How safe are old tires?
03-25-2015, 04:37 PM
#1
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How safe are old tires?
I have a '61 with what appears to be the second set of tires on it. They are Goodyear F78-15 Polyglas bias belt tires. The car was last registered in 1965 and has 34K miles on the odometer. My Dad has had it in dry indoor storage since 1975 when he got the car. I think it had these tires before he got it.
One of the original Firestone Deluxe Champion whitewalls is still in the spare tire well.
The Goodyear tires appear to have no miles on them and the rubber looks good...no cracks and it is not dried out and they all hold air just fine. I have driven the car up and down my street a and they have that out of round feel that I expect to go away when the sidewalls warm up a bit.
My question is whether these 40-ish year-old tires are still safe (not a question about the original design which was obviously less sophisticated) for moderate use at speeds up to 60 mph?
One of the original Firestone Deluxe Champion whitewalls is still in the spare tire well.
The Goodyear tires appear to have no miles on them and the rubber looks good...no cracks and it is not dried out and they all hold air just fine. I have driven the car up and down my street a and they have that out of round feel that I expect to go away when the sidewalls warm up a bit.
My question is whether these 40-ish year-old tires are still safe (not a question about the original design which was obviously less sophisticated) for moderate use at speeds up to 60 mph?
03-25-2015, 04:45 PM
#2
without a doubt they are unsafe. Ten years is the maximum that you can trust a tire at highway speeds. Too many people have had major body damage or more serious consequences by believing the tire looked fine on the outside.
03-25-2015, 04:46 PM
#3
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This will open the can of worms...again.
Quick answer is that they are NOT safe. And there are some that will disagree with me.
Google "aging tires" and look at the FATALITIES numbers.
Is it really worth the risk.
Quick answer is that they are NOT safe. And there are some that will disagree with me.
Google "aging tires" and look at the FATALITIES numbers.
Is it really worth the risk.
Last edited by emccomas; 03-25-2015 at 04:52 PM.
03-25-2015, 04:46 PM
#4
Safety Car
I have a '61 with what appears to be the second set of tires on it. They are Goodyear F78-15 Polyglas bias belt tires. The car was last registered in 1965 and has 34K miles on the odometer. My Dad has had it in dry indoor storage since 1975 when he got the car. I think it had these tires before he got it.
One of the original Firestone Deluxe Champion whitewalls is still in the spare tire well.
The Goodyear tires appear to have no miles on them and the rubber looks good...no cracks and it is not dried out and they all hold air just fine. I have driven the car up and down my street a and they have that out of round feel that I expect to go away when the sidewalls warm up a bit.
My question is whether these 40-ish year-old tires are still safe (not a question about the original design which was obviously less sophisticated) for moderate use at speeds up to 60 mph?
One of the original Firestone Deluxe Champion whitewalls is still in the spare tire well.
The Goodyear tires appear to have no miles on them and the rubber looks good...no cracks and it is not dried out and they all hold air just fine. I have driven the car up and down my street a and they have that out of round feel that I expect to go away when the sidewalls warm up a bit.
My question is whether these 40-ish year-old tires are still safe (not a question about the original design which was obviously less sophisticated) for moderate use at speeds up to 60 mph?
-Bruce
03-25-2015, 04:50 PM
#6
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Thanks!
Sorry about the worms
03-25-2015, 04:53 PM
#7
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I echo everyone's opinion about safety, and I wiil add that you should get a set of radial replacements that look like the old tires, made by one of the repro tire companies.
It improved the ride and driving enjoyment of my '58 immensely.
It improved the ride and driving enjoyment of my '58 immensely.
03-25-2015, 04:54 PM
#8
Drifting
I wouldn't drive it 40 mph with those tires. I just had some 15 year old tires taken off some knock offs, never used and they came off in pieces!
Steve
Steve
03-25-2015, 04:55 PM
#9
Enjoy while you can.
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100% if not for your own safety, for the safety of others on the road. You have a blow out, separation or whatever and cause an accident, you are getting sued for being negligent.
03-25-2015, 04:57 PM
#10
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I won't tell you those tires are safe. I will tell you, I have never seen a bias belted tire suddenly blow apart like I have seen some steel radials, whether the radials be one month old or ten years old or older.
I took a set of F 78's off my '65 in 2001 that I bought in the mid/late '70's and replaced them with a set of Coker bias ply tires. I didn't see anything wrong with the ones I took off and they rolled smooth.
The age of a tire was never an issue unless they were dry rotted until steel belted radials came along.
You, however, are on your own.
I took a set of F 78's off my '65 in 2001 that I bought in the mid/late '70's and replaced them with a set of Coker bias ply tires. I didn't see anything wrong with the ones I took off and they rolled smooth.
The age of a tire was never an issue unless they were dry rotted until steel belted radials came along.
You, however, are on your own.
03-25-2015, 04:58 PM
#11
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Why would you risk the safety of you and the car that has a value north of 50k on tires you can replace for less then 500 bucks. I don't see a logical answer Unless you have a trailered show car
03-25-2015, 05:01 PM
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03-25-2015, 05:09 PM
#13
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I've never seen so many replies so fast 
. I can certainly afford new tires more than I can afford new fenders and it will be an easy sell to the wife. Thanks again.
. I can certainly afford new tires more than I can afford new fenders and it will be an easy sell to the wife. Thanks again.
03-25-2015, 05:11 PM
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03-25-2015, 05:12 PM
#15
Safety Car
03-25-2015, 05:16 PM
#16
Safety Car
us farmers don't take anything to the landfill, we just have a big burn pile. 
03-25-2015, 05:29 PM
#18
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I took them off my F 250 two years ago. They'd been on there since 1997 and one of them started to get a little bumpy!
03-25-2015, 05:32 PM
#19
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-Bruce
03-25-2015, 05:35 PM
#20
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What did you put on your '58...size / brand? I would like to go for the original look but I only see bias ply tires that are repros of the original Firestones from Corvette America and Coker.