10 year old tires with good tread

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Join Date: Apr 2010

Location: Seacoast NH

Posts: 1,063

Should 10 year old tires, with good tread, be replaced

The 96 that I bought has a set of Bridgestone Eagers that are about 10 years old. However, the car only has 41K on it and is on its third set of tires according to the records that I have. So the Bridgestones probably have fewer than 10,000 miles on them.

I think I've read that older tires should be replaced and these don't seem as sticky as I'd like.

I only drive the car in the summer (well three season) and don't do any autox (yet). But I like to drive and don't baby the car.

I've pretty much convinced myself to get a set of Michelin Pilot Exaltos but I hate the idea of throwing away tires with lots of tread left. But if the tires aren't safe I don't want to be driving on them.

Should older tires be replaced (10 years or more)?

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Jack
Red 1996 PEP (sold), 2006 Forester, 2012 V6 Mustang
"Luck is when opportunity knocks and you answer."

Third gear

Join Date: Jul 2009

Location: florida

Posts: 313

Absolutely should be replaced!..A couple of weeks in ICU would cost a whole lot more..lol.
Check the sidewall for the date of manufacture. Its not worth it to cut corners on tires or brakes.

Second gear

Join Date: Feb 2008

Location: rowlett, tx

Posts: 208

You will have ZERO grip on wet pavement. I bought a set of NB wheels with old tires with deep tread and ended up doing a 360 on a highway ramp, popped the entire car over a curb, ruined a new to me NB wheel, bent my lower control arm bolt and paid a mechanic to fix. I hope that answers your question. You cannot get a new set of tires on the car quick enough!

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2006 RED Grand Touring

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Join Date: Apr 2010

Location: Seacoast NH

Posts: 1,063

Thank you, I'll replace them; I have to buy the Michelins tomorrow to get the rebate.

It's not going to be raining and I'll take it easy on the way.

June 2003 is the date of manufacture.

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Jack
Red 1996 PEP (sold), 2006 Forester, 2012 V6 Mustang
"Luck is when opportunity knocks and you answer."

Third gear

Join Date: Jun 2006

Location: USA

Posts: 630

sell the old tires to a drifter when you get your new ones

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99 Sport STR Build

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Join Date: Jul 2005

Location: Tualatin, Oregon

Posts: 4,554

^^^I do this to all of my aged-out sets of tires.

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2009 SCCA Solo E-Stock National Champion (tire warmer)

Lost my brakes

Join Date: Nov 2009

Location: Driftless Zone

Posts: 18,306

Would you throw out eggs that are four years past their expiration date if the shells still looked intact?

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What is straight? A line can be straight, or a street, but the human heart, oh, no, it's curved like a road through mountains. ~Tennessee Williams

Fourth gear

Join Date: Apr 2010

Location: Seacoast NH

Posts: 1,063

Quote:

Originally Posted by RubyDoo

Would you throw out eggs that are four years past their expiration date if the shells still looked intact?

Of course, I'd throw the eggs at you for trolling; there is no expiration date on the tires only a date of manufacture.

If there were an expiration date I wouldn't have asked

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Jack
Red 1996 PEP (sold), 2006 Forester, 2012 V6 Mustang
"Luck is when opportunity knocks and you answer."

Wheels flew off

Join Date: Nov 1999

Location: Calgary, AB, Canada

Posts: 35,839

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack_B

Of course, I'd throw the eggs at you for trolling; there is no expiration date on the tires only a date of manufacture.

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Cheers, Gordon
96 Italia - powered by Rocketeer Jaguar 3.0L V6. Build thread
17 RF GT Grand Sport, Soul Red

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Join Date: Nov 2008

Location: Florida's Space Coast

Posts: 7,059

Take it from 2 people who experienced a blowout at 80mph 2 weeks after purchasing their Miata. REPLACE The tires you mention!

Our tires looked BEAUTIFUL.... and were later found to be dangerous as heck. They were 10yrs old. o, forgot to mention the second blowout about 5mi later.

