# Rubber **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [April 10, 2012, 12:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rubber/71857 "2012-04-10T12:49:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kmccune](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/kmccune/32/1237_2.png) [@kmccune](https://community.cartalk.com/u/kmccune)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 12:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rubber/71857/1 "2012-04-10T12:49:46Z")
why do things made of rubber disintergrate so fast now?,Kevin. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 1:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rubber/71857/2 "2012-04-10T13:30:39Z")
Your post had me so concerned that I just went out to the garage to check on my tires and my serpentine belt. Luckily, they are all still intact, and appear quite normal. Can you elaborate on your rubber observations? **;-))** ---
**Author:** ![dagosa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dagosa/32/9837_2.png) [@dagosa](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dagosa)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 3:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rubber/71857/3 "2012-04-10T15:28:13Z")
Sunlight. ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 5:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rubber/71857/4 "2012-04-10T17:08:47Z")
I’m not sure exactly what you mean, but I’ll point out that belts and hoses last much longer now than in the old days. ---
**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 5:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rubber/71857/5 "2012-04-10T17:19:37Z")
Ozone and other air pollutants, heat. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 9:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rubber/71857/6 "2012-04-10T21:39:25Z")
Unlike VDC, your post made me look in my wallet… I’m no chemist, but here’s an interesting link on th esubject [http://www.balloonhq.com/faq/deco\_releases/degradability.html](http://www.balloonhq.com/faq/deco_releases/degradability.html) Understand that many of the elastomers we classify as “rubber” and actually synthetic, actually polymers. Different polymers are subject to different kinds and rate of deterioration. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 9:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rubber/71857/7 "2012-04-10T21:47:40Z")
One way they discovered ozone pollution was bad for rubber was (years ago) finding out that tires stored for several years in an LA warehouse cracked and degraded, even though they were out of the sun, and temps weren’t too extreme. ---
**Author:** ![ken\_green](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/ken_green/32/816_2.png) [@ken\_green](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ken_green)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 2:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rubber/71857/8 "2012-04-11T02:12:09Z")
And then they make plastic shopping bags and six-pack collars that NEVER degrade ! ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 6:52am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rubber/71857/9 "2012-04-11T06:52:50Z")
I think belts and hoses hold up much better than they used to. The wiper blade insert thing is still pretty shaky though… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kmccune](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/kmccune/32/1237_2.png) [@kmccune](https://community.cartalk.com/u/kmccune)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 12:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rubber/71857/10 "2012-04-11T12:55:25Z")
Maybe so on the belts,I had a guy tell that he never changed a timing belt on some older civics and ran them like 300K,maybe the older civics had timing chains or the mechanic done it.Anyway it seems like tires for cars and lawnmowers"dry rot" real quick now(forget trying to plug a tubeless lawnmower tire)-Kevin ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 8:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rubber/71857/11 "2012-04-11T20:09:58Z")
Excellent point Ken. Kmccune, I put tubes in my tubeless snowblower tires. They hold air far, far better now. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 8:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rubber/71857/12 "2012-04-11T20:36:34Z")
Price Points…“Rubber” can be made that will last almost forever…But making things that last forever is not the goal of most manufacturers… The WORST rubber product I ave ever seen are the black rubber tie-down straps (bungee cords) that are made in China and sold in “dollar” stores…They last about a week…I have a Neoprene 1" water hose, an industrial garden hose, that is 40 years old and is in like new condition…It sits out in the sun for 6 months out of the year… ---
**Author:** ![kmccune](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/kmccune/32/1237_2.png) [@kmccune](https://community.cartalk.com/u/kmccune)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 1:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rubber/71857/13 "2012-04-13T13:08:14Z")
Yep,TSMB-I also run tubes in any small tire I fix now-Kevin