Tire experts - please chime in.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,794
Likes: 1,195
From: Canberra Australia
2025 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
My set of 10 year old Michelin white stripe tyres looked 100% from the outside but close inspection showed the cracks forming on the inside edges.
I replaced both my 18” and 15” tyre sets way before the tear was worn down. It’s just not worth the risk.
Tyre age is the killer.
I replaced both my 18” and 15” tyre sets way before the tear was worn down. It’s just not worth the risk.
Tyre age is the killer.
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2020
Posts: 127
Likes: 37
From: Brentwood, Tennessee
Tire replacement
I am a retired engineer after working for Pirelli for 27 years. Tires may look great on the outside and be decayed on the inside. Tires continue to cure over the years which make the compound, especially the tread, hard and less pliable. I advise to replace tires at least every 7 years. I replace mine at 5 years even if they look “perfect” on the outside. I would rather replace tires than fiberglass.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,621
Likes: 555
From: Manchester
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Unmodified
2024 C2 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C2 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2021 C2 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2020 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2019 C3 of Year Finalist (stock)
2017 C3 of Year Finalist
St. Jude Donor '13
I am a retired engineer after working for Pirelli for 27 years. Tires may look great on the outside and be decayed on the inside. Tires continue to cure over the years which make the compound, especially the tread, hard and less pliable. I advise to replace tires at least every 7 years. I replace mine at 5 years even if they look “perfect” on the outside. I would rather replace tires than fiberglass.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,621
Likes: 555
From: Manchester
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Unmodified
2024 C2 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C2 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2021 C2 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2020 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2019 C3 of Year Finalist (stock)
2017 C3 of Year Finalist
St. Jude Donor '13
I am a retired engineer after working for Pirelli for 27 years. Tires may look great on the outside and be decayed on the inside. Tires continue to cure over the years which make the compound, especially the tread, hard and less pliable. I advise to replace tires at least every 7 years. I replace mine at 5 years even if they look “perfect” on the outside. I would rather replace tires than fiberglass.
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2020
Posts: 127
Likes: 37
From: Brentwood, Tennessee
tire replacement for brit vet
Tires in warehouse storage age differently than those in use. Tires that have been in storage still have probably another 4 to 5 years of life left because they have not been subjected to heat and other environmental effects that mounted tires in use are subjected to. They do continue to cure but much more slowly. Also for those that look at their 10 to 20 year old tires and determine they look OK, best of luck. I KNOW what is inside that tire you cannot see.
Administrator
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 53,982
Likes: 6,209
From: About 1100 miles from where I call home.
Its pretty simple. Most people will tell you to replace tires that old. Some people will tell you, “awww, thats an old wives’ tale.”
But it comes down to this… are you willing to risk your health and maybe the health of someone you care about, as well as risk damage to a car it sounds like you would like to protect? Just to save a few bucks on a set of tires? If taking the cheap way out is more important, then have at it.
If it were me and I wound up damaging my car, knowing I should have avoided it, that would bother me more than anything.
For the record I bought a car last year thats been in a climate-controlled building with a guy’s collection for 25 years The tires look perfect and have less than 2500 miles on them. The dates are 1991. They are the first thing that came off the car.
But it comes down to this… are you willing to risk your health and maybe the health of someone you care about, as well as risk damage to a car it sounds like you would like to protect? Just to save a few bucks on a set of tires? If taking the cheap way out is more important, then have at it.
If it were me and I wound up damaging my car, knowing I should have avoided it, that would bother me more than anything.
For the record I bought a car last year thats been in a climate-controlled building with a guy’s collection for 25 years The tires look perfect and have less than 2500 miles on them. The dates are 1991. They are the first thing that came off the car.
