Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

I just added an album with 4 pictures that should make you think about running old tires, whether bias ply or radial. A friend of mine lost a 40 coupe due to a LR blowout taking out the filler neck and starting a fire. This was on the way to a rod run with a full tank of gas.
Look at pictures in my album MISC.
[IMG]https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/pictu...ictureid=41913[/IMG]

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

Tires don't need to show excess tread wear to be dangerous. Sun exposure and the natural ozone in the air degrades the rubber. Unless the tires are shielded in the garage, or covered outside when stored, ten years is well past due for replacement. Even then they are on borrowed time.

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

Odds are that this may not happen to any body else but it sure gets one to thinking about adding a substantial shield ahead of the filler pipe to possibly prevent this from happening, bad tire or not.

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

Out of the 8 cars and trucks I have, only one has tires newer than 10 years. I will take my chances.

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Agreed, I've been thinking of fabbing up a shield like a '46-48 mud guard and attaching it to the fender brace and body behind the driver rear on my '40 after hearing about this.

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

Agreed. I'd go broke buying tires every ten years.

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

I had taken my 39 for a wheel alignment and tire balance. A good mechanic read the numbers on my tires (which were on the car when purchased) told me they were out of round and 13 years old.

Ordered new set from tire rack for $320 bucks. I do feel safer at 65 on highway.

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

deuce roadster, Not say that running old tire is a good idea but I am a fact based kind person. How old were his tires and what actually caused the blowout? Did he hit something, did the thread separate from the tire, what actually created the blowout?

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

Recently bought a 40 standard coupe that was built a number of years ago. I knew even though the tires looked new they had some age on them. When my guy took the old tires and wheels and new tires to the tire shop they wondered why we were replacing them. He looked at the date on the old tires and they were dated 2000. I then checked my delivery which had 11 year old tires and my 3 window which had 13 year old tires. They are all being replaced.

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

Shu47, when a tire blows out on the open road and burns up, I don't know how you would determine what caused it. What he said was that he was driving along on a smooth road and it let go. All he would admit to was it was over 10 years old and maybe closer to 20. Was running 32 lbs in each tire.
Another friend of mine recently had the RR tire on his 33 3w have half the tread separate from the casing (stayed attached at one end) and it beat the s**t out of his rear fender. This tire was 18 years old.
He ordered a new set from Diamondback.

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

My '68 Fairlane still has the tires that I put in '91. Yeah, I don't run them above 35 or so and they still look like new (been inside all those years)...

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

We all have insurance, this is just another 50 a year over 10 for new tires. With todays texting drivers I would prefer to not have to pull off the road for anything. JMO

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

My tyres are quite old. It is very important to be alert and listening for any changes in noise as the car is driving along. Any sudden increase in noise level can mean a tyre is about to blow. It happened to me once in an old BMW I was able to stop and change the wheel. I heard a sudden noise increase in my Valiant and stopped. All was ok, it was just a change in road surface. Better safe than sorry.

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

I run old tires, best solution I have is to not run any fenders, there’s nothing to hit if it blows! :)

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

Just this month at the Tri-Five nationals in Bowling Green Ky a Gentleman lost his life after the 55 Chevy he was driving wound up on its roof on I-65 tossing him from the car. Cause was determined to be a blowout from outdated tires. So sad.

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

But I am smart enough to have seatbelts!

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

In the early 80s we got a 46 ton and half truck, it had original tires on it, bald to the cord, went to the local recapper, he took a look at the tires, saw "s4"-- nylon cord, said no problem, full core values, they got recapped and sold, after using the truck for 10 years we sold it to a guy moving a airplane coast to coast, he made it in 4 days, I don't think he drove slow

So it would be interesting to know--- were they tubeless mounted on original rims???

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

Mart>>>My tyres are quite old. It is very important to be alert and listening for any changes in noise>>>


This. Even a sidewall bubble on a bias or radial gives a warning. And can happen on a new tire on a curb hit. Don't get too comfy with brand new tires either.



Jack E/NJ

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

were they tubeless mounted on original rims???
Kurt in NJ is offline Report Post
I think this is the most important question.
Tom

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

I can't believe those guys that say I'll take my chances.

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

hotcoupe, No they were NOT original 16" wheels but late model 15" wheels. There is a picture of the LR wheel in my album MISC.

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

Quite frankly I'm appalled at some of the irresponsible comments in this thread. It isn't just about "me me me", it reflects on all of us.

