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At what temperature do tires melt?

I moved from Massachusetts to Arizona over the summer, and I’ve never lived somewhere that got so hot before–it’s insane! Driving around my new neighborhood got me thinking about how hot the pavement can get and how car tires probably get at least as hot. So I’m curious, at what temperature do car tires melt?

avatar
Chloe Jenkins · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
This is a great question! Car tires are built to withstand temperatures far beyond the heat of the pavement on even the summer’s hottest day. Generally, car tires will appear to melt at around 1,000°F. But before they get to that point, they will break down at about 390°F and explode at about 750°F, all of which far exceed Arizona’s hottest day.
Car tires are made of specialized rubber polymers that make up what is called vulcanized rubber. Vulcanized rubber technically cannot melt; when superheated it will not take on any type of liquid form. Rather, vulcanized rubber will typically just burn.
Although your car’s tires won’t ever melt on you, they aren’t indestructible and should be changed every six years and rotated once a year as part of your car’s
basic maintenance
.
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