[Z06] 6 Year Old Tires?
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 690
Likes: 0
From: Cave Creek Arizona
6 Year Old Tires?
I have the original Goodyears on my '04 Z06 but the tread is still very good (only 11k miles on the car 
). So, should I be concerned with tires that are 6 years old? The car is always garaged; I know....get it out and drive it!
I'm taking it on a 2,800 road trip this summer and wanted your thoughts on the "old" tires.
Thanks
). So, should I be concerned with tires that are 6 years old? The car is always garaged; I know....get it out and drive it!I'm taking it on a 2,800 road trip this summer and wanted your thoughts on the "old" tires.
Thanks
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 10,554
Likes: 33
From: Not on either liberal coast.
I've got 7,000 miles on my '04 Z16 with the original GOODYEAR Eagle F1 GS tires. My car is also stored inside my heated shop and hibernates during six months of winter each year.
I had this same concern. The rubber isn't UV dry/checked. The tread is still nice and soft. The air pressure is checked regularly. They've never been punctured or repaired.
New tires will cost well over $1,000. I'm gonna keep mine...
I had this same concern. The rubber isn't UV dry/checked. The tread is still nice and soft. The air pressure is checked regularly. They've never been punctured or repaired.
New tires will cost well over $1,000. I'm gonna keep mine...
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 690
Likes: 0
From: Cave Creek Arizona
I've got 7,000 miles on my '04 Z16 with the original GOODYEAR Eagle F1 GS tires. My car is also stored inside my heated shop and hibernates during six months of winter each year.
I had this same concern. The rubber isn't UV dry/checked. The tread is still nice and soft. The air pressure is checked regularly. They've never been punctured or repaired.
New tires will cost well over $1,000. I'm gonna keep mine...
I had this same concern. The rubber isn't UV dry/checked. The tread is still nice and soft. The air pressure is checked regularly. They've never been punctured or repaired.
New tires will cost well over $1,000. I'm gonna keep mine...
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,773
Likes: 2
From: San Diego CA
I'd check the manufacture code on your tires to see how old they are. Most will say they are good for 6 to 10 years if well cared for. Performance tires will lose some of their grip before that.
If you don't "push" them performance-wise, you should be OK... your call.
For your reading pleasure:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...jsp?techid=138
http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoTireLife.dos
http://www.wisebread.com/are-your-ne...ing-time-bombs
If you don't "push" them performance-wise, you should be OK... your call.
For your reading pleasure:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...jsp?techid=138
http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoTireLife.dos
http://www.wisebread.com/are-your-ne...ing-time-bombs
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 690
Likes: 0
From: Cave Creek Arizona
Thanks everyone for the information. I'm going to give the tires a very good inspection and go from there. I'm probably getting very close to the point in time where it makes sense to replace them.
Thanks again.
Thanks again.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 2,015
Likes: 52
From: Largo,Fl fl
Look for the dot on the tire there should be a rectangle with the week and year they were made http://www.tuninglinx.com/html/car-tire-date-code.html
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 787
Likes: 1
From: New Baltimore Michigan
tire age is brought up all the time but i think its because of the tire losing its grip ( rubber gets hard) if your tires are not dry rotting or have cracks in them i would worry at all
Steve
Steve
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 761
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From: sf bay CA
Racer
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 336
Likes: 0
From: Pine Colorado
Don't forget that the tires can fail from inside as well as outside. I replaced my original GYs on my 02 this year with 25K on them. Suggest you put nitrogen in them as this will slow down the deterioration from inside, prolong the life of the tire if not driven much, and they will stay inflated longer as the nitrogen won't pass thru the tire wall as fast as the oxygen. The only reason I changed my tires was the tread life was rapidly approaching it's limit. High performance tires have an initial tread depth of 10/32 and should be replaced at 4/32. Mine were at 3/32. You should check yours regularly and look at the wear bars specifically.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,015
Likes: 1
From: Maryland
St. Jude Donor '08
Don't forget that the tires can fail from inside as well as outside. I replaced my original GYs on my 02 this year with 25K on them. Suggest you put nitrogen in them as this will slow down the deterioration from inside, prolong the life of the tire if not driven much, and they will stay inflated longer as the nitrogen won't pass thru the tire wall as fast as the oxygen. The only reason I changed my tires was the tread life was rapidly approaching it's limit. High performance tires have an initial tread depth of 10/32 and should be replaced at 4/32. Mine were at 3/32. You should check yours regularly and look at the wear bars specifically.
At six years old; they're at the end of their expected shelf life despite the exterior tread depth and condition.
I would be cautious using the tires for any high speed highway driving.
A recent insurance industry report to the DOT revealed that better than 95% of fatal injuries resulting from catastrophic tire failures revealed that these tires were more than 6 years old. In addition; the vast majority of these tire related fatalities occurred in warm climates such as Texas and Florida.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 10,064
Likes: 266
From: Slower than a speeding bullet................ Fort Lauderdale, FL
When I bought a 1993 Suzuki motorcycle 2 years ago with only 2,500 orig. miles, and ORIGINAL TIRES, which looked like new, I replaced the tires with new radials because of the fact a bike has only 2 wheels.
I have only 1k on my '04 Z, and tires look just like new. I would not even think of replacing them at this time.
I have only 1k on my '04 Z, and tires look just like new. I would not even think of replacing them at this time.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 2,988
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From: New Lebanon.Ohio
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My Z-06,Z-16 has about the same miles 11,000 and is always garaged and is stored in winters and the tires look very good,if they were starting to dry and crack I would change them. Casselvette we were in CaveCreek last winter for a Balloon Glow, nice area of AZ, we were in Mesa for the winter.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 2,220
Likes: 6
From: www.Z16.org North/West Pennsylvania
My Z-06,Z-16 has about the same miles 11,000 and is always garaged and is stored in winters and the tires look very good,if they were starting to dry and crack I would change them. Casselvette we were in CaveCreek last winter for a Balloon Glow, nice area of AZ, we were in Mesa for the winter.
I highly agree in this statement:
“At six years old; they're at the end of their expected shelf life despite the exterior tread depth and condition.
I would be cautious using the tires for any high speed highway driving.”
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,773
Likes: 2
From: San Diego CA
What a tire looks like can be very deceiving. I had perfectly good looking tires come apart on me. Luckily they didn’t explode on me.
I highly agree in this statement:
“At six years old; they're at the end of their expected shelf life despite the exterior tread depth and condition.
I would be cautious using the tires for any high speed highway driving.”
I highly agree in this statement:
“At six years old; they're at the end of their expected shelf life despite the exterior tread depth and condition.
I would be cautious using the tires for any high speed highway driving.”
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 10,554
Likes: 33
From: Not on either liberal coast.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2006
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From: Santa Rosa Beach FL