Is "tire blooming" a thing?
I just got new tires for my 2023 F-150 (Pirelli Scorpion All-Terrain Plus), and two weeks later found the sidewalls covered in brown. It looked as if I'd driven through mud or something else that splattered (though I knew I hadn't). Online research says it's "tire blooming"--antiozonant pushing its way to the surface.
I've been driving for more than 55 years, and I've never experienced this. And driving around, I don't see this on anyone else's car.
Research says I have to scrub with "a dedicated rubber cleaner or an alkaline-based All-Purpose Cleaner," and then seal with a water-based sealant or acrylic tire coating (which has to be reapplied periodically).
What the heck? How did I make it for more than a half century without coming across this. (Yeah, I know "things change", but I've gotten new tires within the last 5 or so years on other cars without coming across this.)
Thanks.
