ScottEwine

The 1992 I recently bought had been sitting for a long time (~10 years) before I put it on the road. The first few miles it shook a lot at around 50 miles an hour, after putting about 100 miles on it the shaking has gotten a lot better, but there is still some at certain speeds, still worse at around 50 or so. I realize it will improve asymptotically, but how close to no shaking do you think I will get? It has nice tires on it that look to have another 10k miles or so on them, would hate to replace them if I do not have to. Should I wait for a hot day and get out and run them a bit hard to see if that helps?

Thanks,

Scott

don hall

Read, and then decide on your safety and others: (GOOGLE 'TIRE LIFE' for numerous reports)

What Happens to a Tire as It Ages?

Sean Kane, president of Safety Research & Strategies, Inc., compares an aging tire to an old rubber band. "If you take a rubber band that's been sitting around a long time and stretch it, you will start to see cracks in the rubber," says Kane, whose organization is involved in research, analysis and advocacy on safety matters for the public and clients including attorneys, engineering firms, supplier companies, media and government.

That's essentially what happens to a tire that's put on a vehicle and driven. Cracks in the rubber begin to develop over time. They may appear on the surface and inside the tire as well. This cracking can eventually cause the steel belts in the tread to separate from the rest of the tire. An animation on the Safety Research & Strategies Web site shows how this happens. Improper maintenance and heat accelerate the process.

Every tire that's on the road long enough will succumb to age. Tires that are rated for higher mileage have "anti-ozinant" chemical compounds built into the rubber that will slow the aging process, but nothing stops the effects of time on rubber, says Doug Gervin, Michelin's director of product marketing for passenger cars and light trucks.

How Long Does a Tire Last?
Carmakers, tire makers and rubber manufacturers differ in their opinions about the lifespan of a tire. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has no specific guidelines on tire aging and defers to the recommendations of carmakers and tire manufacturers. Carmakers such as Nissan and Mercedes-Benz tell consumers to replace tires six years after their production date, regardless of tread life. Tire manufacturers such as Continental and Michelin say a tire can last up to 10 years, provided you get annual tire inspections after the fifth year.

383vett

Buy a new set of tires.

billschroeder5842

You should rephrase your question "Should I wait for a hot day and get out and run them a bit hard to see WHAT HAPPENS?

If you run a 10 year old set of tires, with demonstrated flat spots and are vibrating, on a hot (over heated??) days at any speed you are risking tread separation (meaning explosive like reaction with shreds of rubber smacking the inside of your wheel well and pounding a sides of your car. Serious- this could rip your fenders and/or quarter panel FROM YOUR CAR) and cause you to spin out on a highway at speed.

A cheap set of new tires are safer than a flat spotted, vibrating, high quality decade old set. Plus, why would you want all this extra vibration shaking your old car.

Get a saving coupon a swap 'em out.

ScottEwine

I got you five by five. Having said that, any recommendations for a new set of tires? I do not drive it in rain or snow and do not autocross or anything, just looking for quiet and a good value.

billschroeder5842

There will be tire purists out there as they have special uses (track, drag racing, auto cross) but my use it like yours; daily driving.

I have a set of Sumitomo on my ZR1 as it requires 315s on the back end and Nittos were hard to find at that moment.

I just put a set of BFG on my 89 and am happy. I was out the door for about $450 from NTB.

For you use, you can't go wrong with a name brand.

L.V. Vette

I have Nitto 555 G2 tires on mine and am very impressed. The ride is smooth and they handle great. I don't track my 91, but, would feel comfortable doing so with them. They're a great value. Would absolutely recommend them for a daily driver

ScottEwine

What BFGs did you get? I see there is "BF Goodrich g-Force COMP 2 A/S" and "BF Goodrich g-Force Sport Comp-2".

QZRBLU

Scott,
I put G-Force Sports on my '90 a couple of years ago to replace the original tires. Love 'em, they are quiet and handle great. I would go the new Comp 2's for your car if you don't see snow use.

Mick

desertmike1

^^^^^ Good Choice ^^^^^

gdgeorge

I had the same issue when my 1993 came out of Dad's garage in 2011. The flat spots were annoying but what made me replace the tires was the cracking around the side walls which I feared indicated dry-rot.

If you intend to go fast, replace them.

Actually, I'd replace them anyway.

Best,
Jerry

Randy M

An old or out dated tire that comes apart while traveling down the road can make a REALLY big mess of a vehicle. And you do not even have to be going that fast. 20MPH will make do the same damage as 55MPH.

aklim

If you are driving in MD, go for it. I'm not in your area so you won't crash into me or cause a traffic jam when you have an issue. I do tend to like Michelin if they have it in the size you want

JCrock

G Force are good tires. I replaced them with a set of Mickey Thompson tires. They seemed cheap so I had my doubts. I'm an engineer, old gearhead, my father owned a tire shop, the Vette is a lot healthier than it came from the factory and really likes spirited runs on twisty roads. I like these tires. The short story is, give the Mickey Thompson tires serious consideration

cv67

dmaxx3500

no,just keep driving it,,those probably have lots of tread on em

Cool Runnings

The date codes on the 92 I own is 05. One more week of driving and it goes into storage. Come next spring, time for new Michelin Pilot Sports...

aklim

You sure? Wouldn't it have more energy when rotating at 55 as opposed to 20? Also, wouldn't the sudden loss of control at 55 be more dangerous than 20?

aklim

What has thread got to do with this? It's been sitting for 10 years so the tires are definitely older and has flat spots. If it were my car, I wouldn't put the wife or myself in it. If it were in my vicinity and I had my druthers, it would be off the road. OTOH, he is in MD so that is Frederick's problem since it isn't my car or likely to crash into me.

SurfnSun

His response was a failed attempt at humor.

The OP asked for advice then initially rejected it and attempted to justify why...which in itself doesn't make a lot of sense.

New tires make a new car. Its as simple as that. Trying to round-out 10 year old ruined tires is just dumb.