tire age ????

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beerboy

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I want to put some bigger tires on my duster, there is a guy on CL here selling a set of 4 cooper futura gls that are the size I want. he says they have never been on a car, they are on chrome wheels and do look like he bought them yesterday. I want to buy them, but the date made code reads this: dot xbh 4103 go4r on 2 /other 2 say : dot xbh 3702 815r . I read the code as these were made in 2003 and 2002. I have heard tires this old , if I am right on the codes, can be bad. I do like no hiway driving , just cruising . am I crazy to buy these? thanks
 
If I remember correctly anything over 7 years old is not something you'd want to drive on the highway. They might get you there and back but you'll never know when they're going to fail.

Treblig
 
I wouldn't drive them over 30 mph...going to a shop to have them replaced. On 5+ separate occasions, I've seen tires self grenade in the trunk and on the spare rack...one was at 14 years of age and the others were about ~19!!< iirc>. I once put some "rollers" on a car to load it on a trailer and next couple of days, two of 'em had popped minding their own business in my parking lot!
 
I have a pair of N50-15 meats from the 80's that I have mounted on 15 x 10 centerlines that I drive on. if you see any separation or dry rot at the bead, wall or in the footprint, then toss them. but you have to have air in them to see it. I have used a bunch of tires that were 7 , 8 even 10 years old not including the N50's. you have to look over them real good while inflated.
 
Unless you have a tire machine of your own, you will probably have a hard time finding a shop that will mount tires that old! I have a buddy that owns a gas station, and another who is the manager of a Discount Tire store, and neither will mount tires that old, even for me!! Liability being what it is, unless you do it yourself, nobody will be willing to take the risk in this sue happy world we live in!! Geof
 
73AbodEE said:
I have a pair of N50-15 meats from the 80's that I have mounted on 15 x 10 centerlines that I drive on. if you see any separation or dry rot at the bead, wall or in the footprint, then toss them. but you have to have air in them to see it. I have used a bunch of tires that were 7 , 8 even 10 years old not including the N50's. you have to look over them real good while inflated.
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Look at the tread ply on them, they will actually have 4 plies instead of rated 4 ply. When the government allowed that change that is when I noticed them going to crap much sooner.
 
thanks for help, I will stay away from these. I just hope other people that see a good deal on tires especially on CL, know that they may look new , but could be years old and know enough to check the codes out.
 
Ok prob for a trailer but technically tires should be replaced every 5-6 years regardless of amount of tread left. The biggest issue you run into with old tires is dry rot and are at greater risk for belt separation
 
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