Beware of Old tyres!

[Alex_G60_Fanatic 0]

There seemed to be some interest in another thread and I was surprised that no one had heard about this before :shock:

 

If your ties are more than 8 years old then you should have them checked

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

[joby 0]

Just looked at mine on my transporter Which i bought a set of Rs8 alloys 12 months ago with brand new load rated tyres on and they were made in 2001 :shock: and iv`e just covered 3700 miles in two weeks driving to greece :shock: Not happy! Wish i had never seen that video, Dont want to even look at my other vehicles :(

[eddy.h 0]

wow :shock: :shock: :shock:

[fla 9]

presumably the notoation is the same on all UK/European tyres?

[vwdeviant 0]

presumably the notoation is the same on all UK/European tyres?

 

 

Yup, saw that on Saturday and went out and checked my Contis... date stamp at the end of the DOT line...

[vwdeviant 0]

MODS can we sticky this?? :salute:

[tyler 0]

I believe its a shelf life if your car has a tyre on which is used regularly it should be fine its when there have been in storage ect there get brittle... this is fairly old news though and think its a way off panicking people into spending there cash. how many people knows anyone where the tread have fallen off? it happens on lorrys as there use remolds ect

[Kempy 0]

very informative :salute:

[Alex_G60_Fanatic 0]

I believe its a shelf life if your car has a tyre on which is used regularly it should be fine its when there have been in storage ect there get brittle... this is fairly old news though and think its a way off panicking people into spending there cash. how many people knows anyone where the tread have fallen off? it happens on lorrys as there use remolds ect

Its not due to the storage, its down to the age. My friend (who happens to be a polymer chemist) told me that rubber perishes over time in the presence of oxygen. depending on the type of rubber it can take different lengths of time. For most tyre compounds its about 8 years.

[moneypit23 0]

The rears are 4 years old, one on the front is 7 years old :shock: and the other appears to have no date even though it is the same as the other one :scratch:

 

I'm not that worried about it though since we generally use softer tyres in the UK and are used to changing them regularly although i admit i'll probably change the front ones sooner rather than later after seeing that.

[Critical_Mass 10]

The rears are 4 years old, one on the front is 7 years old :shock: and the other appears to have no date even though it is the same as the other one :scratch:

 

I'm not that worried about it though since we generally use softer tyres in the UK and are used to changing them regularly although i admit i'll probably change the front ones sooner rather than later after seeing that.

 

That will be the same as said above i guess. The DOT info is on the same side of every tyre whether its for the left side of the car or front. So you will have to turn the steering wheel to see one of the DOT numbers

[StuartFZR400 0]

Who doesnt rip through a set each every couple years? And even then, if I went round to the rear, to do a swap front/rear, I always check the sidewalls for hints of cracking - which there never is. Someone already said it, if they're old(ish) you just need to ensure they're stored correctly (out of sunlight).

[Alex_G60_Fanatic 0]

Who doesnt rip through a set each every couple years? And even then, if I went round to the rear, to do a swap front/rear, I always check the sidewalls for hints of cracking - which there never is. Someone already said it, if they're old(ish) you just need to ensure they're stored correctly (out of sunlight).

 

I didnt say oldish i said 8 years or more. And cracking isnt the issue. As far as im aware its to do with the way the tyres are constructed.

 

Because of the way that a tyre is made in several layers, after prolonged storage in air the rubber on the INSIDE of the tyre reacts differently to the rubber on the OUTSIDE. This causes the different tyre compounds to shrink and crack away from each other. However, sometimes the inherent bond between the two materials is enough to stop anything visible from occurring. But when you subject the tyre to centrifugal force the two compounds separate at speed and your tyre bursts. It has nothing to do with "correct storage". As long as the tyre is subject to normal atmospheric conditions this will occur over time as a resultant chemical reaction between oxygen present in the air and the polymers present in the tyre. The only way that manufactures could prevent this during storage would be to keep the tyres in an argon atmosphere.

 

the reason i brought this to ppls attention is because in a previous thread i explained that I had previously purchaced tyres from Kwick Fit and they sold me "out of date" tyres. they where 8 years old at the time of sale! :mad2:

[StuartFZR400 0]

didnt read your 'other' thread. What you're talking about is real old stuff; Im talking storage for a year at most. For bike and car, im looking for the latest in tyre technology, as its an ever moving goal. If kwikfit sold you 8yr old tyres, Id demand a refund and tell them to pootle off and take heed of what most people say, dont go near them.

[the delta force 0]

I purchased two Dunlop Sport 9000s two weeks ago and one is from 2004, haven't checked the other yet.

 

Didn't pay VAT so no receipt.

[craigowl 0]

The Michelins on my Pug 205 were lasting for ever so I had her crushed. :wink:

[vwdeviant 0]

The Michelins on my Pug 205 were lasting for ever so I had her crushed. :wink:

 

The Boss had a set of those put on my Contour (US version of the Mundaino) after he dragged 2 wheels down a rockery backing out a drive post BBQ :gag: ...

 

They were actually Guarenteed for 30,000 miles! :shock: Needles to say they were hard as fook, and the car would spin up in 3rd in the damp (yes I had a US car a with Stick-shift! :clap: ) and boy did it drift on long corners, like say the on-off ramps of the Freeways... I've actually entered the I-400 with 4-wheel drift and a butthole the size of a micron!

 

They sucked, in fact they sucked so hard...even the donkey was crosseyed! :lol:

 

Hateful dangerous tyres...

[Alex_G60_Fanatic 0]

I purchased two Dunlop Sport 9000s two weeks ago and one is from 2004, haven't checked the other yet.

 

Didn't pay VAT so no receipt.

 

thats always a risk... :(

[craigowl 0]

At one time - about a generation ago - fussy motorists would not see past Michelins, they were THE tyre.

 

I agree they were hard and could be made to scrabble for grip even in town. They were expensive, too. People (even most young ones) prized durability and economy over grip, etc.

 

Now, looks like tyres made of Bluetac are a better idea for modern motoring, particularly if, like we two, no commuting is done to build up to 12k miles or more in a year.

 

I once asked on the forum about the best quality tyre to buy for use by those doing low annual mileages. Ideally we want one that will not still have 6mm of tread after 5 years!

 

Incidentally, checking the previous owner's invoices and my docs on purchasing Corrado in May 2002, I find the following, shock, horror, maybes aye maybes no!

1 - Two of tyres on car (Dunlop Sport) were bought at Kwikfit in May 1999 - he paid £254!!! including balancing & valve.

2 - Another tyre bought there November 2000. £126.

3 - Garage that sold car to me put on new one of same type (no charge of course) when preparing as "assured VAG group car" to be sold. This was in May 2002.

 

Car passed MOT all clear in May 2009 by local very fussy garage. Reckon I will have to get on down and check its shoes, though. :)