Aged Tires

How old is too old for low mileage tires?

I found a set of tires from a Corvette that are nearly new with only a few miles on them but after asking about the date code I found out the tires are from 2005 (32nd and 20th weeks). Would you run these on your daily driver?

I had an 8 year old tire literally explode on me while on the freeway so I'd be wary. However, I think if they're stored correctly (indoors, no light) they should be OK but someone else who knows more than me will hopefully chime in and verify/deny that claim.

I'd have to look at them carefully, and find out how they were stored. I'd likely run them if they aren't weather checked and were stored in plastic out of the sun and extreme temps (hot or cold).

anything over 5 years i refuse to use on a vehicle. regardless of storage.

Tires have the most important impact on your vehicle's performance (including emergency braking!) so it's something that should be taken into consideration.

The TireRack seems to suggest that 6 years is max but depends on environmental factors and how they have been stored/taken care of.

Good luck with your decision!

I've got ten year old tires on the back of my car and they're significantly grippier than the 5 year old tires on the front.

That said... tire grip degrades markedly after three years or the first 3/32 of wear, since most of the early-stage wear isn't "wear" but evaporation. Ever notice that tires wear quickly at first, then seem to go on forever? That's why.

Snow tires I throw out after one winter. New snows beat 1 year old snows on ice in ways that are incredible, and isn't "awesome grip" the point of snows in the first place?

Wow, ya'll are picky. A tire doesn't explode because it is old, a tire explodes because of improper inflation, road hazard, liner damage etc.

Are you smart enough to glance at the tires every now and then for cracks? Perhaps check the pressures? I'd run them.

KATYB wrote: anything over 5 years i refuse to use on a vehicle. regardless of storage.

Wow. That's hardcore.

I'm leary of anything more than 5 years old

FWIW, at work right now is a 302-engined MGB (the headers are ART) with Dunlop GT Qualifiers with the old tread pattern. Date code, if I'm remembering right, is 1992.

Where do you find 205/60-14 tires nowadays?

OctaneNation wrote: The TireRack seems to suggest that 6 years is max but depends on environmental factors and how they have been stored/taken care of.

yeah...they are totally impartial

I'd run em' if they are free of any dry-rot cracks. Just don't push it.

The grip inducing volatile compounds outgas long before the rubber starts to crack and look bad.

i guess i was driving on borrowed time last winter when i was driving that Celebrity with tires on the front that my brother bought new in 1999...

So I guess the winning driver in the vintage class at Pikes Peak shouldn't have been running 25 year old BFG Comp T/A R1's then Tech inspection never batted an eye, but apparently a Michilen rep's head imploded when he saw 'em.

I was not thrilled with installing some 5 year old tires on my wife's car this morning. But they only need to last 3 months till the snows go on. New rubber in the spring.

The Old Man's tires were tires in the academic sense in that they were round and had once been made of rubber.

I have only one rule when it comes to tires- they must hold air at least over night

I'm guessing the Michelin XZX's on the Spitty are probably from 1990 and and have less than 3,000 miles on them. The car didn't become drivable until around 1998. It's parked inside all the time and the tires are not cracked at all. It pretty much only gets driven to club meeetings and a few local events. If I could replace them with the same tire at anything close to the same price, maybe I would.

If they were stored sealed, out of the sun, I'd think about it for a gently-driven street vehicle...otherwise no. Could still be good for an epic burnout/donut video.

Condition of the tire along with age is something to consider. If the sidewalls and/or tread show cracking, I would replace them. My truck has older Maxxis Bravo tires (Commercial LT) but they have no cracking and I have no problem driving on them. Of course they are as hard as rocks being commercial tires. I will end up replacing them just for age, they just don't seem like they will wear out anytime soon.

RoadRaceDart wrote: So I guess the winning driver in the vintage class at Pikes Peak shouldn't have been running 25 year old BFG Comp T/A R1's then Tech inspection never batted an eye, but apparently a Michilen rep's head imploded when he saw 'em.

I was just thinking about Jess' car too.

Ran the original tires on my Liberty for 8 years until they wore out.

My Dad has a 1991 Corvette that he bought a month before i got married. Stil has the original tires on it, I'm ashamed to say. He says he only drives it to playgolf once a month and promises no mre banzai runs.I think he's nuts!