I've always known that a tire over 5 years old on a heavy duty truck is bad news. The story roughly says any tire over 6 years old on any car is bad news. The main point it that you don't alway get a tire that is mfg'd even within the same year. Your tires could be a few years old when you put it on.

So, for safety reasons brothers view this story and check your tires. I'm actually not looking forward to finding out the date codes on mine. I already spend too much money on them. But, it will help me when I buy the next set that's for sure. I'll expect a tire that isn't more than a year old to be installed or I won't take it. Well, unless it was half price or something... then I'd watch that date code.

The story:

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4826897

We can thank my brother in law that works for the State in Sac for forwarding this information.

 

good clip dan now i have to go buy new tires mine are really old and i'm out of money. will just have to babby what i got till the funds replenish

 

I bought new tires last year and have only 6k or so on them. The part I worry about is that they are a very odd size so I bet they were sitting on the shelf for a long time until I needed them. Thanks for the info AJ.

 

What ever they say, today's tires are much less apt to come apart than the old school bias ply tires that most of our trucks came with. Many passenger tires were recapped - some people claimed a recapped tire was better.

In addition, it was assumed the vehicle would have a catastrophic tire failure sometime in its life so the vehicles were designed with a suspension that would keep a car manageable during a tire failure. I had a front tire come apart in a big old Pontiac boat while I was running well over 100+ mph. It remained manageable even though I was passing a line of cars at the time. I was able to retain good control even though I had to wait for traffic in the right lane to clear before I could pull over and stop.

I think it is a combination of things - the tires themselves are much lighter with only a 2 ply rating across the tread, and a soft sidewall with only a 1 ply rating. The new cars are also much more lightweight (it takes weight to hold a tire down) and no longer have the heavy suspension the older models have.

Plus the drivers are not skilled at driving during a catastrophic tire failure. I wouldn't worry about our old trucks - I bet the tires on thumper are better than 20 years old.

I keep new or almost new tires on Liz's Taurus - but because I don't trust its light-weight suspension and the new style tires. Despite what she thinks, she is not a good driver, and also she can not handle a roadside emergency.

 

IIRC, on large semi trucks, it's illegal to recap tires that are more than 5 years old, I didn't look at the link, but would suspect it shows how to decode the build date of the tires?

Proper storage is key as well...i/e an infalted tired left in the garage (out of the UV) will last longer than a deflated tire left next to it...when you inflate an old tire, even one stored "properly" you will see strees seperations sometimes on the sidewalls and in bewteen the treads.

Tires left out in the sun, go to hell much more quickly as well...hence the reason you see folks covering thier tires on thier MH's etc, when parked.

Bottom line, tires should be the last thing you purchase while restoring an automobile, they are just a poor investment to let sit around for a few years...same with trailer tires...they generally go to hell before they wear out...again, that's why I rarely buy new tires for a trailer.

 

I must either be pretty lucky, or a durn fool then, as the tires on the Ranger are 8 years old, and I have already put over 1,000 miles on them since I got the truck. Even took a trip up to Sacramento on them a few months back.

 

An in-depth explanation that is not a video is at this link:
TIA Certified Tire Service Directory - Tips Every Driver Should Know

It may not forward correctly. If it doesn't try: Tire Industry Association - TIA and look for their tech tips.

Believe it or not - for a while I was seeing "A Certain Brand of Trailer Tires" that had date codes post-dated six years or more into the future. EXAMPLE: 1011 as the last four digits.

Think about what THAT means...
(And YES - it was a brand notorious for blowing up on the road)

 

Back in 1983 I had a 66 F100 ...I put 7.5 x 15 Bandag bias ply recaps...and those tires were great..never had a problem....in 1987 I put recaps on my 1957 Chevy wagon...and I really drove that car everywhere, Reno, LA, North Coast, Mexico. I was a once 'gypsy' carpenter so that car took me from Salinas to Redwood City, to Greenfield, to anywhere I was working at the time...when I sold it for $150 in 1991~ those tires were still on it and still pretty good...

The 70 F250 out in the yard has had the same tires on it for 12+ years..but I do carry a spare because although they have tons of tread...they could blow out anytime esp with a load...the sidewalls are pretty rotten...but in that truck I neither go fast nor far.

Not too sure about how age affects a tire......It REALLY is a question of use and storage. On a 'newer' tire if it's going to fail before it's rotten or worn out that is a manufacturing defect that is often easily remedied. I do hate to fix a flat on the road...and I don't want my less experienced loved ones in that situation if it can at all be prevented with a little foresight.

Rule of thumb...keep good tires on the daily drivers that match...if they show signs of aging i.e.; cracks, missing chunks...replace them or take them in to the tire store.. Rotate as often as you can remember and get replacement/hazard insurance....that's cheap money. I've 'cashed' my policy in on some pretty well known tires that either failed or got a gash in the sidewall.. Yes, Martha, Pirelli...Michelin, Yokohama...all can put out a tire that has an unseen blemish in the manufacturing processs. I bought a set of tires (5 Pirelli Scorpion A/Ts) and as soon as I rotated the spare on to the ground...a bubble in the sidewall developed..which I ignored until it go to be the size of a goose egg...took the tire back to where I bought it....bingo, bango, new tire, thank you very much Mr. Holcomb, thank you for your business.

I agree...lighter cars, ligther duty tires, limited driving experience = recipe for disaster and mayhem...Time was I saw one roll over after another....not much damage to the car or the drivers thankfully...but each car was light car....with a younger driver at the wheel..often a young woman. That's not a negative against women drivers...just an anecdotal observation from a guy that put some time on the road.

TH1567
Young men are a huge risk when they first get behind the wheel. BUT, those that survive all the risks they took while going through the 'learning curve', no pun intended....most often turn out to be the safest and most courteous drivers on the road who take serious offense to senseless stupidity and aggression on the highway.

 

The biggest problem with tires is when they sit idle for long periods of time. The "rubber" compound includes waxes that need heat to redistribute. If the tires sit without travel, they get blasted by the sun and there is no heat.

Tires need to be turned and flexed to last. If you park your beast for a long time, your tires will dry out and you risk tread separation. If you drive them, they will last.

I learned this from the motorhome forums.

Chet

 

Super Swampers will take a definite mold when sitting.

I used to have flat spots on my F100 project that "DROVE OUT" after driving it for a while. Big 'SOFT COMPOUND' tires do that. After about five miles they quit "THUMPING".

It happened most often in cold weather, no reason to freak out - just get them warm and they recover..