Old Tires - Myth or Fact
07-06-2014, 07:13 PM
#1
Drifting
Thread Starter
Old Tires - Myth or Fact
Does anyone have information - facts not rumors - regarding the true issue with older tires? I cannot seem to find any real data - only emotional opinions - to the issue of older tires, especially run flats. Looking at a low mileage older car with "new" tires and trying to decide if I have a $1500 tire buy around the corner or can they wait?
07-07-2014, 06:37 PM
#2
Heel & Toe
Does anyone have information - facts not rumors - regarding the true issue with older tires? I cannot seem to find any real data - only emotional opinions - to the issue of older tires, especially run flats. Looking at a low mileage older car with "new" tires and trying to decide if I have a $1500 tire buy around the corner or can they wait?
I currently have a set of crappy no name tires that where built in 1997 and they are in great shape because the car is garaged when not in use.
I have not changed them yet because I am still debating on which 18" wheels to upgrade to.
I base all this on that I spent over 30 years in the tire business working for manufactures in both a sales and technical capacity.
07-07-2014, 07:16 PM
#3
Drifting
Thread Starter
Old tires are considered 5 years and older. This was all brought about because of the Firestone issue on Ford Explorers. If you have any concerns inspect the tires thoroughly. If you see any weather checking anywhere on the tire I would personally replace them. If there is no weather checking you are fine. Tires really do not have a shelf life and the only thing that will hurt them (time related) is exposure to the elements. Mainly the sun.
I currently have a set of crappy no name tires that where built in 1997 and they are in great shape because the car is garaged when not in use.
I have not changed them yet because I am still debating on which 18" wheels to upgrade to.
I base all this on that I spent over 30 years in the tire business working for manufactures in both a sales and technical capacity.
I currently have a set of crappy no name tires that where built in 1997 and they are in great shape because the car is garaged when not in use.
I have not changed them yet because I am still debating on which 18" wheels to upgrade to.
I base all this on that I spent over 30 years in the tire business working for manufactures in both a sales and technical capacity.
07-07-2014, 09:22 PM
#4
Melting Slicks
Member Since: May 2004
Location: Willowbrook IL
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St. Jude Donor '13-'14-'15-'16
They've been putting date codes on the tires since the 70s, ever since BEFORE the Firestone 500 steel belted radial tires.
But once the bottom feeding lawyers got involved and the mass hysteria fueled by the media morons and 40 years of misinformation, well you should get the picture.
07-07-2014, 10:57 PM
#5
Heel & Toe
You are right on the Ford issue. The way the "date code" works is that its actually a DOT number. Prior to 2000 they where 10 digit numbers. The last 3 where the week and year of production. ie 247 = the 24 week of 1997 or 1987 etc.
From 2000 on ward manufacturers switched to a 11 gigit code and used the last 4 digits for the production date. ie 2411 = the 24th week of 2011. The first 7 digits equate to manufacture, plant, country, size, tread design and whatever else they could think of to identify a tire.
The Ford/Firestone issue also brought on several political disscusions and the mandatory TPMS that we have now.
From 2000 on ward manufacturers switched to a 11 gigit code and used the last 4 digits for the production date. ie 2411 = the 24th week of 2011. The first 7 digits equate to manufacture, plant, country, size, tread design and whatever else they could think of to identify a tire.
The Ford/Firestone issue also brought on several political disscusions and the mandatory TPMS that we have now.
07-08-2014, 05:39 PM
#8
Heel & Toe
The guidlines I went by where weather checking, 1/32 deep, cuts and penetrating punctures no bigger than 3/8" in tread face only. Anything bigger than that or any sign at all of run flat or sidewall damage the tire was taken out of service. Hope this answers your questions.
07-09-2014, 11:24 AM
#9
Instructor
MHO..FWIW. 2011 Dad passed and I got his 71.
Had Lovely Eagle St's all around.
Less than 1 K miles on them and this was a Garaged car. year round.
Rear tire lost full tread in driveway at less than 5 mph... (only minor marking)
Ignorant of that tire, I went to local dealer in Goodyear.
He laughed and told me God was with me, as that tire was sold to Dad ,by him, over 10yrs before. practice caution when buying or using old tires. Your fiberglass
will thank you.
Had Lovely Eagle St's all around.
Less than 1 K miles on them and this was a Garaged car. year round.
Rear tire lost full tread in driveway at less than 5 mph... (only minor marking)
Ignorant of that tire, I went to local dealer in Goodyear.
