I honestly thought I would get 4 or 5 winters out of these, but after 7 winters (about 18000 miles), I still have 9/32's tread on the set. They usually go on Thanksgiving weekend and come off mid-March. I was going to replace them this season, but cripes, tires cost real money and these look so great that I'm running them until I absolutely can't anymore. Besides, I may not have this Expedition next winter so no sense dropping 4 bills or so if I don't have to. They look like they could go 2 or 3 more winters.
7-yr old Bridgestone Winter Dueler DMZ2's
- Thread starter lyle
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Minnesota gets a lot of snow and very cold weather.
I wouldn't chance it with 7 year old tires...
I wouldn't chance it with 7 year old tires...
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9/32" is about as low as I'd go with winter tires before chucking them. However, after 7 years I would expect the rubber to not be soft and pliable enough anymore.
the weather here is weird, we can have fifty degrees and then a blizzard
its been years since we have had a normal winter here, but yes we get up to five feet of snow over the winter and can have very cold conditions, i have seen -27 on my trucks thermometer on my way to work in the morning.
its been years since we have had a normal winter here, but yes we get up to five feet of snow over the winter and can have very cold conditions, i have seen -27 on my trucks thermometer on my way to work in the morning.
I have almost 8 year old Blizzak WS-50's on my Grand Prix right now. I'll use them this year and ditch them next year for some new ones. I'll have over 30k miles on them by March. They still work quite well and I can see I'm just barely wearing through into the base rubber material so they are nearly 50% worn. It is easy to see since the outer layer is really sponge like rubber and underneath it is a more traditional winter rubber compound that is much smoother looking. I wouldn't hesitate to run those tires for this year if they seem to be working fine and look good. I probably wouldn't go beyond 8 years however. I think your tread depth is fine. I've always been suprised how long they last as well. Proably because they wear a little better than expected and I drive fewer miles during the winter months due to fewer long distance trips.
My experience with the Blizzaks are that they are terrible. No, let me rephrase that. They are a fine snow tire, and a terrible everything else tire. The sidewalls are thin (thus you get awful squishy handling), and the special compound is only the outer 50% - so you pay for a snow tire but only get half of one, really. Worst handling tire I've ever had, period. My dad bought a set of WS-50's and then returned them for a set of WS-60's and returned *those* he was so unhappy.
For my wife's minivan, I went with Nokians and am beyond impressed. They were more expensive but are wearing much better and are at least as if not better than the Blizzaks in the snow, and are really great in the dry and rain. One of the best, if not the best tire I've ever had.
As for the Duelers, they are basically light truck versions of the Blizzak tires anyway.
As for your tires, I'd run them out one more winter and then replace, if you are going to keep the vehicle. You have lots of choices these days but IMO I'll never go back to Bridgestone (snow) tires.
FYI - my brother's Brigestone's G009 started out very comparable but after 30K miles don't hold a candle to the Michelin Pilots I purchased.
For my wife's minivan, I went with Nokians and am beyond impressed. They were more expensive but are wearing much better and are at least as if not better than the Blizzaks in the snow, and are really great in the dry and rain. One of the best, if not the best tire I've ever had.
As for the Duelers, they are basically light truck versions of the Blizzak tires anyway.
As for your tires, I'd run them out one more winter and then replace, if you are going to keep the vehicle. You have lots of choices these days but IMO I'll never go back to Bridgestone (snow) tires.
FYI - my brother's Brigestone's G009 started out very comparable but after 30K miles don't hold a candle to the Michelin Pilots I purchased.
Once that outer compound is gone, you might as well have all-seasons on there. Look in bright sunlight for the "sparkles" in your tread area-I have a set of Conti/Viking Snow Techs for my wife's xB that are going into their 3rd winter, with only around 10K on them (for the frequent ice storms we get here), probably their last good year.
BTW, the Duelers (AFAIK) don't have that special compound on them, although the set of Revos I have do really well in snow-the W965 is the (PRICEY!) studless winter truck tire.
I have read that tires should be chucked 6 years after the production date.
