Tire aging issue..how well do tires mature?

[ottocycle]

Hi guys. Not a Seven specific question but one I think many might be interested in. I took my old Jag out for a run today and one of my Goodyears blew out on me- steel wires coming out through the sidewall. I don't believe I hit or drove over anything. The tires are 10 years old and have plenty of thread left, I think they aged out. Has anyone any real information (not marketing spiel) on tire longevity- as against wear. I put less than 2,000 miles per year on it so they will rot before they wear out. I don't drive her like the Caterham so traction is not as big an issue as it is in my Caterham. Does any manufacturer have a formula that gives them an edge over another manufacturer or is it personal preference and like comparing a Ford with a Chevy.

I have not read anything on the subject anywhere and wondered if anyone can educate me.

Thanks everyone.

[speedwagon]

have a pair of 15" rag tires from the early 60s on the back of my fiberglass dune buggy, they get to 85mph regular, non English speakers not so well. wouldn't trust a current offshore tire when new. But it would be interesting to see unbiased data as there are about 4 yr old coopers on my xj8.

[Anker]

The general rule is that you shouldn't use tires that are more than 6 years old!

[mel kuipers]

I have a 9 year old set of Falkens. They have lots of tread on them, and are not weather checked in any way. Looking at them only, they would sell for new. In autoX they are 3 seconds slower than new ones. Often 4 seconds. (I know this because of cording a set oh Hoosiers but not having the replacements in inventory). I try to replace tires at 3 years to insure maximum performance. Oh, and I put 209 miles on my 7 this year.

[Anker]

6 years is the recommended life span for a set of tires.

[John B]

For me personally a lot depends on the intended use. Generally, these are my criteria for cycling tires.

 

Daily Driver used for routine local errands:

Black

Round

Tread remains

Hold air

 

High performance street car:

four above plus the 6-year life.

 

Race car:

6 heat cycles.

[Pokey]

I've thought the rule of thumb was 10 years max, with the emphasis on max as tire quality and use are factors. I recently replaced a set on a truck that aged out and recall at the time trying to find out what tire manufacturers said on the topic. If memory serves most avoid an explicit age limit but 10 years is mentioned when it does come up.

 

I was okay with leaving 10 year old tires on a truck used for local errands, but a six year limit seems more reasonable in general.

[Lancefitzgiben]

Not all tires are created equal, and environment plays a major role as well. My date code '14 CR500's were cracking pretty badly on the inside sidewall as of early '19. The car is stored inside and doesn't spend a lot of time out in the sun - I think the Avons might just be built a little lighter (they are, but you know what I mean). I've seen other tires hold on for a lot longer but any tires that sit around for more than a few years need to be inspected, it's simply not worth an accident.

 

All that said, it's a great excuse to drive the Cat as intended - the tires aren't making it out alive either way!

[CarlB]

Tires are made out of a number of things and all of them have hydrocarbons. The hydrocarbons start evaporating as soon as the tire is made. The only thing we are discussing is how fast and how the evaporation affects the other components.