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Can aged tires kill?

70K views 58 replies 44 participants last post by  someotherguy 
#1 ·
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4826897

I'm not convinced. The report plays an awful lot on one (no doubt tragic and sad) confirmed case, followed by a ton of speculation. It also fails to mention that the US alone recycles somewhere around 14 million tires a year, meaning there's probably somewhere around that number sold each year. Statistically speaking...

But still, its no secret that as rubber ages it looses its elasticity.

Thoughts?
 
#2 ·
Well, having bought a few "barn cars" over the years and having the tires that looked good (didn't feel too soft, didn't have hard spots, held air, no signs of cracks in the sidewalls, etc) when I started to drive it home shrapnel at low speeds and doing some minor cosmetic damage to the fender wells, I'm glad I didn't get those cars up to highway speed...
 
#4 ·
I won't buy tires with a manufacturing date over 6 months. When it comes to high performance tires it's not worth the risk or the lack of performance.

I had a set of Yokohama tires on a previous car that were hard as a rock when I got them. The dealer told me they would soften up. In the following weeks they never did so I complained to Yokohama, gave them the manufacturing date and they told me they were nearly 2 years old. They gave me a coupon for a new set of tires and a rep came and picked up my set. The rep told me that there should have been nothing wrong with the tires "if" they had been stored correctly and it was obvious that these had not been.
 
#10 ·
The rep told me that there should have been nothing wrong with the tires "if" they had been stored correctly and it was obvious that these had not been.
This is why it is so difficult to apply a blanket recommendation. Ask some people, they will say 4 years. Some say 5. Some say 7. The truth is, there are some tires out there that are 3 years old with dry rot. There are tires out there that have been run underinflated (or flat) which weakens the tire. Then there are some tires out there that are 10 years old that have been well maintained and stored, and would not cause a problem.

The real problem is not only the age of the tire, but how well it has been stored and maintained as well.

This is going to be a scenario where one set of rules will not cover every situation. My recommendation would be to buy tires as fresh as possible, maintain them as best you can (air pressure, proper storage, etc), and check them periodically.

I check mine once a week. At a minimum, check them once a month. Check air pressure and check for signs of dry rot. Not just the sidewalls, but between the tread blocks as well. Also check for any bulges, scrapes, etc on the sidewalls indicating damage. Small dimples (inwards) on the sidewall are common and not an area of concern. A bulge outwards is a problem. It's a sign of damage similar to a blood blister. You have done internal damage due to an impact, but not broken the skin.

Sorry if this seems long, but it is important. I have to deal with it every day at work:)
 
#7 ·
My first track day at Mid Ohio, we had a Ferrari 'vert. that blew a rear tire and smacked into the wall. Turned out the tires were about 7 years old! :shock: :doh:
 
#9 ·
Good call Coop. From the picture, 5107 means the 51st week in 2007

So for example if you have 239 on your tire in that spot (at the end of all the size and DOT info, on something made to look like a screwed on plaque) you know that tire was made during the 23rd week of 1999.

The report covers this too.
 
#15 ·
I remember see a story about this last year but it was inconclusive. But to be honest I like to fix older motorcycles 1970-1980's. Most of the time the bike will still have the original tires but I always replace them before taking it out on the street. They normally still hold air but are cracked and rotted pretty bad.
 
#18 ·
My Dodge Van got a new set of tires not long after I moved to Georgia - 2002-2003 something like that.

I started using it for my commuter-car once some pointy-haired cube farmer of a micro-manager decided that telecommuting was evil and we all had to acquire cubes.

I'd neglected it terribly, not hardly driving it much at all for a couple of years and the tires dry-rotted, as well as a transmission seal leaking.

Not long ago, driving to work, and noted that I had to steer left to go straight - thinking 'How Odd' when instaflat on the right front. Complete sudden catastrophic sidewall failure.

Luckily there was a place to pull over into and nothing bad happened, but had this been out on the big road at speed it would have been a whole different story I think.

Nice TOYO tires with about 15-18K on 'em, real nice tread left, but rotted through enough to fail.

I just checked the RedLines, 14,16 and 22 of 06 - but I'll destroy the tread before these pups rot I'm sure..

Mike
 
#19 ·
A good video from 20/20 last year...

http://20somethingfinance.com/blog/...r-tires-your-safety-may-depend-on-the-answer/

One thing people neglect a lot is checking thier tires air pressure regularly. I can tell when I'm driving and I see a car in front of me if thier tire(s) are low because they look kinda like an upside down mushroom. I mean seriously, some people think you NEVER have to check the air pressure and so they drive around on a tire that's probably got 20 lbs of air in it. Not only are they wasting gas, but they are asking for a blowout. I check my tires at least 1-2 times a month. So far I've had 1 flat tire in my Magnum in 3 years. And that was due to picking up a screw in the tire, not a blowout.

The proper way to check a tire is if the car has been sitting at least 3 hours without being driven or driven less than 3 miles. Buy a good tire gauge too. Don't rely on the gauge that's attached to the hose at the gas station. When you take your car into one of those quick lube places, they often check the tire pressure as part of the service. That is wrong. Check it again after the 3 and 3 I listed above.
 
#20 ·
I posted on this about a year ago, it still needs to be brought up regularly, not really considered a repost.
 
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#26 ·
I have been aware of this for some time. Have not bought a tire older than a year in a very long time.

I do believe the solvents in the tires can evaporate and the tire looses its elasticity, which will generate more heat.

We have a set of PS2s that we ran hard and maybe 5/32 tread left. At this level, however, the tires should actually handle better. But they became nearly like marbles (well alittle exageration) after 3 years of agressive driving.

I for one think there should be a 6-7 year cap, and a written guideline for storage. Storing tires and exposed to UV is a disaster waiting to happen.

mike
dms
 
#28 ·
I vote for sunlight as being one of the bigger contenders where I live.

My spare rides on the back, covered in aluminium and plastic, is a Michelin (OE) and looks just like a new tire pretty much. Not a rot line in sight.

Mike
 
#30 ·
Old tires can kill just like old timers that should not be driving in the first place!!
 
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#33 ·
Ever notice how 4 year old tires slip when it's wet, and don't stop as well - regardless of miles?
 
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