Tire Marking ideas needed
- Thread starter Mr.N
- Start date
RazrRebel
Active member
We have a brand at work with interchangeable letters for branding OTR tires with serial numbers. I would think as long as you don't get carried away with the heat youl'd be allright.
scottybaccus
Well-known member
The tires already have a unique serial number molded into the sidewall. Can't you use it?
Look for the DOT number followed by a unique sequence.
Look for the DOT number followed by a unique sequence.
jerry7
Member
i use a paint pen to mark sets of tyres and wheels. yellow works well.
Kevin54
MEMBER EMERITUS
^^^^ This
Even Steven
Banned
Well, since you said "or something that will last longer than a wax crayon", I'll tell you that I've used Sharpie markers on tires (the silver ones) and that stuff stays on FOR A LOOOOOONG time.
I mark tires so I know where the summers tires go and where the winters tires go.
rwhite692
Well-known member
Bookworm
Well-known member
Brand them. The 24.5's on my Freightliner even have a spot on the sidewall, an open box, marked "brand here".
Go to any truck tire sales/repair place. They can probly do it for you.
Go to any truck tire sales/repair place. They can probly do it for you.
tire crayons dont wear off that quick....and if you brand them, what about the following season? theres a 75% chance that tire wont be in the same position depending on your tires and your rotation habits.
Tire crayons are not the same kind your kids play with.
https://www.google.com/#q=tire+cray....,cf.osb&fp=cc4e61ecb303b1a9&biw=1680&bih=900
Tire crayons are not the same kind your kids play with.
https://www.google.com/#q=tire+cray....,cf.osb&fp=cc4e61ecb303b1a9&biw=1680&bih=900
If that's all you're doing, you don't need the marks to last. When you pull them off in the spring, mark them with chalk (piece of drywall works fine) with the corner it's coming from... RF, LF, RR, LR... Then next fall, look at the marks and put them on the car accordingly.
The hardest part is remembering if the marks are for the corner the tire came FROM or where it's supposed to go TO!
The hardest part is remembering if the marks are for the corner the tire came FROM or where it's supposed to go TO!
Even Steven
Banned
Just for the record, the OP (Mr.N) never told us why he wanted to mark the tires.
Dustball
Well-known member
I'm assuming since he does four wheeling and that he has large expensive tires, he wants to brand them in case they ever get stolen.
BigAl62
Well-known member
I used tire paint sticks (like for touching up whitewalls or raised white letters). You should be able to find them at an auto parts store. These look like tire crayons, but are actually solid paint sticks. O'Reilly's lists them on their website.
We have a winner!
The last 4 numbers are a date code. It's not a unique number per tire.
I'll give that a try and also hit the inside with it!
Thank you both, very good to know. My sidewalls are extra thick, so I don't think a little brand will do much.
Thanks for the link.
I've just not see them last too long on a rock crawler / trail ride.
I rub my tires against rocks, logs, mud and more. In the winter I will run 3-4 psi and the tire can fold over it self on turns.
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These are the old tires, didn't have to worry about them 
http://77cj.littlekeylime.com/img/Trailrides/dresser/dresser_sept_07_38.jpg
http://77cj.littlekeylime.com/img/Trailrides/dresser/dresser_sept_07_38.jpg
wssix99
Well-known member
You can use rubber boat paint. It works pretty well and is durable enough for the underside of a boat, but it will come off with solvents. (So its not as durable as branding.)
I some yellow rubber boat paint to make yellow side walls on some tires. It worked great, but in my application, it was really difficult to make a straight line and I abandoned the job because I didn't have the patience to do it correctly.
I some yellow rubber boat paint to make yellow side walls on some tires. It worked great, but in my application, it was really difficult to make a straight line and I abandoned the job because I didn't have the patience to do it correctly.
The dot number IS a unique number. The last 4 just also happen to be the date of manufacture...but you would need proof of purchase of those dot numbers. Since the dot numbers are exposed, someone could claim you just took the numbers right off the sidewall.
Branding sounds like the right choice here.
Branding sounds like the right choice here.
I use paint pens. Haven't found silver sharpies to be all that effective on rubber tires.
http://www.amazon.com/Longacre-Tire-Paint-Pen/dp/B001NND5UU
But for off-roading, best to keep the marking closer to the wheel to minimize abrasions.
http://www.amazon.com/Longacre-Tire-Paint-Pen/dp/B001NND5UU
But for off-roading, best to keep the marking closer to the wheel to minimize abrasions.
Even Steven
Banned
Actually, the DOT number isn't unique. All five of my tires (I have a fullsize spare) have the same exact DOT number. If the number was unique, no two tires would have the same number.
Bookworm
Well-known member
Kind of a "braces and belt" type of solution....
Well, today I gave it a shot!
Started out marking with the paint pen and silver sharpie.
Then move up to the branding.
First and foremost I had the tires off the rims, thus no air in the tires.
Getting the heat right was hard, I kept thinking of a hot knife through butter.
Below is the first attempt, after that I applied more heat to the metal and got more penetration in the tire. I could see someone going too deep and causing damage.
Now, if you look to the left of the 952, it my lesson learned on keeping the clamp tight. I slipped and the clamp gave out.
I also took advanatage of having the tires off the rims and marked other places ...
For the bonus question, name this rim!
Started out marking with the paint pen and silver sharpie.
Then move up to the branding.
First and foremost I had the tires off the rims, thus no air in the tires.
Getting the heat right was hard, I kept thinking of a hot knife through butter.
Below is the first attempt, after that I applied more heat to the metal and got more penetration in the tire. I could see someone going too deep and causing damage.
Now, if you look to the left of the 952, it my lesson learned on keeping the clamp tight. I slipped and the clamp gave out.
I also took advanatage of having the tires off the rims and marked other places ...
For the bonus question, name this rim!
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