Lori L. Mavrigian

Managing Editor

Since joining Modern Tire Dealer in 1979, Lori Mavrigian has held several key positions leading to her current title as managing editor. In addition to handling the day-to-day operations of magazine production, Lori writes features, contributes photography and is in charge of several of the magazines departments. She also works with the magazine's National Advisory Council for the exclusive Ludwig Report surveys. She earned a B.A. in Mass Media-Communications from the University of Akron.

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Dealer says, ‘Move those barcodes!’

By: Lori L. Mavrigian

Barcodes allow tire manufacturers to efficiently sort tires for shipping and track tires for quality purposes and possible recalls. But do they have to be stuck on the tire bead?

This question was posed by Kevin Born, owner of Born’s Tire Center LLC in Kenton, Ohio.

He tells me he wastes a lot of time removing the stickers before he installs tires on his customers’ vehicles.

“Maybe they’re not intended to be removed, but if you don't remove them you will eventually have some that leak, especially if you have a corroded rim,” he says. “Slow leaks that go undetected can result in catastrophic failures. And catastrophic failures can result in accidents.

“So I will do what I can to make my customers safer and decrease my potential liability,” says Born.

Unfortunately, that means he spends several minutes per tire using a hairdryer and a scraper of some sort to remove the sticker from the tire bead.

He wants to know if tire manufacturers can relocate or eliminate the stickers. “We got along fine without them for a long time. I think we can again.”

Are you experiencing the same frustrating situation? If so, let me hear from you.

Are some manufacturers better than others in placing the stickers where they won't cause you problems? Are some easier to remove than others? And do you always remove them before you install the tires on your customers’ cars?

We’ll gather your data and update you on what we’ve found out. And maybe if tire dealers present a loud, united front on the issue, tire manufacturers will have to take note and find a compromise tire retailers can live with.

"Maybe the manufacturers will help us survive and make our customers safer and deliver tires to us that are clean and ready to install," says Born.

Let me know what you think.

Related Topics: Barcodes, Tire manufacturing

comments

1. Ear | February 25, 2010 at 12:42PM
   The bar codes are a constant cause of bead leaks and yes they waste labor time on what should be a simple tire mounting. Lets find a better way!
   
   And speaking of bead leaks lets share with one another our best methods (that is safely and effectivley) of cleaning and sealing beads on aluminum wheels that have oxydized.

2. Ray | February 26, 2010 at 04:23AM
   We are also having Barcode issues. Mostly it is in the Cooper CS4 line but a few of the Firestone Transforce AT line has the same problem. Though the sticker is easier to remove from the Firestone tire it still takes considerable time to remove it without bead damage. The Cooper CS4 is the tough one. It requires heat and at times a Razor blade to get the thing off. In all cases we apply a coat of bead seal to insure proper seal of the bead area. The Cooper rep tried the line that we needed too relax the tire and then bring it up to specified pressures. IT won't help. We've been doing that for years. It will lower your balance weights and provide better wear and ride though. Bottom line.....MOVE THE STICKER 1/2" and SOLVE THE PROBLEM !

3. Terry | February 26, 2010 at 05:35AM
   I wholeheartedly agree. I have spent countless amounts of time removing these pesky, ugly, leak-causing stickers from the tires. There has to be a better way of identifying tires.

4. Larry | March 01, 2010 at 02:50PM
   Oh Man I also agree, add a little bit of cold weather to the mix and its even a worse problem.

5. rick | March 01, 2010 at 02:51PM
   l ask all tire techs to remove bar codes before mounting tires. Sure enough, when we get a tire leak back tech forget to remove label.

6. p | March 01, 2010 at 03:48PM
   All the talk is that RFID tagging is coming and if that starts at the factory gate then perhaps barcoding will be dead on arrival : )
   
   Seems that trucks should get it first as fleet maintenance and re-treading will be a lot simpler with quick and accurate tire checks and should save money. I think all the tire manufacturers signed up to the same standard early last year.
   
   A nice thing is with RFID tagged tires you will not get any bogus claims back as each tire will become unique and trackable. And if there is a recall that should make life easier also.

7. Roland | March 01, 2010 at 06:30PM
   even at 30 below we do not have trouble with bar codes .clean the wheels with fine sandpaper. The sticker inside is more trouble if you do not remove it and you use a tube.

8. Doyle | March 02, 2010 at 07:09AM
   I've also been removing these for years. Some are applied too deeply into the rubber to remove without damaging the bead. I eventually fashioned myself a knife to slip under the sticker which avoids damage. The blade is not razorsharp to prevent cutting into the rubber. I've noticed over the years that manufacturers have changed the placement of stickers. Originally they were located on the blackwall side in the middle of the tire. Recognizing that some customers wanted blackwalls mounted "out", this was a problem. The bead area hides the stickers but is a cause of leaks....especially in the winter.

9. Larry | March 02, 2010 at 07:11AM
   For years I've been reading about people having problems with Barcode strips. I had never had a problem in 30 years until the latest batch of Cooper CS4. It would be nice if they would move them!

10. B | March 08, 2010 at 02:10PM
    I would side with the RFID tags. I think it is time to move into the 21st century, and start using a little better technology. Most tire dealers, and certainly NO customers are using the barcodes, but if you were to start using the RFID, I think that could be something that everyone could utilize. It would deter theft, along with being utilized for other items for tracking purposes. I would personally like to see that technology move into the truck tire side of things, but it seems like everything has to start with passenger tires first.

11. Bob | March 08, 2010 at 02:22PM
    I have never had a leak that we could determine was from a sticker but I have never felt comfortable with the bead location. It first we used to remove them and my tire rep said I was chasing a problem that was not there, so we stopped removing the stickers. Still would feel better if they were gone.

12. RANDY | May 20, 2010 at 03:13PM
    I manage Traction Tire & Service in Ramona,CA
    
    What we do to fix the BAR CODE problem is to put bead sealer over the tags. And no more problem !!

13. Kia | June 23, 2011 at 08:21AM
    Write a letter to your U.S. congressman. Write a letter to the media. Write a letter to consumer watchdog groups.
    
    Since this is a safety issue, and people could die, it is possible to pass a law to outlaw stickers on the bead.
    
    Basically, raise hell until something is done. Speak a little louder.

14. Rich | November 17, 2011 at 06:54AM
    RFID tags may take over for tire serial bar code labels when their cost is attractive and when they can be made to withstand the curing process. Tire manufacturers use the serial number to track the tire through the manufacturing process.
    
    Tire manufacturers place the bar code label on the bead because they feel that consumers will not accept the appearance on the side wall. A "negative" symbol (white "bars" with a black "background") should reduce that objection.
    
    The tread and sidewall are greatly affected during the curing process (check out Wikipedia), so they are not good locations for labels. An interior location could work except for the lack of visibility from the outside.
    
    I think that the best (least bad?) location is on the side wall just outside of the bead (no leaks, still visible) but that location is subject to getting covered by rubber during curing.
    
    (I work for a manufacturer of bar code readers. I have been in tire plants, so I've seen the whole process.)