i just got my chrome wheels out of the shed so come to find out that i need two new tires. they have slight cracks along the outside tires (not on the rim) i dont understand how tires i only had ON for half an year could F*** up like those they are 245/40ZR18 wanli an it gonna cost me $360 for two new ones WTF have you ever heard of this?

Got pics? What brand/model were they?

sidewall is cracked, hear of it all the time. Are they Nankangs? their famous for that...

dry rot

yes my nankangs i had cracked alot, thats why i just bought new Nitto street drag radials.

The tires could have been old when you got them. Check the DOT and see how old the tires are.
Prior to the year 2000, the last 3 digits of a DOT number represented the week (2 digits) and the year (1 digit) of production. So if the last three digits are 439, the tire was produced in the 43rd week of 1999.
Tires produced after January 1, 2000, have a 4-digit date code at the end of the DOT number. The first 2 digits represent the week of production and the last 2 digits represent the last 2 digits of the year of production. So, 3500 indicates the tire was produced in the 35th week of the year 2000.


How about this:
Tire manufacturers use waxes to protect against ozone. When tires are in use (regularly running up and down the road for example) they flex. Flexing causes the protective waxes to migrate to the surface where they form a physical barrier between the air (ozone and oxygen) and the tire polymer. This process...the waxes migrating to the surface of the tire during flexing..is called "blooming". When tires are not regularly used ( a parked RV, boat trailer, or classic car, etc), blooming does not occur. Ozone begins eating away the protective wax and before long reaches the tire polymer. Often by this time, the surface carbon black has lost its ability to protect against UV. With UV light and ozone working in concert, degradation starts. The tire dries, checks, and will eventually crack.

And this:
Petrochemicals and silicone oils can remove the protective waxes and increase the rate of degradation. Common automotive "protectants" and "tire dressings" are typically devoid of UV stabilizers of any type and contain petrochemicals and/or silicone oils which dissolve away the protective waxes and can actually aggress the sidewall. In the event of warranty sidewall failure, one of the first things tire manufacturers look for is evidence of the use of these types of products. When found, this is often cause for not warranting the sidewall failure.

wow, that makes me want to check on my other set of wheels just to make sure my tires are not cracked.

They are "Wanli" i guess just some piece of shi** chinese tire, im not at home so i dont new the year but i bought NEW (i think) last year but in conclusion im buying two new ones ($360)with the warrenty im not trying to have this happen again so what can i do/buy so this doesnt happen and if it does how can i make sure i get the warrenty?
By the way thanks for all the imput

so much for putting money towards my engine

99% of the time, the saying "You get what you paid for" is accurate with automotive parts. I understand everyone has cash flow issues. My best advice from hot rodding cars for 25+ years is to save for what you want, then buy quality stuff, or like you just learned, you will be replacing the cheap parts sooner.

Stick with Firestone, Bridgestone, Kuhmo (not my favorite, buts other rave) Pirelli, Dunlop. Basically look what brands come on factory performance cars. Manufacturers spend millons designing cars and pick tires that will make their cars do what they designed. I know tire companies campaign to get put on cars, but their tires still have to do what the manufacturer requires.

Did I mention I sold and installed tires for 5 years as a part time gig, that is where I became sold on Bridgestone.

ya wanli is a chinese tire brand that's cheap... you got what you paid for...

If you want cheap, get some Fuzion tires. They're Bridgestones for a cheaper price and I love mine. Other brands out there are also rebadged tires. Riken Raptors come to mind, since they're BFGs.

Hankook K106's are awesomw tires, thats what I have and i knowq many people who have been running them on theior pretty wheels for 3-4 seasons now, stay far away from Falken's

The Fuzion HR are a little noisy for me, but understand their rain and snow traction are great. I have 17" Fuzion ZRs on my Chevelle. They hook like mad.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/fuzion/fuzion.jsp

Only bad thing I've heard about Falkens is they wear quickly. I think Slick might have ran them and liked them.