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1993 "Alfred"

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Join Date: Apr 2010

Location: Seacoast NH

Posts: 1,063

Thanks everyone

I'll try not to think about what could have happened (I hope I make it to the garage)

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Jack
Red 1996 PEP (sold), 2006 Forester, 2012 V6 Mustang
"Luck is when opportunity knocks and you answer."

Fifth gear

Join Date: Jul 2003

Location: dc metro

Posts: 2,846

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack_B

there is no expiration date on the tires only a date of manufacture.

If there were an expiration date I wouldn't have asked

The reason there isn't an expiration date is because there are too many uncontrolled factors that determine when a tire is well and truly expired. A tire left in a dark room filled with argon at 40% relative humidity and 60F will last a really long time. A tire left to bake in the sun in Death Valley, and then run over loaded and under inflated and over rough terrain will expire much sooner.

Studies have been done by well meaning people. They are not conclusive by any means but they offer some good generalizations. I would consider any tire >6 years old to be expired regardless of tread depth. But I place a high value on safety and I can afford to replace tires when I want to.

http://blog.tirerack.com/blog/hunter...span-of-a-tire

http://www.nhtsa.gov/Research/Vehicl...8VRTC%29/Tires

Fifth gear

Join Date: Jan 2012

Location: NE Louisiana

Posts: 2,239

I have several cars that have "dated" tires and only run them at low speeds on an occasional basis. These unregistered vehicles will get new tires when they are road worthy/ready.

Good question that all should contemplate, as Safety is priceless!

Sixth Gear

Join Date: Aug 2008

Location: Beside the Orange Curtain

Posts: 9,939

Five or six years sounds good regardless of adequate tread depth for a daily driver or weekend ride, not that any tire wouldn't be worn out after that long on the road. Like was stated, you could probably go longer with your climate controlled garage queen but then you're certainly not pushing those tires are you.

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"You crossed the finish line. Won the race, but lost your mind. Was it worth it after all?" � Lazlo Bane

Fifth gear

Join Date: Sep 2007

Location: Long Island, NY

Posts: 2,690

Here's what TireRack has to say on Tire aging:

Nothing Lasts Forever...and Tires Are No Exception
Should Drivers Replace Old Tires Even if Their Treads Aren't Worn Out?

The synopsis is :"Our experience has been that when properly stored and cared for, most street tires have a useful life in service of between six to ten years. ".

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2007 True Red GT, Black interior, 6MT, PP1, AP1, Spoiler

License revoked

Join Date: Sep 2012

Location: Delta BC

Posts: 12,650

When I sold my 1951 Ford Prefect to a mad gentleman last year, included in the spares were two tires, both original on rims, both with air in them (don't know if the air was original).

My rule with tires is simple, do not compromise.

Lost my brakes

Join Date: Nov 2009

Location: Driftless Zone

Posts: 18,306

My point about eggs is that you can't tell their condition by looking at them ... kinda like tires. We are quite sure that old eggs that look fine should be tossed, but we hate the idea of tossing tires that look fine. To your credit, you are willing to replace yours and came here to ask, so I apologize if my example sounded like a personal attack.

Eggs can last for widely varying amounts of time too. The expiration date on them is not nearly as exact as on other foods, like milk. Four years beyond the recommended date would be quite foolish, of course. The reason they have a recommended date instead of a came-out-of-the-chicken date is that nearly nobody, myself included, knows how long they ought to last in normal prudent storage. Like tires ... few are aware of the six-year standard, or even that there is a date to be found on the tire.

I predict that tires will soon bear a "replace by" date for the same reason. Except count on it to be more conservative than the six-year standard lest tiremakers be sued by rockheads driving sketchy tires and saying "they weren't expired yet." Doh. As if I should also drink new milk that sat in the car all day. At least the tiremakers could make the manufacture date clear instead of an arcane code.

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What is straight? A line can be straight, or a street, but the human heart, oh, no, it's curved like a road through mountains. ~Tennessee Williams