Old Tires? Watch Out!
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 134
Likes: 17
From: Camas Wa
Old Tires? Watch Out!
This photo is from a couple of years ago, I rediscovered it while going through some files.
I had just left the house and was rolling down the road at about 40 when I heard this thump, thump, thump. WTF? I pulled over and saw the beginnings of this:
The tire still held air pressure.
I got it home without incident, only being about 1 mile away. I pulled all 4, plus the spare and had a whole new set put on.
There have been news stories lately about tire shops selling old tires. Even seemingly brand new tires from the shop can be over ten years old. Something to watch out for, not just on Corvettes, but all vehicles. I'm not a tire expert, but I think the concensus was that tires should be replaced at 10 years, regardless of mileage. Does that sound about right?
I had just left the house and was rolling down the road at about 40 when I heard this thump, thump, thump. WTF? I pulled over and saw the beginnings of this:
The tire still held air pressure.
I got it home without incident, only being about 1 mile away. I pulled all 4, plus the spare and had a whole new set put on.
There have been news stories lately about tire shops selling old tires. Even seemingly brand new tires from the shop can be over ten years old. Something to watch out for, not just on Corvettes, but all vehicles. I'm not a tire expert, but I think the concensus was that tires should be replaced at 10 years, regardless of mileage. Does that sound about right?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,589
Likes: 5
From: Salisbury Maryland
My tires were almost 10years old and were showing bad signs of dry-rot. I got lucky. Don't wait, change 'em! If that happened at 60 MPH the repair would outweigh the cost of a new set of rubbers.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,042
Likes: 19
From: Oswego New York
I posted this about a month ago:
For those of you with hi speed:
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4826897
For those of you with dial up:
http://www.rense.com/general82/timeb.htm
For those of you with hi speed:
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4826897
For those of you with dial up:
http://www.rense.com/general82/timeb.htm
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,336
Likes: 1
From: North Bellmore Ny
St. Jude Donor '09
I posted this awhile back
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4826897
Now last month I found this
Is there something wrong with todays tires that this wasn't such an issue in the past?
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4826897
Now last month I found this
Is there something wrong with todays tires that this wasn't such an issue in the past?
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,424
Likes: 0
From: Lakeland FL
Mine looks exactly like that right now. It just burst sitting in the garage about two weeks ago. The tires have plenty of tread but are very dry rotted and at least 15 years old; probably older. My Vette hasn't been on the road in the last 10 years. 
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,164
Likes: 1
From: Port Clinton Ohio
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13
The tires on our Durango were only 5 years old and one of them split all the way around the sidewall. I'm glad I decided to crawl under it to check the fluid in the gear boxes before our vacation. It was on the back side of the tire. Wish I had taken a pic. The tires on my Vette are very old. I'm guessing from sometime in the late 80's since that is the last time the car was registered before I bought it. It's time for some new ones.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,006
Likes: 28
From: Lutz Florida
There are date codes on tires so you can tell if your new tires are "fresh". Unfortunately, there is no law in the USA against selling old stock that has sat on the shelf for years. There are laws against that in Europe however.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 2,030
Likes: 363
From: Lubbock Texas
I posted this about a month ago:
For those of you with hi speed:
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4826897
For those of you with dial up:
http://www.rense.com/general82/timeb.htm
For those of you with hi speed:
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4826897
For those of you with dial up:
http://www.rense.com/general82/timeb.htm
Thank you for alerting me to this news.
DC
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 134
Likes: 17
From: Camas Wa
This happened to my tire over 2 years ago, and I didn't even know to look back then. I bought a new set and chalked it up to another unexpected expense of ownership. Now I know to look and pay attention, not just to tread depth, but overall condtion, and age.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,259
Likes: 2
From: MS
I just bought a set of tires from Sam's recently and while I was waiting I must have looked at the date codes for 100 tires
they had on the racks (yeah I was bored). The oldest I saw was about 15 months old and the newest 2 months. I hand
picked my 4 tires and had them in the aisle when the guy came from the shop to get them and mine were 4 months old.
I would set a limit at 1 year and that way you could use the tires for 4 years and they would still be within the 5 year max.
After 4 years, I am getting a new set of tires no matter how good they look.
they had on the racks (yeah I was bored). The oldest I saw was about 15 months old and the newest 2 months. I hand
picked my 4 tires and had them in the aisle when the guy came from the shop to get them and mine were 4 months old.
I would set a limit at 1 year and that way you could use the tires for 4 years and they would still be within the 5 year max.
After 4 years, I am getting a new set of tires no matter how good they look.
Drifting
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,480
Likes: 2
From: Circleville Ohio
Vader Vette
They must have made them better in the old days just took off A set Of Goodyear GTs they were 24 Yrs old off my car ,they were not even dry rotting yet I still have em hanging on the wall the tread is 50%left.
Put on new Goodyear Gt2s and man what a diffrence in the ride.
Put on new Goodyear Gt2s and man what a diffrence in the ride.
Drifting
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,491
Likes: 2
From: North Royaton Ohio
Wow that is complete B.S. I'm very glad that I watched that. Next time I go to buy tires, I'm going to check the manufactured date.
And my dad thinks that it would be safe for me to drive around on my original spare. 27 years old. Right...
I think everyone should watch that.
And my dad thinks that it would be safe for me to drive around on my original spare. 27 years old. Right...
I think everyone should watch that.