He laughed and told me God was with me, as that tire was sold to Dad ,by him, over 10yrs before. practice caution when buying or using old tires. Your fiberglass
will thank you.
07-10-2014, 04:39 PM
#10
Former Vendor
Nothing Lasts Forever...and Tires Are No Exception
Tires are manufactured by bonding rubber to fabric plies and steel cords. And despite the anti-aging ingredients mixed into the rubber compounds, there is a realization that tires are perishable, as well as a growing awareness that some tires will actually age out before their treads will wear out.
For the most part today's tires deliver more miles and years of service than ever before. In the 1970s, typical bias ply tires lasted less than 20,000 miles and were only expected to be in service for about two years. In the 1980s, early radial ply tires offered a treadwear expectancy of about 40,000 miles during four years of service. And by the turn of the century, many long-life radial tires extended treadwear to about 60,000 miles during four or more years of service. While passenger car and light truck tire technology and American driving conditions in the past resulted in tire treads wearing out before the rest of the tire aged, it may not always be true of today's even longer lasting tires that are approaching 80,000 miles of treadwear.
How many years will tires last before aging out? Unfortunately it's impossible to predict when tires should be replaced based on their calendar age alone.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and tire manufacturers are currently studying the many variables. Exposure to the elements (sun and atmospheric), regularity of use (frequent or only occasional) and the quality of care (maintaining proper inflation pressure, wheel alignment, etc.) will all influence the answer. So while tire life depends on the service conditions and the environment in which they operate, the difficult task remains how to identify all of the variables that influence a tire's calendar age and attempt to quantify their influence.
The current industry association recommendations regarding inspecting and replacing tires due to age originate outside the United States.
The British Rubber Manufacturers Association (BRMA) recommended practice issued June, 2001, states "BRMA members strongly recommend that unused tyres should not be put into service if they are over six years old and that all tyres should be replaced ten years from the date of their manufacture."
"Environmental conditions like exposure to sunlight and coastal climates, as well as poor storage and infrequent use, accelerate the aging process. In ideal conditions, a tyre may have a life expectancy that exceeds ten years from its date of manufacture. However, such conditions are rare. Aging may not exhibit any external indications and, since there is no non-destructive test to assess the serviceability of a tyre, even an inspection carried out by a tyre expert may not reveal the extent of any deterioration."
More recently, The Japan Automobile Tire Manufacturers Association (JATMA) recommended practice issued May, 2005, states "customers are encouraged to have their vehicle tires promptly inspected after five years of use to determine if the tires can continue to be used (recommends spare tires be inspected as well). Furthermore, even when the tires look usable, it is recommended that all tires (including spare tires) that were made more than ten years ago be replaced with new tires. Additionally, because in some cases automobile makers--based on the characteristics of the relevant vehicle--stipulate in the owner's manual the timing of tire inspection and replacement. Please read and confirm the content of the owner's manual."
Several European vehicle manufacturers of high performance sports cars, coupes and sedans identify that "under no circumstances should tires older than 6 years be used" in their vehicle owner's manual. However, it should be noted that European recommendations must include driving conditions that include roads like the German Autobahn, which allows vehicles to be legally driven at their top speeds for extended periods of time.
While American driving conditions don't include the high-speed challenges of the German Autobahn, Chrysler, Ford Motor Company and General Motors have joined their European colleagues by recommending that tires installed as Original Equipment be replaced after six years of service.
It is important to take into account Original Equipment tires are mounted on wheels and put into service right after being received by vehicle manufacturers, so their calendar age begins immediately. However the same cannot be said of tires properly stored in a tire manufacturers' warehouse or in Tire Rack distribution centers before they go into service. Properly stored tires that are protected from the elements and not mounted on a wheel age very slowly before they are mounted and put into service.
Our experience has been that when properly stored and cared for, most street tires have a useful life in service of between six to ten years. And while part of that time is spent as the tire travels from the manufacturing plant to the manufacturer's distribution center, to the retailer and to you, the remainder is the time it spends on your vehicle.
Tires are manufactured by bonding rubber to fabric plies and steel cords. And despite the anti-aging ingredients mixed into the rubber compounds, there is a realization that tires are perishable, as well as a growing awareness that some tires will actually age out before their treads will wear out.
