Safety of old tires

[SoCalCoupe]

It's hard to search for old threads on tire age so I'll start a new one.

Was looking at the date codes of the tires on my '41 purchased just 18 months ago. They're over 20 years old. They've obviously been indoors over 99% of the time and have almost zero wear. Nevertheless, rubber breaks down over time.

I've heard that even perfectly good looking tires over 10 years old can be unsafe. A couple of years ago I sent some 10 year old Michelin's to the dump just because I didn't want to stick someone with something that was potentially lethal. Sure, they might look good but, well, I don't know......don't want to put someone's life at risk for any price.

Anyway, I think I'm going to send my 20+ year-old tires to the dump and buy some cheater radials that look like original pie-crust tires. I need every safety advantage I can muster driving an 82 year old car on Interstate 5.

Welcome your thoughts.

[1948F-1Pickup]

Age has become a big deal. The composition of what’s in the rubber has obviously changed. I don’t remember tires going “south” at the rapid rate they do these days…..

[J Franklin]

You could offer your old tires to someone that needs rollers or parade tires and keep them out of the landfill. I use tires till they won't hold air any longer. A new tire can blow out too.

[Ggmac]

Please consider selling the tires as rollers for someone that has a long term project or someone trying different sizes . Suggest a written sales agreement stating your concerns.
Just something that could help another enthusiast.

[ronn]

as GG has said.

Ive bought several sets of 5 for 100. on cl.

I rarely drive the cars, local and they would be fine in a parade or for just showing the car off.

[corvette8n]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

https://www.productliabilityadvocate...hits-the-road/

Look like Mass proposed this in 2014, someone who lives in that state will have to comment.

[1942deluxe]

Brad, not to highjack the thread but the DOT markings on the 46 Fordor I just started on are DOT E4 062. Maybe 1962?. Not showing signs of cracking but at least new tubes are probably a good idea until I'm ready for new ones. When in doubt, replace!

[RKS.PA]

Also, seem to recall you drive your coupe quite a bit, but don't remember if you're venturing out on the freeways down there in So Cal. Have always thought of tires as relatively cheap insurance!!

[AnthonyG]

‘In My Humble Opinion’ I have 4 collectible Rides, 3 that get less than 300-500 miles per yr! On the one I run 1500-3000 miles a year I’m more cautious as I push it hard & fast occasionally but even that one like the others I watch for signs more than age! All are garaged & out of extreme temp change as the garage is under a heated area. I like most of u probably have run tires when younger that were Probly 10 yrs used when I bought. Even then used the same rational. Check frequently when signs dictated I’d dump them & get a fresher set! Truthfully only a couple times in 57 yrs & have never had an issue. The way a car is used ie lotsa mile or few, garaged or not, lotsa sun or shade etc! Also what the tires look like, ie chalkiness, cracks, flexibility, is it outside mostly in shade or sun etc! If I changed mine based on date code I’d have 2 cars less over 57 yrs as the $s woulda gone to tires! Again all this is ‘In My Humble Opinion’, the Gov & Tire makers are in bed together & a lot of what we read is based on that, ‘In My Humble Opinion’!

[Mike34]

Originally Posted by corvette8n

https://www.productliabilityadvocate...hits-the-road/

Look like Mass proposed this in 2014, someone who lives in that state will have to comment.

Never made it. Annual inspections do not look at tire codes.

[50fordcoupeman]

Have to ask, is the cost of a set of tires worth an injury at best let alone a flat or blowout ripping the fender off? Tires usually disenegrate on the inside but can look good on the outside. I had two 5 year old tires come apart last year on my pickup with a car on the trailer. ..............

[Zeke3]

I thought safe old tires was an oxymoron.

[JayChicago]

Originally Posted by 1942deluxe

Brad, not to highjack the thread but the DOT markings on the 46 Fordor I just started on are DOT E4 062. Maybe 1962?. Not showing signs of cracking but at least new tubes are probably a good idea until I'm ready for new ones. When in doubt, replace!

I believe "062" means the sixth week of 1992. Or 1982. (or 1972?) Yeah, one digit for the year doesn't tell you which decade! After 2000, manufactures were required to use two digits for the year.

[1942deluxe]

Jay, they were on the car when I bought it in 1991 and I think had been for awhile. I'm guessing the 1982. Mystery solved I think. Found a repair order from 1/15/1984 for 4 tires and tubes installed for $220 plus mounting and balancing. Work was done in Oblong, Illinois.

