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Tires/dry rot

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Old May 30, 2010 | 03:40 PM
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Default Tires/dry rot

What is the longest period of time you would keep tires on your car (GoodYear Run Flats)
Mine are 10,000miles from 1999
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Old May 30, 2010 | 05:03 PM
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Even thou they might have plenty of tread, the rubber starts to lose its gripping properties, gets hard and yes even dry rot/cracks.

These tires should be replaced immediately and you will also enjoy the corvette once more!

Also you might consider some non run flat tires.

Mario
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Old May 30, 2010 | 05:21 PM
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I totally agree, time to change those tires. Most tire experts ( I'm not one) have told me 6-7 years is the maximum serviceable years for tires.
I really got interested in this issue about 2 months ago when I had the right front tire blowout on my 40' motorhome going 65MPH. Those tires were only 6 years old, had 24,000 miles on them, had no visible cracks or blemishes. The motorhome is kept in a garage when not on the road so sun damage is minimal/non-existent. Tires looked brand new! CHANGE THEM without delay!!!!
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Old May 30, 2010 | 08:15 PM
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Default tires dry rot

I used to think it was a sales tactic until it happened to me with my Mercedes. I had an antique benz and it never saw rain or wet washes. I had 6 year old tires with less than 5k miles on them and the drivers front tire split open on the top like a venus fly trap in the garage. You can tell when a tire was manufactured by an oval imprint usually with 4 numbers. For example, a tire made this week would be printed like 1020 or 1021 - the 10 being the year and the 20 or 21 being the week of the year. Tires do get dry rot regardless of how much tread is there.
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Old May 30, 2010 | 08:50 PM
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Yours are waaaaaay overdue for replacement. I swapped out the runflats for non-runflats and in doing so, reduced unsprung weight by 6 lbs per tire. The ride is far superior to that of any runflats, although turn-in response is slightly less sharp. Still, it is a tradeoff I'll take, any day.
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Old May 31, 2010 | 05:47 AM
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6 to 8 years old maximum. Some manufacturers are better than others. One of the big names like Michelin, Bridgestone or Goodyear I would be comfortable stretching to 7 - 8 years.
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Old May 31, 2010 | 09:23 AM
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Originally Posted by Spartan 45
I used to think it was a sales tactic until it happened to me with my Mercedes. I had an antique benz and it never saw rain or wet washes. I had 6 year old tires with less than 5k miles on them and the drivers front tire split open on the top like a venus fly trap in the garage. You can tell when a tire was manufactured by an oval imprint usually with 4 numbers. For example, a tire made this week would be printed like 1020 or 1021 - the 10 being the year and the 20 or 21 being the week of the year. Tires do get dry rot regardless of how much tread is there.
isn't the date code on the the tire wwyy not yyww. so it would be 2110 if it was the 21st week of 2010
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Old May 31, 2010 | 09:42 AM
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Bottom line is "you need tires". Replace them and be safe.
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Old May 31, 2010 | 10:48 AM
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Here is some good reading on the subject:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...jsp?techid=138

What I found interesting is the finding that the less a tire is driven the faster it reaches end of serviceable life.
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