I have a set of 255/70R/15 General Grabber AW's on my 2001 SuperCrew. Lately, I've noticed that ripples or small bumps have started to appear on the sidewalls of two tires.

Does anyone know if this is normal or if I should have my dealer's service department look into it?

 

I just ran out to the parking lot and checked my Grabbers. One of mine has a small blister like area in the sidewall (just before the "G" in Grabber (it looks sort of like a partially deflated blister you might get on your fingertip). The area is no larger than a dime, and when pushing on it appears to be the full thickness of the sidewall.

My guess is that it's just a manufacturing blemish. I've seen a lot worse. I've gotten full treadwear from "blems" that, when viewed at an angle, had a crease radially across the entire sidewall. The tire looked like someone had pulled in out of the mold "hot" and allowed it to cool hanging over the edge of a table.

If I remember correctly, the dealer gave me some kind of paper on tire warranty when I took delivery. My understanding is that (since the Firestone Fiasco) Ford is picking up the difference between the tire manufacturers warranty and their own 3 year warranty.

Good luck, and keep us posted.