Somewhat old stock tires?

I just got a set of General Altimax Artic from tirebuyer, with a date code 3511, making them nearly two and a half years old. That's kinda pushing it for "new", isn't it? Should I complain or just go have them mounted and forget about it?

It depends on how many miles you are going to put on them per year. If you're going to through them quickly, I wouldn't bother. If you aren't, it seldom hurts to complain. In theory, they are good for 6 years but since those are "warehouse" years they aren't as harmful.

In reply to Kenny_McCormic:

I don't know how the tire industry gets away with it. Tires age a lot especially softer compounds. I did buy some 2008 and 2011 date Kumhos this year, but they were advertised as such. Did you get a discount on them?

The Dunlop Z1SS I got through Tire Rack in 2011 were produced in 2009...I didn't have any problems with them though and they still looked and smelled "fresh."

Really depends on how they're stored. As long as they are in a temp controlled room with no natural light they will be alright. Its the ones stored on racks on the showroom that you have to be worried about.

Bobzilla wrote: Really depends on how they're stored. As long as they are in a temp controlled room with no natural light they will be alright. Its the ones stored on racks on the showroom that you have to be worried about.

A small dealer near my office has a bunch out exposed to the weather 24x7, most with no wheels in them

Bobzilla's got this one. IF stored a certain way, there is hardly any downside to sitting for a year or two.

My Blizzaks are 6 yrs old and still durometer the same as new. Stored in my dark, cool celler.

Got them mounted and bolted them on the car tonight, went around the block. Holy E36 M3, these things are berkeleying magical, It handles as good on icy snow covered roads as it did with Altimax HPs on cool wet roads. Haven't even checked the pressures yet. I can't wait for them to break in.

Bobzilla wrote: Really depends on how they're stored. As long as they are in a temp controlled room with no natural light they will be alright. Its the ones stored on racks on the showroom that you have to be worried about.

This here.

Some cronies at the Tire Rack discussed a test they did a couple years ago on Pilot Sport Cups, where they took tires that were two years old from the warehouse and tested them against fresh ones using their standard testing procedures. No difference.

They did this because many highly specific performance tires (like PSC, which is OE on the GT3) have low demand and end up sitting in the warehouse for long periods. Plus, the market for those tires tends to be discerning (picky) about their purchases.

Andy Hollis wrote:

Bobzilla wrote: Really depends on how they're stored. As long as they are in a temp controlled room with no natural light they will be alright. Its the ones stored on racks on the showroom that you have to be worried about.

This here. Some cronies at the Tire Rack discussed a test they did a couple years ago on Pilot Sport Cups, where they took tires that were two years old from the warehouse and tested them against fresh ones using their standard testing procedures. No difference. They did this because many highly specific performance tires (like PSC, which is OE on the GT3) have low demand and end up sitting in the warehouse for long periods. Plus, the market for those tires tends to be discerning (picky) about their purchases.

I see people come in here wanting to know the production codes of the tires we sell because of some expose they saw on 60 minutes or something warning about the dangers of old tires. Our tires are kept inside, no direct sunlight and temp controlled. But they don't know that, they only know the sound bites they heard.

i bought the tires on my Regal in 2004... they are still round and they still hold air... kinda sketchy on rainy days, tho, but they were never excellent in those conditions when they were new..