Aged Tires - A Driving Hazard?

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But here's the problem I have...3 of my tires are 8 years old. Are they weaker? Perhaps. But now many rollover accidents/recalls of Chinese tires/issues have there been with new tires? New things can have problems also. Ask Toyota owners!

John
 
Originally Posted By: John_K
But here's the problem I have...3 of my tires are 8 years old. Are they weaker? Perhaps. But now many rollover accidents/recalls of Chinese tires/issues have there been with new tires? New things can have problems also. Ask Toyota owners!

John

I think you're quite missing the point.
 
This is why I am weary of those tires that have 80k and 85k mileage warranties on them.

Give me a set of Kuhmo's and I'll replace them every 2-3 years..
 
I posted the same one about a month ago. It's quite the eye opener.
I had some Yokohama tires that started cracking on the sidewall after about 3 years. When I finally replaced them the cracks were scary big....
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Kind of scary when the pro driver goes flying off the road.

Makes me worry if it was my Daughter or other people who don't have my driving skills. Even then you're probably screwed.
 
Yea it's dangerous and scary to think about. This special doesn't really cover tires that have been in use for six years, but not driven enough to wear out. They mostly talk about old tires that have been in storage and are sold as new being a hazard. They do mention that there is no test or visual indication that a tire is likely to fail. I've got some tires from 03 on my truck that I bought over a year ago and they fall into the category I mentioned. It's time I swap them out, better safe than sorry for my sake and that of the other drivers on the road w/ me.
 
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In the last few years I have 2 older tires self destruct. One was really old, maybe 20 years.

I never was a rubber compounder, but was close enough when I worked for a wire and cable company to know a little of what goes on. Naturally, the rubber that goes into electrical wire gets a generous dose of the expensive stablizers that extends its life. How long before most tires are worn out? It wouldn't surprise me if the tire companies are designing for a 5 year life.
 
After all this tire discussion I decided to go look at the manufacture date on my 2002 Ford Ranger tires. Turns out they were made in '01. So, I guess even though they have 50% tread left on them I'd better get some new tires this spring. I checked the sidewall very closely and I did notice some hairline cracks near the rim in all four tires. I figure at ten years old, it's time (even though they only have 40k on them and plenty of tread). Just the thought of driving on the interstate, with my girlfriend next to me, freaks me out should one of them blow apart at 70mph. Yikes!
 
FWIW, Mercedes calls for a 5 year tire replacement interval regardless of wear or use. Tire shops will purge any unsold stock that has been there for more than 6 years, unless it's a high volume dealer which go through tires.
 
The tires on my car now are Kumho 732s from 2001. I don't see how they've lasted that long as I've put 15000 on them and the car was from 1998 with 117k. So 11 years old when I got it, so 10-11k a year and it has never sat up (ex-owner is brother and wife). She got it new.

Anyway, I'll plan to run these tires until there's no more tread left. But if they blowout on me, I'll replace them then if I'm still alive and the car is okay.
 
Originally Posted By: mjoekingz28
The tires on my car now are Kumho 732s from 2001. I don't see how they've lasted that long as I've put 15000 on them and the car was from 1998 with 117k. So 11 years old when I got it, so 10-11k a year and it has never sat up (ex-owner is brother and wife). She got it new.

Anyway, I'll plan to run these tires until there's no more tread left. But if they blowout on me, I'll replace them then if I'm still alive and the car is okay.


Ow!
 
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But if they blowout on me, I'll replace them then if I'm still alive and the car is okay.

Note to self: avoid driving near I-55 and I-20....
shocked2.gif
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Originally Posted By: JustinH
This is why I am weary of those tires that have 80k and 85k mileage warranties on them.

Give me a set of Kuhmo's and I'll replace them every 2-3 years..


The tires with the 80,000 mile warranties don't last near that long anyway. The Kumho K21's on my Intrepid are almost worn out at 36,000 miles. They have an 85,000 mile warranty. I took them back to Discount Tire and they said they would honor the warranty.
 
like the Kelly "Safari SJR's that lasted a whole 24K on my Cherokee ("50K tire") I dumped them at the beginning of winter; had they been worn to the same point coming out of winter? I'd have probably run them out the summer; but I don't see getting over 30K from them, even had I gone all the way to the wear bars....
I like my michelins. even with a few years' use; I bought a set that was made in 98 back, in 2000 for my Wrangler; after 70K they still had better than 1/2 tread but I changed them because they were then 11 years old; yet I am running a pair of Steeltex's on my Dodge pickup's rear end; 1 from 1992 and 1 from 1997 as we speak; (they were brand new "take offs" that spent their lives as spare tires) but I don't go "over the road much at all with that truck, mostly around town. the truck's a 1983 and for that I wanted "cheap".

The local farm store has a set of 4 yo Michelins on the shelf right now that I tried to get a deal on for the wife's Cherokee; the store's "buyer" claimed that they had an 8 yr shelf life and therefore would not give me the deal that I was after, so I went elsewhere.
 
A lot depends on whether the vehicle is garaged or not and how much sunlight the tires see. I had some 8 year old tires, low miles 9 well 30,00 or so) but vehicle was garage and not subject to the ultra violet rays of the sun, huge difference, no cracks etc.

My tires that sit outside 24/7 develop cracks after 3-4 years it seems.
 
I buy used tires , load range e, 10 ply , get them off ambulances that change them out way b 4 they need to be. 4 Michelin's mounted and balanced 100 bucks, then I run them 6 months or so and go get 4 more, well it works 4 me. Shop around used tire stores for other sizes, sometimes they get new ones that were on wrecked cars and they look good.
 
Originally Posted By: CourierDriver
I buy used tires , load range e, 10 ply , get them off ambulances that change them out way b 4 they need to be. 4 Michelin's mounted and balanced 100 bucks, then I run them 6 months or so and go get 4 more, well it works 4 me. Shop around used tire stores for other sizes, sometimes they get new ones that were on wrecked cars and they look good.



Never thought of that idea...
 
Rubber goes bad from age.

Ground based ozone slowly destroys rubber and a 8 year old tire is too old to be road worthy.

Stay away from tires made in China

You may save a couple dollars but lose your life!
 
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