I have a 2004 Base C5. Tires are in great condition, a lot of tread, and no dry rot at all. Rear tires are dated the 50th week of 2008, and Font tires are dates 20th weeks of 2010.

I dont plan on motor crossing the vehicle, and very rarely go over 90mph. You think these are good for another year or so?

 

In my opinion no. 6 years is as long as I will run a tire. I got the 6 year time from ah NTSB tire engineer. I am pulling 4K mile Coninentals off my Z06 in a few months due to age.

 

I don't think so. I would replace the tires now. Not worth the risk.

 

14 yrs old is significant. I personally would not go on any road trips. Keep it local where you could tow it home or to a trusted tire shop.

btw, I changed to Nitto 555's and like them quite a bit. https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...xperience.html

 

Replace them, they are to old. Ask yourself what is your life worth, those tires could fall apart and get you or someone else killed. As tires age they get harder and harder, they may appear to look fine.

 

No. Absolutely NO. 100% NO! Those tires aren't good in any way, shape, or form. They're not safe for even puttering around the city. You're over DOUBLE the life expectancy of the tires. Take the wheels off, put them in the trunk of a car or pickup truck with actual safe tires, and take them to the store to be replaced.

Tread is irrelevant, apparent condition (rot, cracks, etc) is irrelevant. How they were stored and cared for is also irrelevant. Vulcanized rubber has a shelf life that's determined by the chemical breakdown of the rubber. It's a process just like paint drying, but slower. Over the course of about 6-9 years the chemicals in tires that keeps the rubber soft and pliable will break down and evaporate out of the tire. This will cause the remaining rubber to become hard, brittle, and unpredictable. Factors like sun and moisture exposure might accelerate this process, but nothing can stop it, no matter what you do.

Your tires MIGHT look fine, the car might roll smooth, but the hard rubber certainly doesn't have the grip that it did when it was new, or even at the end of its actual life. Not only will you not have the grip, you also won't get the feedback (scrubbing and squeal) that you get from healthy tires. You'll just lose grip suddenly and without warning. Supposedly this was a big contributor to the crash that killed Paul Walker. Furthermore, the brittle rubber can break at any time and fling chunks into the bodywork of your (or someone else's) car, or you could have the tire completely come apart.

Buy new tires, drive your car more and get some use out of your tires before they time out.

 

Great question. The tires on mine were pristine when I bought my car, they looked brand new, but I immediately bought new tires. Enjoy your new ride

 

I believe it was Michelin that recommended regular inspections after 6 years and replacement (problems visible or not) at 10 years max. It also depends on how the car is kept. Garaged where the tires are not subject to much sunlight helps a lot - that's why you routinely see RV's parked up with wheel/tire covers, as they protect from UV which "ages" the rubber.

 

Speaking from experience. Bought a 1999 Base convertible in October. Michelin pilot sport all seasons dated 2015. Sidewall cracked and bulged after about 600 miles. Don't risk it.

 

Gotcha. Purchased this car last July. 24K miles on it. Not a scratch on it, definitely garaged, tires look great, but totally get it, and will be replacing the tires sooner than later.

 

I bought an 11 year old C6 with 3300 miles on it that had the original Goodyear run flats on it. The car spent 99% of its life in a closed, climate controlled garage. The tires were dry rotted around the inside bead. What’s your life worth to you?

 

Took off a set of 8 year old tires. One exploded
in the shop. No one injuried. My old tires looked new.
Get rid of those old tires.
Good luck

 

I am in the same boat as my tires are well over the 10+ year age mark. I am either going to run the same setup as wydopnthrtl or I will go with the 255/40/r17 and 295/35/18 continental extreme contact sport tires.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about them, but if you have the $$ and prefer to be safe, sure, replace them. I'm rolling on 10yr old Pole Positions, they don't have the ultimate grip they once did, but they are still plenty sticky and the limits are very approachable.

 

IMHO, 14 year old tires are junk no matter how good they look. The only reason they might be good enough to drive straight to a tire shop would be if they're runflats, which are heavier sidewalled, etc. You're taking your life in your hands driving it anywhere. Like marrying a gold digger, they may look just great, but disaster is just around the corner!!!!

 

I am very satisfied with my Conti's

 

This is per Tire Rack:

TIRE AGING: PART #1

Nothing Lasts Forever... and Tires Are No Exception

Tires are manufactured by bonding rubber to fabric plies and steel cords. Despite the anti-aging ingredients mixed into the rubber compounds, there is a realization that tires are perishable, as well as a growing awareness that some tires will actually age out before their treads will wear out.

