STRANGE

Things

It’s inevitable that tires will pick up small stones in grooves and between tread elements. So tire manufacturers go to great lengths to create “V”-shaped grooves and little “buttons” at the bottom of grooves to prevent stones from being retained. In spite of all that, stones can be retained in grooves. And that’s where the trouble can start: the stones can be driven deeper and deeper into the groove, and eventually, into the belts, possibly destroying the casing. So, we recommend that you remove trapped stones from your tires.

Some people use screwdrivers, awls or needle-nose pliers, but one of the simplest and easiest ways is to use the hook-like device shown here. This is a tool designed for removing cotter pins, from one of the big national chain department stores. It cost about $5, and comes with a lifetime warranty. We do our best to design tires that won’t trap and retain stones, but a little help from you will keep these seeds of irregular wear to a minimum.

This tool, a cotter pin removing tool, does an excellent job of removing stones trapped in tread grooves.