For the most part today's tires deliver more miles and years of service than ever before. In the 1970s, typical bias ply tires lasted less than 20,000 miles and were only expected to be in service for about two years. In the 1980s, early radial ply tires offered a treadwear expectancy of about 40,000 miles during four years of service. And by the turn of the century, many long-life radial tires extended treadwear to about 60,000 miles during four or more years of service. While passenger car and light truck tire technology and American driving conditions in the past resulted in tire treads wearing out before the rest of the tire aged, it may not always be true of today's even longer lasting tires that are approaching 80,000 miles of treadwear.
How many years will tires last before aging out? Unfortunately it's impossible to predict when tires should be replaced based on their calendar age alone.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and tire manufacturers are currently studying the many variables. Exposure to the elements (sun and atmospheric), regularity of use (frequent or only occasional) and the quality of care (maintaining proper inflation pressure, wheel alignment, etc.) will all influence the answer. So while tire life depends on the service conditions and the environment in which they operate, the difficult task remains how to identify all of the variables that influence a tire's calendar age and attempt to quantify their influence.
The current industry association recommendations regarding inspecting and replacing tires due to age originate outside the United States.
The British Rubber Manufacturers Association (BRMA) recommended practice issued June, 2001, states "BRMA members strongly recommend that unused tyres should not be put into service if they are over six years old and that all tyres should be replaced ten years from the date of their manufacture."
"Environmental conditions like exposure to sunlight and coastal climates, as well as poor storage and infrequent use, accelerate the aging process. In ideal conditions, a tyre may have a life expectancy that exceeds ten years from its date of manufacture. However, such conditions are rare. Aging may not exhibit any external indications and, since there is no non-destructive test to assess the serviceability of a tyre, even an inspection carried out by a tyre expert may not reveal the extent of any deterioration."
More recently, The Japan Automobile Tire Manufacturers Association (JATMA) recommended practice issued May, 2005, states "customers are encouraged to have their vehicle tires promptly inspected after five years of use to determine if the tires can continue to be used (recommends spare tires be inspected as well). Furthermore, even when the tires look usable, it is recommended that all tires (including spare tires) that were made more than ten years ago be replaced with new tires. Additionally, because in some cases automobile makers--based on the characteristics of the relevant vehicle--stipulate in the owner's manual the timing of tire inspection and replacement. Please read and confirm the content of the owner's manual."
Several European vehicle manufacturers of high performance sports cars, coupes and sedans identify that "under no circumstances should tires older than 6 years be used" in their vehicle owner's manual. However, it should be noted that European recommendations must include driving conditions that include roads like the German Autobahn, which allows vehicles to be legally driven at their top speeds for extended periods of time.
While American driving conditions don't include the high-speed challenges of the German Autobahn, Chrysler, Ford Motor Company and General Motors have joined their European colleagues by recommending that tires installed as Original Equipment be replaced after six years of service.
It is important to take into account Original Equipment tires are mounted on wheels and put into service right after being received by vehicle manufacturers, so their calendar age begins immediately. However the same cannot be said of tires properly stored in a tire manufacturers' warehouse or in Tire Rack distribution centers before they go into service. Properly stored tires that are protected from the elements and not mounted on a wheel age very slowly before they are mounted and put into service.
Our experience has been that when properly stored and cared for, most street tires have a useful life in service of between six to ten years. And while part of that time is spent as the tire travels from the manufacturing plant to the manufacturer's distribution center, to the retailer and to you, the remainder is the time it spends on your vehicle.
07-11-2014, 01:58 PM
#11
Drifting
Luke:
When you say "useful life in service" do you mean safe to drive on or still capable of like-new performance?
In other words, have you guys (or anyone else) ever tested NOS tires against fresh tires of the same size and compound on the same car/day/track to see how much performance objectively changes?
When you say "useful life in service" do you mean safe to drive on or still capable of like-new performance?
In other words, have you guys (or anyone else) ever tested NOS tires against fresh tires of the same size and compound on the same car/day/track to see how much performance objectively changes?
07-16-2014, 08:14 PM
#13
Heel & Toe
My experience with tire shine and cleaning products is that if it is a non abrasive, clorhine, and bromine free (including all there other by-product and technical terms) you should be OK. Products that feel greasy or oily in nature can also cause a tire to bleed out some carbon black which will discolor RWL and whitewalls over time. It also leaves a tire looking almost grey once the product is washed off.
Most tire manufactures try not to get into debates on this but if you ever get a chance to attend a large truck show you will see every tire sales rep and his dog shining every tire with thier name on it. Its actually funny to watch.
Most tire manufactures try not to get into debates on this but if you ever get a chance to attend a large truck show you will see every tire sales rep and his dog shining every tire with thier name on it. Its actually funny to watch.