10 year old tires ok for highway driving?

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stubble88

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how worried should I be about driving on the highway (400 miles) with 10 year old BF G's RT's? Front tires have tons of tread left and appear fine.
I dont want to buy new tires at the moment.
thanks
 
if there not dry rote with cracked or wheathered i have a 17 year old motorcyc tire i run on my bike. aint died yet.
 
there is some cracking between the tread.
looks minor though
the sidewalls are perfect.
The interent can scare you when you look this stuff up.
as long as they dont explode on the highway.
 
I wouldn't want you driving next to or in front of me on the freeway. You can get good used tires for pretty cheap at a lot of tire places.
 
Better turn in your license, cause you you have no idea how may people out there are driving on tires even older.
 
be very careful--- I had old tires on my convert with great tread-- always garaged & one night -- it just popped the tread right off. I believe these were 8 + year old tires--- white letter-- cannot remeber the brand. On this site there is another member with similar situation that just happened to him. Putting around town -- maybe -- but hiway driving nope. Lawrence
 
Purple Haze said:
Better turn in your license, cause you you have no idea how may people out there are driving on tires even older.
Click to expand...

Yes I do! I see dumbasses that run old bias-plys all the time on their cars and we aren't talking about new ones from Coker Tire.

They do random seatbelt/drunk checks they should also do tire checks.
 
If you had to ask you must be concerned about it. I think it's a crap shoot. You may be ok with them and they may give out at any time like the others. I would change them out just for the peace of mind. Not that brand new tires have done the same once in a while:)
 
There may be another alternative- don't know how it is in your town, but here the local dump- whoops, I mean "Transfer and Recycling Station" -has a tire pile. People throw away pretty decent tires all the time. Or, my local junkyard sells the tires they pull off the wrecks for 10-20 bucks a piece.. people also junk their old cars with some decent tires on them. Personally, I haven't bought a new tire in ten years.
 
Do tires have dates on them?
If you buy some tires from a wrecker or from a junk pile how do you know if your getting something better then whats on it?
 
Around town would be okay, but I would NOT drive at highway speeds for any length of time or distance with them. You're asking for trouble.


RH62 said:
Do tires have dates on them?
If you buy some tires from a wrecker or from a junk pile how do you know if your getting something better then whats on it?
Click to expand...

Yes, all tires have date codes.
 
any hints on decoding the date codes?
I went out and looked at several different tires in my driveway and i would be guessing if i were to say a date they were manufactured.
 
in my opinion everything built in last 20 to 30 years was designed to fail get some new or newer rubber those tires are going to cause you trouble especially if you see any cracks that would be dryrot and when you drive they will get hotter and then boom plus in the rain they are not as pliant and will not grab as well take care
 
CHANGE EM!!! Im with VDart on this one.
Do Not take a chance... its not worth it.
I had good tread on my tires as well, noting some minor dry rot. So I decided to hold off putting on new tires (I just bought the Dart last year so I had no idea how old the tires were). It almost cost me big time!


Heres my story (link below):

5/16/10
Got the whole interior tore outta my ride- except for the drivers side bucket seat. I thought I'd take her for a cruise tonite... as shes been sitting quiet for a couple weeks...
Well comin back over the Jupiter Bridge I decide to get on it a little.

Downshift to 2nd and punch it- here we go... :burnout:

Drops into 3rd at the top of the bridge when all of a sudden BAMMMM!!! Sounded like a shotgun went off! Scared the hell outta me...
Then BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM coming from right side of hood. Im thinking- great, just blew my engine... when is a rod gonna come flyin thru my hood?
I shift it into N and let off the gas as Im comin down the backside of the bridge- but its still BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM
Im thinkin what the??? I look at the gauges: oil/temp/volt all are good.
Pull over and the noise stops....???

Well, Ive been meaning to get new tires for some time now- and it appears that the tread literally separated from the tire on one section but 3/4 of the tread stayed on the "tire" that was amazingly still holding air. I guess the initial BAM was the steel belt snapping and it smacking my fender inside... and the BAM BAM BAM was the tread smacking against the inside every time the tire spun around.
Got just a little fender damage and I guess it coulda been ALOT worse. Thank God it didnt totally blow out as I was going about 70mph and accelerating on top of a bridge!
It wasnt the thought of goin over the bridge into the water- but of ruining a perfectly good Crager SS rim!!!! lol

Bottom line: When you see dry rot and think you need tires- you probably do.
Dont take a chance- REPLACE EM. My Dad owned a Goodyear Tire store for 30+ years so I shoulda known better.

After checking the date codes- these tires were 14yrs old!!! Look at the tread in the pics. Amazing...

link:
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?p=941344#post941344

Blow out and interior update May 2010 011.jpg
 
I had original Load Range E tires on my 2004 dually and use it only on the highways to go racing. About 1 1/2 years ago, with the tires about 5 years old, I popped a front with still a decent amount of tread on it because it seperated. I put my never used spare on the front after replacing ALL of the rest. Well, that "new", original spare started coming apart a couple months ago - almost 6 years old.

Had a brand new, never used Load range E trailer tire. It was about 8 years old when I finally used it. Tread came off within 2,000 miles!

I'm convinced that after 5 years, your tires are a surprise waiting to happen no matter how they look! Local driving, maybe. Highway, NO!
 
I know money is tight for most of us but it's just not worth chancing it. This is something that could pop and hurt nothing but it could also pop and kill you and/or others...I'd replace em. I have 2 on the back of my Concorde that I will be replacing soon for the same reason. I just replaced the fronts....Nexen N5000 225/60r16's. They are made by Michelin and ride real nice.
 
Damn you would think in modern times we could develop a tire that can stick together....
 
when i got my duster i wanted to get it on the road for as cheap as possible till i decided what to do with it. it still had bias plies. had been off the road for many years. my buddy came through with a real nice gas tank and some high performance firstones on rims that he pulled off this girl's dart when he junked it for her. i think they were about 5 years old but 3 of them looked like they were driven for a few weeks tops. the 4th had some funky wear due to alignment. cool. i got it on the road took it for a blast down the highway it was great no vibrations or anything. wife and i go to take it out the following day, im backing out of the driveway and somthing is thumping in the front end. she gets in i take off slowly and am thinking, what can that be. BOOM tire blew out.
 
ugh..
I just bought 4 vintage rallye wheels that need to be refinished. Bought them because I thought these tires would be ok date says (00). Came with dinged up rings and the original centers.
I paid way too much for this set. Not going to say how much.
Now got to spend more on tires.

Pep boys sells some 14" Futura for $66. White letters. What are peoples thoughts on those?
thanks
 
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