Endangering the lives of your fellow old car enthusiasts AND THEIR FAMILIES doesn't seem entirely reasonable especially from people who SHOULD AND PROBABLY DO know better.

Spending many 1,000s of dollars on engines, paint and upholstery only to jeopardize that investment over a $500 dollar bill spent on the single most important piece of safety equipment [tires]?? Really??

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

Gene1949, Right on, the owner of the burned up coupe had his wife and grandson in the car and luckily, everyone got out safely.

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

That’s more like a $1500 bill to ship tires to Alaska. Unless you go with modern = ugly tires, that are available, then it’s only $1000. Ever since the US post office stopped letting you mail tires here. UPS/ Fedex rape you on freight.

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

Yeah not to call anyone out,,, but,,, it ( tire failure ) happens all the time to regular cars.

I used to teach safety courses. One thought that I came up with is simple, 'Some injuries last for a lifetime'. If you check out the pictures in deuce roadster's Misc pic file you see the face of a man that really wants to cry.

Hey 'deuce roadster' thanks for sharing those valuable pics.
I have six cars sitting, none pass the date test. I can promise I'll never drive them on anything other than new tires.


!!!

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

A bones, If making people aware of what old tires can do prevents 1 loss or tragedy, then I am happy. I used to be the designated safety person for the 21s floor of a high rise in Seattle and the topic is always on my mind. (was trained as a combat medic 1970-1976)

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

No kidding.

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

In all my years of driving I've never had a tire blow out. And I run them til they look well worn or weather checked. The problem I am seeing is that modern tires are poor quality compared to the old ones. Especially agricultural tires. Guys complain about "Good for a year" tires but I'm running 27 year old Goodyears on a tractor that still look good for many more years. On the other hand I am replacing a couple of 4 year old "Eastone" implement tire that have developed tread bulges and sidewall cracks in their short life.

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

As far as storage goes, this coupe has always been garage kept.

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I am with Ralph G on this one ,Less quality = more tyre sales . Years ago we produced firestone Vintage 16 " tyres down here in NZ I put these on my 35 in the 80s, I am still running them in near perfect shape ,I guess we used genuine rubber .The Moulds were sold to --- tyres in the 90s. Due to a accident I damaged a tyre so the replacement came from ---- ,just last year I noticed a treed delaminating it was the --- tyre 10 years younger than the others ,its like light bulbs Edison worked hard at getting a bulb to last ,now the Chine's or who ever works hard to make them fail .

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Just had 2 on My Jeep CJ come apart in the garage as I backed it out 7yrs old the tires they build now are crap.My 71 Monte Carlo has the org spare in it.I drive the CJ most all the time but you have to check tires.My 40 has Coker tires about 10yrs or so

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

Some states are kicking around the idea of including tire age in the annual inspection process, 10 years seem to be the number.

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I had a tire blow out at 75 mph on a 63 Buick 225 that I bought. the car was garage kept but I Never checked the date on the tires,they were 12 years old, fortunately the only problem was the Old Guy changing a tire in 80 degree weather. Also the tire and wheel were destroyed. Then i found out the tires on the 40 were at least ten years old. Guess who got two new sets of tires.

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I had a friend who was bringing his very nice diesel pusher motorhome back to Kentucky, after wintering in sunny Florida. His wife and her twin sister were with him. He blew a front right tire, while driving about 65 which caused him to lose control and ran off the right side of I-10 near Tallahassee. The tire came apart, taking out the propane tank which was near it, igniting that fuel source. They all three died. Not sure how old the tires were, but the MH was over 10 yrs old and the tires had been replaced. Tires do fail without warning! Especially when older. I have blown at least three rear tires on my unit over the years. Thankfully never a front.

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

I have read (on the H.A.M.B.) that radial tires are much more likely to lose a chunk of their tread than bias-plies. Of course, that may be due to the notable bias they have towards bias-ply tires over there. (Biased towards bias-ply? Did I say that?):D

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I feel badly for the gentleman in the last pix, but do love the tie-dyed shirt.

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

I have had 2 Goodyear radials with sidewall bulges. They both had lots of tread left on them. Have a set of Coker bias plys on the old Ford about 2 years old. I'm keeping an eye on them.

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

You are taking a big chance, especially if they have been in the sun much. Then it's no longer a chance but a certainty.

Re: Risk of using old (over 10 years) tires
 

What about the 35?

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Old cars are already on all the environmentalists lists. About the time someone makes a school bus swerve and tip over and they trace it back to old tires gives them more fuel for the fires. I have three cars in the shed that I won't drive because of old tires.