Quote:
I have read that tires should be chucked 6 years after the production date.
I think 6 years is more of a guideline to closely inspect the condition of your tires, not necessarily chuck them.
From the Sept 08 issue of motor magazine, trade secrets column;
Quote:
If none of your customers has asked you about tire aging yet, chances are they will soon. While concerns about tire aging have been around for years, recent media attention has turned it into something of a hot-button issue. The question basically is this: Should you discard tires based on a date code just like you would a carton of milk?
Dan Zielinski, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs, for the Rubber Manufacturers Association in Washington, DC, told me that his association "does not recommend a removal date for tires based on age because there's no scientific information to back it up." He explained that extensive studies of thousands of junkyard tires do not back up the notion that tires just deteriorate with time.
...
I asked Jim Davis, spokesman for Goodyear Tire and Rubber, about the problem of aging tires. Davis said: "There is no scientific evidence that leads to the conclusion that there should be a tire service limit. Different groups have studied it. Different companies have studied it. Tire companies have studied it. Nobody has come out with any kind of report indicating any kind of scientific data to support a specified tire service life."
...
NHTSA's position on tire aging is to "follow the manufacturer's recommendations. Some major vehicle and tire manufacturers have made recommendations about when you should replace tires even if they don't appear to be worn."
Some manufacturers would like to see tires replaced after six years, some after ten years. What about the idea called for by some safety experts of replacing tires that are six years old even if they don't appear to be worn? According to Tyson, "that six-year clock is pretty much at the conservative end of the various recommendations that are out there. The problem is there is a pretty wide range of differences depending on the region of the country you live in. On vehicles that have been in a warm climate like what you would find in the southern part of the United States, tire aging seems to be a greater issue than up in Maine, for example. For most vehicles that are used on a regular basis it's not an issue because you'll wear out the tires before they get old."
I have read that tires should be chucked 6 years after the production date.
I think 6 years is more of a guideline to closely inspect the condition of your tires, not necessarily chuck them.
From the Sept 08 issue of motor magazine, trade secrets column;
Quote:
If none of your customers has asked you about tire aging yet, chances are they will soon. While concerns about tire aging have been around for years, recent media attention has turned it into something of a hot-button issue. The question basically is this: Should you discard tires based on a date code just like you would a carton of milk?
Dan Zielinski, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs, for the Rubber Manufacturers Association in Washington, DC, told me that his association "does not recommend a removal date for tires based on age because there's no scientific information to back it up." He explained that extensive studies of thousands of junkyard tires do not back up the notion that tires just deteriorate with time.
...
I asked Jim Davis, spokesman for Goodyear Tire and Rubber, about the problem of aging tires. Davis said: "There is no scientific evidence that leads to the conclusion that there should be a tire service limit. Different groups have studied it. Different companies have studied it. Tire companies have studied it. Nobody has come out with any kind of report indicating any kind of scientific data to support a specified tire service life."
...
NHTSA's position on tire aging is to "follow the manufacturer's recommendations. Some major vehicle and tire manufacturers have made recommendations about when you should replace tires even if they don't appear to be worn."
Some manufacturers would like to see tires replaced after six years, some after ten years. What about the idea called for by some safety experts of replacing tires that are six years old even if they don't appear to be worn? According to Tyson, "that six-year clock is pretty much at the conservative end of the various recommendations that are out there. The problem is there is a pretty wide range of differences depending on the region of the country you live in. On vehicles that have been in a warm climate like what you would find in the southern part of the United States, tire aging seems to be a greater issue than up in Maine, for example. For most vehicles that are used on a regular basis it's not an issue because you'll wear out the tires before they get old."
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In case of critical equipment like tires, sticking to the conservative safe service life is prudent. Most people aren't tire experts and they will not diligently inspect their tires ever so often for signs of wear and damage beyond the obvious, such as externally visible cracks and low tread.
If you are ultra cheap like me, you could try getting them re-siped. On my little 13" donuts I did it myself with a utility knife but your tires would take a long time! I've only done the fronts on my car and the difference is noticeable enough that I'm going to do the back tires as well. Oversteer is not really what I want.