For the most part, today's tires deliver more miles and years of service than ever before. In the 1970s, typical bias ply tires lasted less than 20,000 miles and were only expected to be in service for about two years. In the 1980s, early radial ply tires offered a treadwear expectancy of about 40,000 miles during four years of service. By the turn of the century, many long-life radial tires extended treadwear to about 60,000 miles during four or more years of service. While passenger car and light truck tire technology and American driving conditions in the past resulted in tire treads wearing out before the rest of the tire aged, it may not always be true of today's even longer lasting tires that are approaching 80,000 miles of treadwear.

How many years will tires last before aging out? Unfortunately, it's impossible to predict when tires should be replaced based on their calendar age alone.

Properly stored tires that are protected from the elements and not mounted on a wheel, age very slowly before they are mounted and put into service. In our experience, when tires are properly stored and cared for, most street tires have a useful life in service of between six to ten years. While part of that time is spent as the tire travels from the manufacturing plant to the manufacturer's distribution center, to the retailer and to you, the remainder is the time it spends on your vehicle.

Several European vehicle manufacturers of high-performance sports cars, coupes and sedans identify that "under no circumstances, should tires older than 6 years be used" in their vehicle owner's manual. However, it should be noted that European recommendations must include driving conditions that include roads like the German Autobahn, which allows vehicles to be legally driven at their top speeds for extended periods of time.

While American driving conditions don't include the high-speed challenges of the German Autobahn, Chrysler, Ford Motor Company and General Motors have joined their European colleagues by recommending that tires installed as Original Equipment be replaced after six years of service.

It is important to take into account Original Equipment tires are mounted on wheels and put into service right after being received by vehicle manufacturers, so their calendar age begins immediately. However, the same cannot be said of tires properly stored in a tire manufacturers' warehouse or in Tire Rack distribution centers before they go into service.

The current industry association recommendations regarding inspecting and replacing tires due to age originate outside the United States.

The British Rubber Manufacturers Association (BRMA) recommended practice, issued June 2001, states, "BRMA members strongly recommend that unused tyres should not be put into service if they are over six years old and that all tyres should be replaced ten years from the date of their manufacture."

"Environmental conditions like exposure to sunlight and coastal climates, as well as poor storage and infrequent use, accelerate the aging process. In ideal conditions, a tyre may have a life expectancy that exceeds ten years from its date of manufacture. However, such conditions are rare. Aging may not exhibit any external indications and, since there is no non-destructive test to assess the serviceability of a tyre, even an inspection carried out by a tyre expert may not reveal the extent of any deterioration."

More recently, the Japan Automobile Tire Manufacturers Association (JATMA) recommended practice, issued May 2005, states, "Customers are encouraged to have their vehicle tires promptly inspected after five years of use to determine if the tires can continue to be used (recommends spare tires be inspected as well). Furthermore, even when the tires look usable, it is recommended that all tires (including spare tires) that were made more than ten years ago be replaced with new tires. Additionally, because in some cases automobile makers--based on the characteristics of the relevant vehicle--stipulate in the owner's manual the timing of tire inspection and replacement. Please read and confirm the content of the owner's manual."

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and tire manufacturers are currently studying the many variables. Exposure to the elements (sun and atmospheric), regularity of use (frequent or only occasional) and the quality of care (maintaining proper inflation pressure, wheel alignment, etc.) will all influence the answer. So while tire life depends on the service conditions and the environment in which they operate, the difficult task remains how to identify all of the variables that influence a tire's calendar age and attempt to quantify their influence.

Now that I read that, I need to practice what I preach. All five of my vehicles need tires, not due to tread, but because of age. I figure I need to spend about $5K I see some burnouts in my near future.

 

I bought new tires in fall 2009, they were Michelin run flat, tread like new but the stock C5 could start to get sideways when romping on it M6 transmission.

June 2019 bought the cheapest tires I could find plus a $100.00 off rebate if I signed up and charged on Firestone credit card, I think after it was all done the 4 new Firestone Indy 500 tires were right at $400.00 mounted and balanced and tax included, they were having a sale on the tires I checked every few weeks and jumped on sale when it became available again.

Took a long time to get done, guy in office said the tire guy was having issues getting the old tires broken free with the shovel because they were so hard.

I actually like the Firestone Indy 500 first because price, 2nd they grip really good.

Ha it’s almost 3 years later and I doubt they have a 1000 miles on them, tires will go bad before wearing out, need to drive the car more.

 

You need to replace your tires NOW or make sure your insurance (auto and life) are up to date. If you think your 10yr old tires are fine despite EVERYONE who knows more about tires than "they're black and round" saying they're bad you're a fool.

 

You getting the Drift? ... from reading the responses to your inquiry, if not, stop driving a Corvette and get your self a Prius.! Come on man!