[Kube]

Originally Posted by 50fordcoupeman

Have to ask, is the cost of a set of tires worth an injury at best let alone a flat or blowout ripping the fender off? Tires usually disenegrate on the inside but can look good on the outside. I had two 5 year old tires come apart last year on my pickup with a car on the trailer. ..............

Ya know, I never quite bought into "replace every five years or so"...
UNTIL I spoke with a friend of mine that owns the Local Merlin Muffler shop. Like me, he didn't buy into that claim either.
Not until he started finding beautiful tires (on the outside) and separating plies on the inside.
I've got a number of sports cars that each get driven maybe 1500 miles a year. Replaced every set just last year. Like others have stated... not worth the risk.

[Model51]

The culprit is oxygen in the air. Oxygen reacts with the rubber compounds and "oxidizes" them over time reducing the internal adhesion and structure of the rubber. Normal air does this on the outside of the tire and on the inside. This is why some tire shops fill new tires with relatively pure dry nitrogen gas. Air is 76% nitrogen and 13% oxygen and the remainder is other gases.

I normally get new tires every 5-7 years on my modern daily driver cars so the breakdown of the rubber isn't an issue. One of our club members had not one, but two blowouts 5 miles apart in his '49 Woodie, in traffic, on I-95 last summer. Thankfully no injuries to anyone or the Woodie. He was able to get 4 new tires and continue the journey. On inspection, the tires looked great on the outside, but inside the ones that didn't blow out were all checked and delaminating. The tires were 10 years old.

Like others have said, a set of tires might cost a bit, but far less than the cost of an accident and injury.

I have a set of rollers on my truck which must be at least 60 years old. They hold air just fine but will never go any further on my truck than my driveway.

[frnkeore]

I'm on the reckless, endangering mine and others life side but, I've had a lot of experience with NOS tires, w/o any failures.

BUT, I'm not encouraging anyone doing as I do!!!

98% of tire failure come from under inflation and defectively made tires.

I'm a machinist and have worked in rubber molds. One of my employers from '74, worked for Firestone, in the '60's. Firestone have a lot of defective tires, until Bridgestone took them over. I had a new set of Pet Boys branded tire, in '63 and 3 of the 4 blew out at fwy speeds. I asked him about that and he told me that Firestone made those tires. Up until foreign made tires, came on the sceen, there were only 3 tire manufacturers in the US. Firestone, Goodyear and BF Goodrich. All other brands were made by them.

Before my step father died, he put a new set of premium Goodyear tires on his GMC van. I got the van after he died, the tires were 2 years old. I had 2 of those blow out at fwy speeds (one down town Sac @ 4pm (front), in the inside lane). I thought it might have been under inflation that caused it but, a few months later after making sure all the tires were at 32 lb, I had a rear blow out!!!

I recently bought a pair of race tires and was taking to the long standing tire guy and brought that up and he said Goodyear had defective tire issues in the early 2000's, when those tires were new.

Compression rubber molds are (the way tires are made) are vulcanized together with heat. And after that if the rubber gets to hot, it looses it strength and it's bonding ability to hold the carcass the materials, that make it strong (Nylon, Rayon, Steel) together, then at what ever temp that is (maybe 300+ deg) it suddenly comes apart.

Running a tire @ low pressure, allows the carcass to flex and the flexing creates heat. That heat is what causes the tire to blow out.

Again, don't do as I do, I'm just telling you why tires fail.

[Ken/Alabama]

Originally Posted by Zeke3

I thought safe old tires was an oxymoron.

My thinking exactly ! I’ve seen a couple 39-40 Fords that had a blowout on the left rear and it took out the gas filler pipe then spilled gas which ignited from the sparks and burned the car to the ground. I change my no later than five years no matter how good they look on the outside.

[SoCalCoupe]

That's settled then. No 20+ year old tires on the interstate for me.

Read through a lot of threads here and on the H.A.M.B. and already decided on Diamondback Auburn radial blackwalls: 600R16, the original size.

Consensus is they need radial tubes. Oddly Diamondback doesn't seem to sell tubes. The only ones I've found so far are Coker's from Speedway. Any recommendations?

[JayChicago]

You sure DiamondBack doesn't sell tubes? Maybe just not shown on their web site catalog? When I bought their expensive Auburn tires six years ago, the order-taker added radial tubes for only $10 per tube. No doubt would be more now.