The idea is that sipes(the little cuts everywhere) can only be so deep otherwise you get too much tread squirm causing wear and funny handling. So after your tires wear abit the original sipes get too shallow or disappear so they are no longer working anymore and traction is reduced.
By cutting new sipes the tires get some of that original traction back, not like new but better than they were. It may get you another season or two and avoid buying new snows and basically giving them away if you sell soon.
Ian
The idea is that sipes(the little cuts everywhere) can only be so deep otherwise you get too much tread squirm causing wear and funny handling. So after your tires wear abit the original sipes get too shallow or disappear so they are no longer working anymore and traction is reduced.
By cutting new sipes the tires get some of that original traction back, not like new but better than they were. It may get you another season or two and avoid buying new snows and basically giving them away if you sell soon.
Ian
Most of the folks I talk to wouldn't run retreats, but I do hear generally good things out of Green Diamond.
Given that a set of Nokians is probably 30% more expensive but, in my experience, lasts that much longer, I don't see why I shouldn't use them when it really counts.
I like the look of the Cooper Discoverer ATR for my '92 Buick Roadmaster (which takes light truck tires just fine thankyouverymuch). However, what I've got now will suffice:
Cooper Weathermaster in the front that *HAVE* to be almost 10 years old and a set of Firestone AT (light truck tires) that are almost "new" despite being 5 or 6 years old that I got from my brother's F-150 as part of that recall deal. One thing I don't like about the firestones - despite a beefy treadblock, they don't grip worth a [censored] in the wet and in they are really only good in deep snow. The tire is too hard or something.
Maybe I'll put some mass in the trunk, see if that helps. Otherwise, I'm none too impressed.
Given that a set of Nokians is probably 30% more expensive but, in my experience, lasts that much longer, I don't see why I shouldn't use them when it really counts.
I like the look of the Cooper Discoverer ATR for my '92 Buick Roadmaster (which takes light truck tires just fine thankyouverymuch). However, what I've got now will suffice:
Cooper Weathermaster in the front that *HAVE* to be almost 10 years old and a set of Firestone AT (light truck tires) that are almost "new" despite being 5 or 6 years old that I got from my brother's F-150 as part of that recall deal. One thing I don't like about the firestones - despite a beefy treadblock, they don't grip worth a [censored] in the wet and in they are really only good in deep snow. The tire is too hard or something.
Maybe I'll put some mass in the trunk, see if that helps. Otherwise, I'm none too impressed.
Originally Posted By: lyle
I honestly thought I would get 4 or 5 winters out of these, but after 7 winters (about 18000 miles), I still have 9/32's tread on the set. They usually go on Thanksgiving weekend and come off mid-March. I was going to replace them this season, but cripes, tires cost real money and these look so great that I'm running them until I absolutely can't anymore. Besides, I may not have this Expedition next winter so no sense dropping 4 bills or so if I don't have to. They look like they could go 2 or 3 more winters.
Well, it's your life and safety you are betting on so do it at your own risk. And if you think your life worth more than the price of 4 snow tires, by all means, do the right thing.
Best of luck in this winter and stay safe.
(* I typically replace all of the winter tires even with threads left after 6 seasons, due to hardening of the compound*)
Q.
I honestly thought I would get 4 or 5 winters out of these, but after 7 winters (about 18000 miles), I still have 9/32's tread on the set. They usually go on Thanksgiving weekend and come off mid-March. I was going to replace them this season, but cripes, tires cost real money and these look so great that I'm running them until I absolutely can't anymore. Besides, I may not have this Expedition next winter so no sense dropping 4 bills or so if I don't have to. They look like they could go 2 or 3 more winters.
Well, it's your life and safety you are betting on so do it at your own risk. And if you think your life worth more than the price of 4 snow tires, by all means, do the right thing.
Best of luck in this winter and stay safe.
(* I typically replace all of the winter tires even with threads left after 6 seasons, due to hardening of the compound*)
Q.
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