Tires & Armor All Options

[davep]

Found this to be an interesting comment:

Ozone is a highly reactive form of oxygen, which is why it can be dangerous to human health as well. Ozone is one of the primary causes of the degradation of rubber because it reacts with any unsaturated double bonds left in the rubber polymer. It can also react with regular covalent-type polymer bonds, but this is more of a minor reaction. Once the reaction has started, it basically goes down the polymer chain via free-radicals and 'unzips' the polymer molecule—effectively destroying it. Tire manufacturers minimize the effect of ozone degradation by adding antioxidants to their tire formulas and waxes that protect by blooming to the surface of the tire and forming a coating, effectively sealing the surface molecules of the rubber from the air and ozone. This is why the tire manufacturers discourage the use of products like Armor All on the sidewalls of the tires because the Armor All can solubilize the waxes and then remove them over time.