Just wondering if anyone here has experienced problems with using older tires on a vehicle. I'm talking about tires with overall good tread left and appearance but coming up on 10 years of age. I've read that 6 years is old but is some of that just marketing hype or are you "rolling the dice" with older tires?
Has anyone experienced issues with older tires?
- Thread starter 01CuHed
- Start date
Don't do it man. UV degrades rubber. Those tires that are 10 years old have had 10 years of exposure and degradation. That sidewall could let go at any time. Just isn't worth the risk on a road going vehicle.
Now...if you're building a trail only rig, that will be going slow? I'd be more inclined to take that gamble.
Now...if you're building a trail only rig, that will be going slow? I'd be more inclined to take that gamble.
Anything over 7 years is too old. 10 years is dangerous.
Don't run tires that are 10 years old, even if they look brand new. Any tire shop wouldn't even rotate those for you once they saw the date on them, as they have policies against changing tires that are over 7 years of age.
They say this is how Paul Walker died... due to old tires.
Don't run tires that are 10 years old, even if they look brand new. Any tire shop wouldn't even rotate those for you once they saw the date on them, as they have policies against changing tires that are over 7 years of age.
They say this is how Paul Walker died... due to old tires.
The tire vulcanization process is end less, this is what makes the rubber to degrade, get hard and loss its shape as the time pass.
Tire companies uses 5 years as a limit of life expectancy date and to be sure their legal responsability with them is over they stamp the manufacturing date on it.
With that said, You are really "rolling the dice"
Tire companies uses 5 years as a limit of life expectancy date and to be sure their legal responsability with them is over they stamp the manufacturing date on it.
With that said, You are really "rolling the dice"
I've had a old tire come apart on me going down the road. Not something I care to experience again.
From bf goodrich 10 years is the life span. On thier tires.
While the question is about spares they state "it is recommended that any tires in service 10 years or more from the date of manufacture, including spare tires, be replaced with new tires as a simple precaution even if such tires appear serviceable and even if they have not reached the legal wear limit.
https://www.bfgoodrichtires.com/faq...intenance/when-should-i-replace-my-spare-tire
While the question is about spares they state "it is recommended that any tires in service 10 years or more from the date of manufacture, including spare tires, be replaced with new tires as a simple precaution even if such tires appear serviceable and even if they have not reached the legal wear limit.
https://www.bfgoodrichtires.com/faq...intenance/when-should-i-replace-my-spare-tire
I had a set that was 15 years old. <20k miles on them and the tread was fine. One day I took them on a mild flat trail with a few rocks. When I checked my tires after I got home, 2 different tires had chunks of rubber broken off of them. That was one of the last time I drove those. Not worth the risk.
MARC CROMER
Member
This old thread really helped me decide. Thanks all.
I keep my 2000 TJ parked in the garage and use like a boat. The tires do not see the sunlight, but I am sure simply aging (continuous vulcanizing) will make them hard and dangerous. These are BFG KM from late 2011 and still have tread. The spare has never seen the ground.
What a waste, but on the bright side ... I still have a "new" TJ at 55K.
I keep my 2000 TJ parked in the garage and use like a boat. The tires do not see the sunlight, but I am sure simply aging (continuous vulcanizing) will make them hard and dangerous. These are BFG KM from late 2011 and still have tread. The spare has never seen the ground.
What a waste, but on the bright side ... I still have a "new" TJ at 55K.
I bought some older tires used because they looked fine, Swamper 35's. They lasted a few wheeling trips, then I had two side wall punctures. When I replaced the tires, the 'good' ones looked like they were deterioriating from the inside. I was going to keep 2 as spares, but ended up tossing all of them.
Jim King
TJ Enthusiast
From personal experience, they loose grip. Very noticeable when wet, and lock up easily even when dry.
When I bought my LJ in 2019, it came with Wrangler MT/Rs w/ Kevlar from 2006. The spare was unused and the rest still had decent tread lift. No noticeable sidewall cracking either. They probably could've lasted a bit longer, but with the AZ heat, I didn't want one to blowout on me on the highway.
I bought "new" Bridgestone tires for my wife's car. The tires were low profile and not a popular size. 3 of 4 had catastrophic pressure loss within 5000 miles, at three different occasions. The tire shop said they were run underinflated.
I check tires pressure regularly, but don' t record the numbers. After the last failure, I remembered, my local mechanic just did an oil change and tire rotation 200 miles prior to the failure. I called and asked what pressure did they use, and it was correct. I felt comfortable that the good tires should be able to maintain pressure for at least 200 miles. The tire shop would not budge on reimbursement or credit for new tires.
While I was removing the last "new" tire, I looked at the date code. The tires I was sold were 6 years old. I didn't feel it was Bridgestones fault for one of their dealers to sell old tire, but I felt Steve Shannon Tire and Auto should have provided replacement tires.
I didn't want to get into a pissing match with Steve Shannon Tire and Auto, but vowed to relay my bad experience with Steve Shannon Tire and Auto every chance I get. If anyone is ever in PA, I would avoid Steve Shannon Tire and Auto.
OP, sorry for the rant, but I don't recommend using old tires. I have another experience about a free unused motorcycle knobby tire given to me, that was 15 years old, but I'll save that for another time
I check tires pressure regularly, but don' t record the numbers. After the last failure, I remembered, my local mechanic just did an oil change and tire rotation 200 miles prior to the failure. I called and asked what pressure did they use, and it was correct. I felt comfortable that the good tires should be able to maintain pressure for at least 200 miles. The tire shop would not budge on reimbursement or credit for new tires.
While I was removing the last "new" tire, I looked at the date code. The tires I was sold were 6 years old. I didn't feel it was Bridgestones fault for one of their dealers to sell old tire, but I felt Steve Shannon Tire and Auto should have provided replacement tires.
I didn't want to get into a pissing match with Steve Shannon Tire and Auto, but vowed to relay my bad experience with Steve Shannon Tire and Auto every chance I get. If anyone is ever in PA, I would avoid Steve Shannon Tire and Auto.
OP, sorry for the rant, but I don't recommend using old tires. I have another experience about a free unused motorcycle knobby tire given to me, that was 15 years old, but I'll save that for another time
I bought my Dads Dodge Dakota for my son to drive. Tires were over 11 years old and the truck had been garaged when my Dad owned it. Tires looked great but I replaced them anyway. The new tires were certainly an improvement as with the older tires the rear tires had a hard time getting a grip from a stop in the rain.