What is the failure mode for aged tires?

[GTHawk]

100 miles a year? Sounds like you need to drive your car more.

That's what I keep telling my wife..

[1oldtimer]

I know this is an older post, but I got about 200 miles out of brand new looking tires from the 80's before they started to separate. I found a non Studebaker p/u that was built in the early 70's, driven about 10k and stored. Sometime in the 80's (by the DOT number on the tires) it got new tires, then stored again. I found it, bought it, got it running and stopping again and then well drove it.....a lot. Then one time cruising around I had shimmy that was getting worse, pulled into a parking lot and heard the air escaping......luckily I just put in a jack and spare tire.

[Dick LeRoux]

Saturday went to Discount Tires to have the wheels with tires already mounted put back on the Highlander. These wheels have been sitting in the warehouse for the last 4 years & if I had to guess, there were maybe 5,000 miles on this set. DT wouldn't mount them because they were mfgd in 2006. They won't touch any tire that's 10 years old.

[62champ]

So what to do with a spare tires that happen to be radial and 6+ years old? (2009 F150) Aren't those little donut temporary spares radial?

[jnormanh]

So what to do with a spare tires that happen to be radial and 6+ years old? (2009 F150) Aren't those little donut temporary spares radial?

Those temporary spares are good for a few miles at reduced speeds. Most of them are supposed to be inflated to about 60 psi

Having spent all it's life away from sunlight, it'll likely be good for many years. Of course most of them haven't had the air pressure checked since the car was new and are now nearly flat.

If I had a flat and needed to get to a repair shop, I'd try to use one of them no matter it's age. And I'd drive slowly enough that if it blew I could control the car.

I have seen people on the Interstate running them at 70 mph. Bad idea.

[Hawklover]

Roy....I had a full set of Pirelli P400 tires on my Avanti for 16 years......yes I was STUPID..... actual driving after those 16 years was about 10K miles.....it occurred to me that I continue to drive on highways at 60-70mph.....I then said off they come before I am laid to rest......the tires looked brand new no cracks in the side wall......I gave them to a kid in the shop telling him to toss em.

All this latest concern about age of tires has me... concerned. So it turns out that every tire on every car I have is more than 5 years old, some more that 12 years old. Some even older than that, but those are on cars that are not being driven.

What is the failure mode of aged tires? I drive my 60 Lark at 65 or so and my 99 Honda Accord at 75-80. I never (almost never) hit potholes and my tires stay balanced for 60 thousand miles at least on the Honda. That's how easy I am on tires.

I'm starting to get nervous about freeway driving, even in the Honda.

How will the tires fail? When will they fail? There are 45 thousand miles on them now, but I have to check the date code. Will one of them suddenly deflate? Will they burst and splatter me against an SUV or a guard rail? Will they start to go out of balance? Will they just get slow leaks?

Does anyone know?

[Hallabutt]

I'll bet he didn't toss them. That's prime fodder for the used tire shops, where do you think their stock comes from?

IMO much of the retail tire industry is perpetuating a hoax. There have obviously been tire failures that have led to law suites, but the retail tire industry has used it to sell more tires.

The tipping point in my case came, when in preparing one of our cars for a several thousand mile trip, my nephew and I installed some new ball joints. Jon is the best mechanic I know, so when he said that he thought that the alignment specks were about right, I took him at his word. Mary had recently put new tires on the front of the car, and for the thousand miles or so, that I had driven the car, things had been fine. Four thousand miles later, one of the tires had developed a serious wear pattern, which was going to require replacement. I took the car back to Les Schwab, where she had bought the tires, for an identical replacement tire. They refused to replace just one tire, even though the second tire was just fine. They said that it was company policy to replace both tires on the same axle. No matter what I said they stood their ground. I was simply was not going to pay for a tire that I didn't need! Upshot I went to a used tire shop, replaced the warn tire for $40. After a front end alignment, I was able to get 50K+ miles out of those two tires. A real attitude changer for me!

[Skip Lackie]

I'll bet he didn't toss them. That's prime fodder for the used tire shops, where do you think their stock comes from?

IMO much of the retail tire industry is perpetuating a hoax. There have obviously been tire failures that have led to law suites, but the retail tire industry has used it to sell more tires.

Have always suspected the same. Would be nice to have an objective analysis of failure modes and contributing factors, but I don't expect to see that any time soon. Too much money to be made.

[t walgamuth]

I mainly like all bourbons too. I like Jack but buy Jim Beam mostly as a compromise between taste and price.

[jts359]

You guys are lucky , Go to the Indiana Whiskey company and try their Bourbons also try their honey flavored whiskey its good sippin . They are on Sample st in So. Bend , They also give discounts to Vets . I can't buy it here in Jersey but get some when in So Bend , Ed

[t walgamuth]

sounds good!

[avanti-hawk]

I recently bought a 66 Pontiac Grande Parisienne (Canadian only model) that had been sitting for several years. It has 14' radial Goodrich tires. The third time driving it one of them let go with the tread flying to pieces. Too much weight for 14' wheels and old age are too blame here.

[studegary]

I recently bought a 66 Pontiac Grande Parisienne (Canadian only model) that had been sitting for several years. It has 14' radial Goodrich tires. The third time driving it one of them let go with the tread flying to pieces. Too much weight for 14' wheels and old age are too blame here.

I do not believe that weight had anything to do with it, assuming that the tires were the correct size for the car (some pretty heavy/large cars used 14 inch wheels as standard equipment). I believe that the tires just died of old age.

[t walgamuth]

I do not believe that weight had anything to do with it, assuming that the tires were the correct size for the car (some pretty heavy/large cars used 14 inch wheels as standard equipment). I believe that the tires just died of old age.

yep.................

[avanti-hawk]

I do not believe that weight had anything to do with it, assuming that the tires were the correct size for the car (some pretty heavy/large cars used 14 inch wheels as standard equipment). I believe that the tires just died of old age.

Yes old age is the prime factor here. But bear with me, I do recall vividly the amount of blow outs, and failures I experienced back in the day of those tiny 14's.
Mostly on full size GM & Ford's. I take full responsibility for driving too hard and fast over rough roads, RR tracks and high speed cornering in junk cars back in the 70's. Maybe I've gotten far too cosy with 18 to 20 inch wheels on my Dodge Chargers and monster heavy Escalade with no such occurences.