Nonnamaker said that the higher, 30-pound inflation rate helps tires stay cooler.