Tire life

JDgreen227 · Apr 24, 2005

Today's local newspaper had a short article in the automotive section about replacing tires after a certain time period after the date of manufacture. It stated that after six years or up to seven in certain circumstances, you should replace the tires on your car or truck even if there is ample tread left, because the tire body has aged and will be unsafe.

Our 2000 GMC has less than 20,000 miles on it and the OEM tires are barely worn as it's a 3/4 ton model that is rarely driven when fully loaded. I don't see any sense in spending $600 for a set of replacement tires two years from now unless the originals actually NEED replacement.

My former 1990 Ford pickup had a pair of new front tires installed back in 1992 and when I sold it last year they still had enough tread to be considered safe and they held air ok.
The spare tire was the OEM from the factory, never used, and the guy I sold it to said he was going to use it on the front and just buy one new front tire. Now, would that be a dumb thing to do, putting a 14 year old "new" tire on a vehicle?

I would be interested in hearing from other TBN members what their opinions are about replacing tires, going by the guidelines I read about 6 to 7 year replacement period. And has anyone ever had a tire failure that they felt was an age-related issue? Thanks.

Bird · Apr 24, 2005

Yes, William, I've had tire failures that were age related, although it was most frequently (but not every time) on trailer tires that had been exposed to the sun a lot.

One new tire on the same axle as a 14 year old unused tire? I would be prepared for and expecting a blowout or tread separation with the old tire, but as with all things, there are always exceptions. That old tire might last a long time, but I sure wouldn't bet on it.

I've had a fair amount of experience changing tires and repairing tires on all kinds of vehicles, and I've experienced my share of blowouts, even driving in excess of 100 mph a couple of times, and know what to do if it happens, so I might, under some circumstances, drive a vehicle with tires over 7 years of age, but I would prefer not to, and definitely would not want my wife or daughters to do so.

goodoleboy · Apr 25, 2005

No real experience with this subject While shopping for a trailer I came across many with used tires. I believe the 6 year rule is for tires expsoed to the extreme sun like in arizona. If I see signs of dry rot etc.. then its time to replace them.

GRUMPA · Apr 25, 2005

The wife and I heard the same thing on a TV show awhile back. Beleive it or not on my 98 Toyota truck I've gone thru 2 sets of tires and I just got the 3rd set a week ago. Tires just crack after a bit and wont hold air. The truck has less than 20k mi on it now. Somewhere out there on the net, a site gives you info on tires and how to read the manufacter code on them to determine when they were made.

Junkman · Apr 26, 2005

Sunlight and ozone are the two enemies of rubber. If you can exclude the sunlight by keeping it in the garage, you will preserve the tires. This is why you see a lot of motor homes with covers on the tires when they are parked. Problem with that is that some of the coverings don't keep out the harmful rays of the sun.... it is like getting a sun burn through your tee shirt. If the sun is intense, then a garage or other permanent structure that affords shade is the only way. Just to keep this tractor related, it is best to keep the tractor in the garage also when not in use. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

JDgreen227 · Apr 26, 2005

Junkman,

As we have a travel trailer I am aware of the need to keep RV tires covered, and from what I have read the tires made for trailer purposes (designated ST on the sidewalls) are made to be resistant to sunlight and weathering. The reason I was curious about tire life also applies to my wifes '93 Olds Cutlass which has less than 20,000 miles on the OEM low profile Michelin tires. It is always garaged and during the fall as part of the storage routine, I block it up and remove the wheels and apply protectant to both sides of the tires before remounting the wheels. As a result the OEM tires still appear nearly new but I wonder if replacing them would be a good idea (although expensive).

Junkman · Apr 27, 2005

I remember driving my 1926 Buick Master 54C down the Garden State Parkway on the original tires at 50 MPH back in 1962 and they held air, and that was all that mattered to me back then. Today, I wouldn't think of doing anything like that now. As to changing them, I wouldn't unless I was going to use the car extensively, but that is a personal decission that only you can make. Yes tires are expensive, but so are crashes, and by comparison, I would rather replace 4 tires, than to think of the consequences if one failed at highway speed. As you can see, I am even confused as to exactly what I would do, so in this instance, I would check with the tire manufacturer and see what they recommend. If I am driving the car, I tend to believe that I would just use them up, if the wife is driving the car, I would replace them. Besides, if one goes flat, she is going to call me to come and replace it, because AAA took too long to get there.. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif