How long will never mounted, stored inside tires "last" and be safe to use (given major/quality manufacturer)?

5 years? 10? More?

 

I've heard that the rubber in tires will start to break-down (from the oxygen in the air) after about 5-6 years...even if the tread looks good. ABC News did a study after 3 college boys, on their way home for Christmas break, had a major blow out on the interstate, wrecked the car and were killed. According to ABC the tires appeared to have ample tread...they were about 6 years old.

I have since changed all my tires to make sure they were manufactured in 2013.

 

I sold my 82 two years ago with the original goodyear eagles on it.safe,no.pretty cool to have the original tires on a car that old.i had a tire store and 5 years is about the max.

 

A dealer whom I trust told me six years tops if the car is driven some and stored outside mostly. Maybe a little longer for an inside stored one. My 77 had six year old tires on it when I got it. They were weather cracked bad enough that he strongly encouraged me to swap them our before driving it at all.

 

also depends on how fast you are going on old tires.. do not go 100 mph on old tires..

 

Discount tire, a large chain with stores in at least 25 states, will not repair a tire that is more than 6 years old. That should tell you something. When I bought my car it had BFG's that had 2000 miles on them that were seven years old. The car was stored indoors and the tires were in excellent shape, very pliable, no cracks, etc.. I was the co-chair of a premier car rally (a 70 corvette would be considered an ugly step child) at the time and we do not allow any car with tires that are older than six years, no exceptions. To avoid being a hypocrite, I replaced mine with new BFG's. During dismounting, the rubber on the bead of one of the tires actually tore off exposing the steel wire that is encased in the bead. I'm sure that tire would have had further problems had I kept in on the car.

 

That's kind of how it works. Your tires are made of polymers and hydrocarbons. The more volatile polymers and hydrocarbons evaporate over time. As they evaporate, you'll start to notice cracks, or "dry rot."

http://www.edmunds.com/car-care/how-...our-tires.html

 

Trailer tires usually don't get many miles put on them and usually succumb to dry rot before they wear out. After suffering a blow out and tread separation on 7 yer old tires I did some research and replace mine after 5-6 years. It sure makes a mess of the fenders when the tread comes loose at speed.

 

Any tire over 6 yrs old regardless of condition or how much tread is left should be changed. Is it really worth the risk of property and/or personal damages? They deteriorate as they age no matter what, it cannot be stopped, it is a simple matter-of-fact.

 

You asked:

7t2 vette nailed it...

I get a little wordy but did research on this topic several years ago that was published in Corvette Enthusiast (now defunct) which remains relevant today, addresses the question you raised and always worth a re-post. If interested in background, this article will satiate your need for knowledge.

Corvette Tire Safety

 

My front tires are 9 years old. They probably have under 5K miles since installation in summer 2005. I keep an eye on them and rarely drive over the speed limit (mostly urban cruises). They are probably going to be replaced in 2015... IF IF IF I can find a pair of Mastercraft Avenger G/T's to match my rear tires. I expect next set will be 17-18" wheels with tires. At that point, I'll find a creative use for my vintage 1980 wheels and tires... perhaps some wall art for my garage.

 

Good information...thanks!

 

From the Tire Rack:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...jsp?techid=138
The link to part 2 is in the upper right corner.

 

In my humble opinion there are two "tires" out there, ones that you can "run on" and ones that "hold air".

For a set of a fresh tires to ensure that a "blown tread" didn't tear up a 1/4 panel or front fender is cheap insurance. The price of tires through competition has come down in price big time.

Spend a little to save a lot.

 

I would be a little concerned with tires 9 years old, I don't care how much I could keep an eye on them Heat is what will eventually blow them out because as the air heats up, the pressure goes up accordingly. Underinflate will cause similar issues with the same consequences. I've had tires, perfectly good ones, blow out on a semi one night and I don't care how good a driver you are, you cannot anticipate what will happen. No tire, no matter how original or how good it looks, is worth that potential tragedy. IMO.

 

I generally don't rely on X number of years (Up to a point) only, to determine when tires need replacing. I evaluate tires based on 2 parameters;

1. Most importantly is evidence of dry rot anywhere on the tire-tread, sidewall,etc. Regardless of age or mileage, dry rot immediate eliminates a tire for any high speed use.

2. Regardless of mileage, I use 10 years for V/Z rated tires. S/T tires, which I do not own or use on any of my vehicles, 5 years replacement. Why the difference? V/Z rated tires built for sustained speeds >149 MPH are a MUCH STRONGER Tire carcass than typical standard passenger car tires such as S/T rated tires like the BFG TA. The forces needed to separate the tread from the rest of the tire carcass are much greater-margin of safety which is why I only use high speed rated tires.

From April 2013 Popular Mechanics article on tires:

"It's good practice to replace tires as soon as you see signs of dry rot, to prevent blowouts and the subsequent loss of vehicle control. Even if there are no signs of rot, the industry standard is to swap out tires before they hit 10 years old, and some tire companies recommend replacement as early as six years after manufacture."

Any surprise that some tire manufacturers recommend a much shorter time duration?

One more issue, one of the biggest contributors to tire blowouts is incorrect tire pressure-almost always people running too low pressure for their driving speeds, and not monitoring tire pressures consistently as the ambient temperature changes. I don't mean the automobile manufacturers recommended pressure either-the tire manufacturer pressure. I see people on the side of the road constantly with blown tires in very cold weather (pressure too low, tire heats up-boom!) and in hot weather (same scenario-pressure too low, high outside temp, tire gets too hot-boom)

Hope that helps!

 

One thing I forgot to mention. Tires that are run occasionally will outlast tires that just sit. The rolling somehow "lubricates" them and distributes the oils around. Sitting in sunlight as opposed to indoors will also shorten their useful lifespan.

 

I'm replacing my tires today and took a close look at my old ones last night. They look fine at first. No cracks in the sidewalls, plenty of tread. But looking between the tread blocks I see tons of small cracks. Tapping on the treads I can tell the rubber has turned hard. On the road they have a rough feel, the car just doesn't feel right. Date code is 2205, so they are close to 9 years old.