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I have a car with Michelin Destiny tires that will soon hit 10 years old. The car is always garaged and the car is almost never left out in the sun and has never seen snow. There is 80% of the tread left with very low mileage. I'm just wondering about the general rule to replace tires at 10 years of age. The dealer won't rotate and balance them after 10 years based on the date stamp on the tires. Would you keep the tires or buy new ones?
 
What's the general condition of the tires? No dry rot or cracking anywhere? How much do you value your life? Even a $400 set of tires over 10 years works out to about $40 a year. The general rule of thumb was to replace them after 6 years but if they were in good condition, maybe 9-10. Even if you don't see exterior wear, things could be breaking down on the inside.
 
How is this car used? when it is used that is, as obviously it doesn't get many miles on it. Is it high speed freeway or mostly slow speed and city type driving? If High speed, I might think, notice I said think, about replacing them. Otherwise unless they are looking like a lot of sidewall or even tread cracking, I would not even consider wasting my money on new tires. Or if you do, I'd like to buy them. I have 10 year old tires on my 65 mustang with 80+ % tread on them, and they have no signs of age, and I drive on the highway every weekend in the summer, no worries.
 
Toss up.

If you get a blow out going 65MPH+ is this a dangerous vehicle(SUV) at that speed or something controllable?
 
Originally Posted By: Wolf359
What's the general condition of the tires? No dry rot or cracking anywhere? How much do you value your life? Even a $400 set of tires over 10 years works out to about $40 a year. The general rule of thumb was to replace them after 6 years but if they were in good condition, maybe 9-10. Even if you don't see exterior wear, things could be breaking down on the inside.

Not just that. Grip will go down as the rubber hardens (even garaged and in perfect storage conditions), and that degradation won't be visible. Now if it was stored in a sealed chamber where it was flushed out with nitrogen after every drive, then maybe it might still be in good condition.
 
Also interested to know what the car is. I really hope Its not a Fraud Exploder with broken shackles and sagged rear springs ?
smile.gif

I Have 15Y.O. MXV on my mother's '89 caddy and they will be staying there. ALWAYS in the cool garage, < 7 K miles.

BTW, The grip on my newish hankook ventus V2 185r55-16 cheapies for the Honda is non-existent. Highly NOT recommended.
 
Keep 'em. I have my original 1995 spare pushed into service on my F150. It sat in relative darkness under the bed all these years. Looks great.

DSC_0017_zps5882cb12.jpg
 
I would go for a rip in the rain, or on a cool morning if this car can't get wet. If the tires still grip decently then I would assume the tire structure is still good as well.
I've run ancient R-compound tires that held together right to the cords, so I think a tire stored in nearly ideal conditions can be structurally safe.
But if $5-6-700 is peanuts to you, then by all means get some decent new rubber, the higher performance categories have made huge gains tread life and incredible grip in the last few years.
 
The OEM Pirelli tires on my '04 Jaguar are now approaching 11 years of age (So is the OEM battery).

I've had it since new, always garaged, blah, and they still look good, are in balance, and quiet, at 37K miles.

That said, it makes me more nervous every year, but we don't drive the car much, and when we do, it's not driven over 70, or on really hot days, etc.
 
I'd be more and more nervous as time goes on, but I'd not be out to condemn them immediately. I have snows that are verging on 10 years, work fine, and only get hot in a heat wave. They only see outdoors in the winter and are kept well otherwise. Still, oxidation takes its toll on tires and I'd be considerate of deterioration and oxidation rom the inside and other such things.

I'd be looking for a deal, but if it were Black Friday or later, if to be horribly concerned unless grip seemed to be a concern.
 
This story is real.

I have a lot full of trucks. Last year I found two perfect never used spare tires and decided to use them. Never thought twice about it.

Put one on a van, Bridgestone load range E tire 10 ply rated. It lasted two weeks and blew out badly damaging the entire wheel well and quarter panel.

Cost of repairs was over 300 bucks, AND I had to buy a new tire!

IMO old tires are suitable as a spare only...
 
When I replaced the Wrangler tires for the first time, I assumed the tires were dried out and hardened (10 years old).
They had some dry rot (Threads and Side Wall).
I had 105,000 miles on them.
Would not have made it thru another Winter.
 
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
This story is real.

I have a lot full of trucks. Last year I found two perfect never used spare tires and decided to use them. Never thought twice about it.

Put one on a van, Bridgestone load range E tire 10 ply rated. It lasted two weeks and blew out badly damaging the entire wheel well and quarter panel.

Cost of repairs was over 300 bucks, AND I had to buy a new tire!

IMO old tires are suitable as a spare only...


Maybe in the blazing sun of sweltering FLORIDA, on vans that I would bet run the rear axles at 100% capacity every mile! How often do your drivers check pressure? Be honest, now!

I have 12+ year old Eagle GTs on my Caddy...they're fine. Honestly...if I didn't know they'd been dropped, I would never even think they were that old!
 
Tires are fine. Until they're not. They're full of air until they blow out.

OP, don't take the chance with your life, or someone else's on the road.
 
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
This story is real.

I have a lot full of trucks. Last year I found two perfect never used spare tires and decided to use them. Never thought twice about it.

Put one on a van, Bridgestone load range E tire 10 ply rated. It lasted two weeks and blew out badly damaging the entire wheel well and quarter panel.

Cost of repairs was over 300 bucks, AND I had to buy a new tire!

IMO old tires are suitable as a spare only...


Yeah, tires that are loaded near their capacity at high speeds isn't a spot to run questionable tires. Small trailer tires in my case.
Most cars/fwd SUV's have 2-3 times extra tire load capacity than they can carry going up to their GVWR, so blowouts due to age are much less common on those vehicles IME.
 
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
This story is real.

I have a lot full of trucks. Last year I found two perfect never used spare tires and decided to use them. Never thought twice about it.

Put one on a van, Bridgestone load range E tire 10 ply rated. It lasted two weeks and blew out badly damaging the entire wheel well and quarter panel.

Cost of repairs was over 300 bucks, AND I had to buy a new tire!

IMO old tires are suitable as a spare only...


Maybe in the blazing sun of sweltering FLORIDA, on vans that I would bet run the rear axles at 100% capacity every mile! How often do your drivers check pressure? Be honest, now!

I have 12+ year old Eagle GTs on my Caddy...they're fine. Honestly...if I didn't know they'd been dropped, I would never even think they were that old!


Note that NO ONE messes with my trucks but me! That's my job here.

This tire was on the Front, spec is 65 pounds. Rears run the full 80 psi max cold inflation pressure.

Tires are checked daily at first and then weekly to establish their patterns, but most of our newer vans have TPMS so I'm not needed any more....
 
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