Old Tire Warning!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hite337]

Just had this video emailed to me and thought I'd share. its kinda long but if you skip to 5:30 they tell you how to decifer the DOT code on your side wall of your tires so you can tell when your tires were actually manufactured. I did not know this info so i want to pass on some knowledge. Honestly its a 10 minute video that could save your life...and also gain some knowledge that tire manufacturers DO NOT want you to know.

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

 

[myfirstlincoln]

Wow - I knew tires "go bad" when they get old, but I didn't know the actual details. I'll have to check how old my tires are! Good info - thanks for the post.

 

[Right on the Mark]

I have the original Michs that came on the 2002? LSE rims I bought. Alittle dry rot but still holding. I have 4 brand new ones ready to go on. I wanted to find out how to date the tires thanks.

 

[pektel]

I saw this about a year ago on the news. It's good info, and worth having.

 

[Right on the Mark]

I just checked the dates of the tires I bought 4 total Mich pilots. One off Criagslist 39th week of 2006(ok), 1 off ebay 5th week of 2009(sweet) Pair off ebay 28th week of 2005. Not happy on that pair! Only 3 years newer then the stock 2002 ones I have on car. Thanks for info.

 

[joegr]

There have been some posts on this board about spare tires blowing up in the trunks of LS's. I suspect that those with 2000 and maybe 2001 LS's should consider replacing the spare tires. I wounder if any still in production cars use the same spare tire?

 

[hite337]

just checked my spare tire, it was made in '99...and looks spankin new but i think i'll be gettin a new spare. cant drive with the kids on a 11 year old tire even if its just a spare. i checked my tires on the car but didnt even think of checkin the spare...thx joegr

 

[tireman]

New show coming soon.

I'm working with CBS news Atlanta on a program about aged and used tires right now. The show will air May 13th for 5 days. National news may pickup the story. We purchased tires around the area and asked the dealers how old the tires were. Some lied and said there was no way to tell how old the tire is. Every tire must have a DOT code on it. The last four digits are the week and year of production. Before the year 2000, there were 3 digits, the week and year. But the year could be 99, 89, 79, 69, or 1959! You just never know!
Tireman

 

[rt2barbers]

Old Tires

Is there a specific length of time or age identified by some independent organization (SAE, ASTM, etc.) after which a tire should be considered dangerous?

 

[joegr]

Is there a specific length of time or age identified by some independent organization (SAE, ASTM, etc.) after which a tire should be considered dangerous?

I found this on the web.

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.

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."

 

[cmack]

Thanks

 

[tireman]

Nhtsa

NHTSA has issued its final report on tire aging. You can find it online. FORD testing found 6 years was the magic number for caution and replacement at 10 years. Its a good report, check it out.

 

[scjmc]

I live in south Florida and we have problems with tire rot if the tires are in the sun a lot. I have personally had 2 older Michelins fail due to age with lots of tread left. They changed shape and got big bulges in them. I also had 4 older OEM tires on my LS that I got with my rims. They were about 7 years old, and had plenty of tread left, but the tread was hard and the tires rotted. I had an unexpected loss of traction where I barerly managed to avoid an accident. I then began experimenting with those tires and found that the grip had significantly decreased since I had them. Be careful with old tires!!!