Product description

Around 1900, tires were made of 100% natural rubber and were very difficult to wear. So a way had to be found to remedy this. A small tire factory in Chicago was the first to add zinc oxide to the rubber, which made the tire white instead of black. But a white tire was impractical, it required a lot of maintenance, and soon a dye was added to turn the tire back to black. at the time, this updated black version was considered a luxury tire for rich car owners.

In the 1930s, things were reversed and it was Ford that first marketed a black tire with a white sidewall as an additional luxury option. This trend was quickly followed by other American car manufacturers and the "White Wall Tyre" became a status symbol for the luxury automobile. The "White Wall Tyre" was widely used in the 1970's as the rim became increasingly narrower.

Whitewall tires are still produced. Some brands offer them as so-called classic tires or modern whitewall tires. This is still the best choice, but as a cheaper alternative, there are rubber tire rings that are sandwiched between the rim. They look the same, but they also have some disadvantages: friction can cause the tire ring to eat into the sidewall, they don't hold up at high speeds and they fade over time, a fading that is almost impossible to stop.

These disadvantages do not apply to the stainless steel rim version, where the tire is protected against abrasion and is not mounted between the rims, but by means of an outer stainless steel ring clamped into the rim. Unfortunately, this premium quality is only available with a white rim and in one width for standard 14 and 15 inch rims.

The tire rings listed here are not rim dependent and are available in 12, 14, 15 and 16 inch with different white rim widths, as well as in a Red Line version, where the rim is red instead of white.

The Red Line tire is a trend that has grown rapidly in recent years, so much so that several tire manufacturers have already included the Red Line in their lineup.

Note: Chemicals on new tires will cause irreparable black outer edges on your new tire rings. To avoid this, you should first drive your new tires for a month without tire rings, then clean your tires thoroughly and only then mount them.

Attention: Please note that the mounting is done under your own responsibility and that no warranty can be claimed. If you don't want to take this risk, you can opt for the version with stainless steel rim rings.