Death on an old tire with good tread

[taxspeaker]

Yesterday there was a very small show in the tiny town of Sellersburg Indiana. (Might sound familiar-think Charlie Glotzbach). We had 7, yes 7 wing cars represented here, but that's not the story. I can only do 1 or 2 shows a year because of work and this is 1 of my favorite because of the veterans combined with the younger crowds. One of the guys that we expected didn't show up, and midway through the show a horrible announcement came from up front. Friday night the gentleman involved was driving home from Bowling Green KY on brand new looking, low miles Radial T/As. They were however 12 years old. One blew out and he was killed in the subsequent rollover.

When I drive mine the tires never show much wear, but I pay particular attention to the date code on the tires, and won't drive one over 5-6 years old. Goodrich says not over 10.

Date code information:

Look for the letters "DOT" in raised black letters. After the DOT insignia is your tire's identification number, which begins with the tire's manufacturer and plant code where the tire was manufactured (two numbers or letters). The ninth and tenth characters tell the week the tire was manufactured. The final number(s) signifies the year the tire was manufactured. For example, if the DOT code ends in "2807," the "28" indicates that the tire was made in the 28th week of 2007.

[alfaitalia]

In the UK several insurance companies (not mine) won't even insure you if your car has tyres over 7 years old. Age and UV kills tyres. People wrongly think tyres are ok at any age if stored correctly (in the dark etc)...its rubbish...they dry out and harden regardless. Always makes me wince when I see folks on here proud that their A1 resto is running on date correct original tyres! Sorry about your friend.

[green69rt]

Yes, in some cases the age related effects take place inside the tire where you can't see them.  As a side note most folks don't think about the spare tire.  It ages also.  If you keep your cars for a long time (like I do), don't forget to change out the spare every 7-10 years.

And sorry for the loss, not something that I would want to happen to anyone.

[Birdflu]

That's terrible! Sorry to hear about your friend!

[69rtse4spd]

Sorry to hear this, thanks for the info.

[67440chrg]

Sorry to hear this. Prayers for his family. I just bought a 91 s10 with 5300 miles with 12 year old new tread tires and am not putting highway miles on it until I get new tires.

[c00nhunterjoe]

5 and out on my dailys. 4 on the motorhome and trailers. 60 passes on the slicks.

[RallyeMike]

I also lost two low mile 11-12 year old Michelins on a Ram 2500. I think the front went first, and then I would guess the took out rear one. The tread and parts of the sidewalls just separated from the core of the tires. They looked brand new with no signs of distress before they went. It was not a fun ride.

The risk is real.

[Mike DC]

             
I swear this is getting more common.  

[JB400]

Don't forget to check your trailer tires, please.

[Kern Dog]

             
I swear this is getting more common.  

I agree. WTF happened to durability? Has the EPA mandated some radical changes in the construction or chemical makeup of the tires to cause their early demise?

[c00nhunterjoe]

Cars are getting heavier. Parts are getting cheaper. Look at asphalt and concrete too. Re blacktop in my area is good for a year before its gone from jet black to light gray and falling apart. Nobody can pour a solid concrete slab anymore.

[Mike DC]

      
The EPA mainly seems to worry about how old tires are being disposed of.  

Tires have gotten A LOT better at doing most of their jobs in the last few decades.  Performance, consistency across temperature ranges, long term treadwear, rolling resistance, noise, etc.  Maybe a loss in long-term durability is the price we're paying for that.


Maybe we are just seeing more very-old tires being used on the road now.  Tires are definitely lasting longer (miles driven) for a given amount of performance.  The cars & trucks themselves didn't used to last as long as they do today.  They definitely didn't used to be able to keep working so hard for so late into their lifespan.

Tons of muscle cars get restored, and then barely ever driven, but get beaten HARD occasionally.  That's a very inconsistent kind of usage.  


It could be something counter-intuitive, like the tire companies improving the longevity in some way.  Maybe modern tires are not showing their age on the outer layer as much. That would give people a false sense of security and uncover the next weakest link in the chain.


Maybe it's some combination of these things.  

[Kern Dog]

Tons of muscle cars get restored, and then barely ever driven, and but get beaten HARD occasionally.  That's a very inconsistent kind of usage. 
It could be something counter-intuitive, like the tire companies improving the longevity in some way.  Maybe modern tires are not showing their age on the outer layer as much. That would give people a false sense of security and uncover the next weakest link in the chain.


Maybe it's some combination of these things.  

Interesting point about the tires looking better despite becoming structurally unsafe.
I have some Nitto 555 18" tires from my Charger that I replaced 3 years ago. I have them on a shelf and hate to get rid of them.
They are from 2003 and look like new inside and in between the tread grooves. There are absolutely no age cracks anywhere on them.

[b5blue]

This should get a sticky. While rebuilding suspension and doing bodywork I got 4 good stock wheels and put new near original size tires on. 4-5 years later I gave 3 away and kept one for a spare. (My spare had blown out and I didn't know until the swap.) Working on my 92 Tbird I found the same thing, blown space saver spare. Try to find one of those and someone who will mount it? I bought a new steel rim and tire near the height of my road tires to replace it. So yea check the SPARE! This reminded me to buy a new tire for my spare so thanks Bob! (I drive my 70 all the time.) 

[4cruzin]

So what year did this start?  I don't see anywhere on my tires that the "DOT" is stated.  I did see something that could be a date and if it is . . . I'm in big trouble . . . 

[John_Kunkel]

I agree. WTF happened to durability?

More ozone in the atmosphere than in years past.

[67440chrg]

I had to look on the inside of the tires to see a date at the end of the dot stamp. I would think they would put them on the outside but no.

[Kern Dog]

I agree. WTF happened to durability?

More ozone in the atmosphere than in years past.

No.
Don't believe nor spread the lies from the AOC crowd.

[Ghoste]

I think its more a push from tire mfg's to encourage replacement.  Marketing- a legit reason perhaps but still marketing. (like best before dates on bottled water)

[alfaitalia]

I remember tyres cracking from old age when I was a kid....I don't think its anything new. My dad never worried!.....but the old Brit cars of the time were so slow you probably would not have been hurt anyway! As far as date numbers are concerned they have been around at least since 1983...when I started driving....and doubtless long before.

EDIT....A quick  google shows DOT dates were being used at least back into the 60s.


For those that don't know what to look for....... https://www.oponeo.co.uk/tyre-article/tyre-s-date-of-manufacture

[John_Kunkel]

No.
Don't believe nor spread the lies from the AOC crowd.

But the RNC, that's a different story. 

Ignorance is bliss.

[alfaitalia]

I agree. WTF happened to durability?

More ozone in the atmosphere than in years past.

No.
Don't believe nor spread the lies from the AOC crowd.

What is AOC? Google gave me about a million different answers!

[John_Kunkel]

A particular politician of latin descent, not noted for brilliant thinking.

[c00nhunterjoe]

Uv rays eat tires. Open atmosphere eats tires. The rubber compound today is not what it was 10 years ago, and not what is was in the past. Period.