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Had a very strange day yesterday regarding tires on my '64. They are Kelly Chargers, and were on car when I purchased three years ago. They are date coded 2006, and have only a few thousand miles on them.
We started on 100mile trip to son's home in Boynton Beach, Fl., after checking car, including tires at 32psi. headed down rte 95 running between 70-75mph all the way, and all is well as we exit at Boynton Beach. Once off and on local roads notice a slight wobble and vibration, so when we arrive at son's house, jack up each wheel and check for problems. Turns out front drivers side tire extremely out of round and distorted. Appears that belts in tire let go. remove tire, place a rear tire up front, and install space saver tire in rear. Later on in day when we start heading back home at 50-60mph, after around 40-50 miles car starts wobbling agin and we discover another one of the tires developed the same problem. We locate a nearby TireKing and have a pair of TAs installed and start the last leg of trip. Astoundingly, around 20 miles from home, car once again starts wobbling and we pull over and find what is now the third tire that belt let go on, and tire way out of round and distorted.
We hobbled home at 40-45mph, and will have two remaining tires replaced in next few days. Gotta say though, I've never experienced three low mileage tires, although 8 years old, decide to let go on the same trip on the same day. Last one was the front passenger side, and car was a handful until getting down to lower speed. Experience kind of nixed wife wanting to go on long trip we were planning in this car. Below is pic of tires that failed.
It's been pointed out a gazillion times on this forum about how older tires can fail but some folks still insist that "their tires should be ok for a few more years" or "I know they're old but there's lots of tread left!"
Glad to hear you and the Mrs. made home safely.
If you had bias ply tires on that car like you're supposed to have, you wouldn't have had that problem.
I've had steel belted radials less than a year old fly apart. Not just one or two either.
Driving with bias ply might have been the norm 40 years ago, but today why would anyone risk your life at 65-70 mph with them... If you buy cheap no name tires you might just get one too fly apart. Tires over 6-7 years old, regardless of miles can separate internally and act exactly like VeroWing described. I found this out back in Aug. I REPLACED them all and enjoy the driving without the wiggle. Dennis
I think it also depends on the quality of the tire. I've never had a problem with old Michelins, except that the rubber does get hard. No belt failures or distortions - ever.
I think it also depends on the quality of the tire. I've never had a problem with old Michelins, except that the rubber does get hard. No belt failures or distortions - ever.
So I guess we should be running bias ply tires on ALL our vehicles???
Originally Posted by Bluestripe67
Driving with bias ply might have been the norm 40 years ago, but today why would anyone risk your life at 65-70 mph with them... If you buy cheap no name tires you might just get one too fly apart. Tires over 6-7 years old, regardless of miles can separate internally and act exactly like VeroWing described. I found this out back in Aug. I REPLACED them all and enjoy the driving without the wiggle. Dennis
You are welcome to do as you like but whether you know it or not, bias ply tire do not just suddenly explode like a hand grenade like steel belted radials unless they hit a road hazard.
I don't get this, "risk your life" stuff. I've been faster on bias ply tires many times than I've ever been on radials and I've been running radials since 1970 on most of my cars. Tell me more.
I also don't get this 6-7 year threshold for tires you're quoting. There is no scientific evidence to support that when brand new ones will blow out. If the factual evidence has been presented, I haven't seen it and I've looked.
I agree the quality of tires went away over the last 20 years. In the old days the age did not seem to matter but today it really does. Car Tires and Trailer tires over 3 years old are getting to be dangerous today. ( Most are now made in China ) Not a good deal for the buyer of tires at today's prices. I have a set of 35 year old Michelin ZX tires on my wife's old Fiat 124 Spider. They have been garaged the whole time but still look and drive perfect. The car only gets out of the garage about 100 miles a year so I have not changed them.
My utility trailer has the tires that were on it when I bought it 25 years ago, it has been used and overloaded many times and they still work fine. My car trailer had new tires 6 years ago, I put about 6,000 miles on them and they looked brand new but 2 years ago I took a short trip across town to pick up a car and blew one tire going and one coming home. Less than 25 mile trip. Air pressure always checked before towing.
Quality is missing these days.
I would think you would get better service out of your new TA's because they are a name brand.
I know it's a legal eagle column but they don't mention a thing about tire age. There's plenty of other factors that can cause radial tire failure that they've outlined.
Just like westlotorn I have a nice set of Mich XZX that I installed in 1981 on a VW bug. The bug does not travel many miles a year anymore, and not ever at any speed, but those tires are not going anywhere. There is some side wall cracking, but otherwise they suit me just fine. Thems some right nice tares..
I know it's a legal eagle column but they don't mention a thing about tire age. There's plenty of other factors that can cause radial tire failure that they've outlined.
Man, that's quite an article alright. Next time I buy tires I'm gonna be looking hard to see if there's any chicken bones!!!
I don't think 8 years old has typically been considered as living on borrowed time, has it? I thought I remembered 10 years of age as a point for concern but maybe I forget. That is wild that 3 of them let go within a few miles of each other - almost like scheduled self-destruction. I have 3 vehicles with way too many years on the tires - my Vette being the oldest. One of the things I need to get done sometime.
I don't think 8 years old has typically been considered as living on borrowed time, has it? I thought I remembered 10 years of age as a point for concern but maybe I forget. That is wild that 3 of them let go within a few miles of each other - almost like scheduled self-destruction. I have 3 vehicles with way too many years on the tires - my Vette being the oldest. One of the things I need to get done sometime.
My thoughts exactly! I never thought that 8 year old tires with very little miles on them, on a garage kept car were at a point of failure. I can understand maybe one happening, but I am more shocked that 3 out of the 4 tires failed on the same trip on the same day. What are the odds of that? Pressure was routinely checked on tires as well as driving car a little every month or so, to avoid flat spots.
It seems to me that the factory that made those Kelly tires had remarkably good quality control. How else can you explain three out of four failing within a few hours and less than 200 miles of each other?
I know it's a legal eagle column but they don't mention a thing about tire age. There's plenty of other factors that can cause radial tire failure that they've outlined.
Good article MikeM, thanks for posting. Regarding my tires though, none of the tread came off of the tires. They just became way out of round and deformed, rounded off sidewall to sidewall also, and only in one area of tire(s). I left the two bad tires at the Tire Kingdom, but when I have the third one replaced, that is still on my car I'll post up some pics of it.
It seems to me that the factory that made those Kelly tires had remarkably good quality control. How else can you explain three out of four failing within a few hours and less than 200 miles of each other?
Maybe the tire that didn't fail had chicken bones in it for belt reinforcement?
PS. I have a set of Michelin X tires I put on my Chevy II in the late '70's. They are still mounted on the rims and have lost little if any air over the years. They were round when I took them off and I wouldn't be afraid to go somewhere on these tires today.
Also have a set of Firestone nylon belted radials I put on the '65 Corvette in the late '70's. I took them off ten years ago and stored the wheels/tires. Tires were still round and had lost little if any air. I'd travel on them today too!
To each their own. I don't go to Vagas and I don't gamble on my tires. Dennis
That's okay. Some here even claim that if their old Corvette still has drum brakes on it that you're putting your life on the line by driving with them.
11-24-2014, 09:55 AM
Very strange tire(s) mishap yesterday
If you buy cheap no name tires you might just get one too fly apart. Tires over 6-7 years old, regardless of miles can separate internally and act exactly like VeroWing described. I found this out back in Aug. I REPLACED them all and enjoy the driving without the wiggle. 
Dennis
