Old Tires

[Lgcustom]

Here's a graphic example of what a 16 year old tire can do. This was just sitting in the garage when it blew. Has maybe 1200 miles on it. Don't assume tires will be ok when they are past the recommended life time! This was garaged at all times, not exposed to the weather and had no visible damage.

[lalessi1]

Wow! Great heads up. Thanks.

[hiball3985]

I have to change tires with practically no mileage on them after about 7 years is the max I run them. Getting ready to do that on my 66 Mustang, they have about 5000 miles 

[okiedokie]

What do you do with the tires that are seven years old with 5000 miles on them? I need to replace some like that but don't want to leave them with the tire store for them to re-sell?

[Lgcustom]

Cut the side walls?

[Jeff Norwell]

Yikes.

[hiball3985]

If you think the tire dealer may resell them I would find another dealer. Cutting the sidewalls is a good idea, or take them home and stack them, fill with dirt and grow potatoes  Tires have date codes and people should check that when buying them. I've saved a few to use as spares, the last spare in the trunk of my Mustang was 30 years old. I don't think the rubber compounds they use today are like the old days.

[Zapato]

What do you do with the tires that are seven years old with 5000 miles on them? I need to replace some like that but don't want to leave them with the tire store for them to re-sell?

They make good rollers for your other projects.

Zap - 

[junior58]

A mate of mine had exactly the same thing happen on a 56 Chev he brought into NZ, had a very good set of BFG's on it when it came in so saw no reason to change them until one explded while driving - fortunately at relatively low speed. If it had happened half an hour earlier while we were on the highway, things could have been dramatically different. He has now replaced all 4.

[hiball3985]

The tires looked fine on my Ranchero when I got it, found the receipt from Costco in the glove box and they were 11 years old. I was panicking just driving to the tire shop..

[Wirenut]

I just sold a 69 mustang that had T/A radials that looked brand new but were 10 years old and had less than 2000 miles on them. The guy I sold the car to called me to let me know he got the car 80 miles from my home and had one tire loose the tread, he put on the spare and got 20 miles further and the tread peeled off of a second one. He continued driving the car the rest of the way home on a treadless tire which was 10 additional miles. I will never let them get that old again and keep driving them in the future. It was a eye opener.

[SkylinerRon]

I too have had a radial come apart in my driveway on a parts car.
Bias plys seem to crack and leak air while radials, especially cheap Chinese junk
seem to peel the tread off in big chunks.
Steel belts more than glass belts also.

Ron.

[Ford Blue blood]

Good article in Motor Trend a few months ago.  Fellow bought an older restored race car and went out for a track day.  Found himself and the car plowing up bunches of pea gravel as it would not stick to the track.  Change to new tires and all was well.  Also thoughts are that the movie star killed had old tires on the Porsche while out having a high speed ride on the street.

[MT]

Funny how back in the day(80's) when I was working at a Standard station, we used to take the old tires that we replaced and mount them on our hot rods and musclecars and smoke them off or street race with no issues.  Many, many of those tires were ancient.  Some were easily 15+ years old.  We never had any issues and we beat the crap out of them.  Off-road, ice racing, top-enders.  You name it, we did it.  I guess we were just lucky.  I still have a set of Firestone Super Sports on my Charger.  I mounted them in 1986 and they were probably 5-10 years old at the time.

[RICH MUISE]

Back then, China was.....dinnerware.