Do tires get to a point where they are to old to drive on. like if they have not been driven on for 2 or 3 years is that bad. what happens to them even if they have great tread life left. how long would they last ETC???
yes, tires do dry rot. how long it takes them to reach that point depends on a lot of factors. here in Phoenix, I wouldn't put a tire on my car that's been sitting outside for longer than probably 8 months. direct sunlight, UV rays, heat... all take their toll. a tire that's been sitting in a nice, cool, shaded warehouse should be fine.
as far as how long the tire would last... it's still up in the air. "spirited" driving, sharp curves... would all put loads of stress on a tire, regardless of how much tread is on the tire. don't forget about the sidewall.
Desert Tuners
“When you come across a big kettle of crazy, it’s best not to stir it.”
this really depends on the quality of the tire, where it was stored, and the most important, the condition of a tire.
with time any tire will start to break down, and the oils in the tire will start to dry up. when this happens you will usually get small cracks on the tire, this will usually not be a big issue as it is usually surface cracks, but when they get lower it would be an issue as you are getting closer to the belts.
I have seen tires that are 10 years old and they have been taken care of and they look brand new, I have also seen tires 2 years old that are very cracked.
(side note: many of the tire shine products are not very good for the tire, they prematurely suck the oils out of the tire and cause it to crack)
If a vehicle was sitting on them, they can develop flat spots that may not go away.
I usually don't like to install a tire if it is more than 2-3 years old years old(don't see too many 3 years old, and we even send the 2 year old tires back to the manufacture)
use your best judgement, and you should be fine, think "if I had a baby, are they safe to drive on"
that will usually decide if they are good. when if doubt, don't risk it!
Just a few things to think about
as far as i know they have been mounted on wheels and stacked in a garage for those 2-3 years. there low pro tires on 17" rims and im pretty sure the tires are namebrand. when i looked at them they felt soft and there didnt apear to be any cracks in them. but the onwner said he didnt recommend driving on them . like i said they looked fine altho the surface felt stiff but if you scratched at them then it felt soft. ill most likely buy the wheels and tires anyways just cause i need them but ill only be using them for 8 miles a day and if i see any problems with them ill just take them off and get some different tires.
any other thoughts.
Why's it matter, you aint gettin um anyways... you don't have a job.
lol
-Seth
Generally, 6 years is considered the life span of a tire, whether it's being used or unused.
1989 Z24 Convertible - Dust Covered
2006 tC - Dust Covered, but driven more
ZlineDavid wrote:Generally, 6 years is considered the life span of a tire, whether it's being used or unused.
I have seen tires much older than that still be used.
1983 Camaro Z28
generally the lifespan of a tire is 5 years or so by rule of thumb. some people burn them up faster if they are driving 150+ km a day, some burn them alot slower, like an old person that only goes to the bank and the pharmacy.
what can happen from dry rot?
mostly a tire that sits for that long of a period of time will dry up and get really hard. when a tire gets hard, it looses alot of its tracion. the tire wont be as grippy as it once was, or provide the best wet handling. other than flat spots that could have developed on the tires from sitting (which ive only seen happen when they sit attached to a vehicle) there is nothing really bad that can happen to the tire other than some loss of traction.
the tires wont be that great, but you should be safe to drive on them. no not having seen the tires in question, im just assuming they are ok. really, there are other factors aswell that can make the tire not road worthy, but by the sounds of it they should be ok. just dont beat on them and take it easy in the rain.
1997 RedR - ZedR
Quote:
I have seen tires much older than that still be used.
I've driven on tires much older than 6 years. However, ask an elastomerics engineer about the useable life span of natural rubber when it's constantly exposed to the elements. Driving on tires older than 6 years? Possible, but not recommended.
1989 Z24 Convertible - Dust Covered
2006 tC - Dust Covered, but driven more
yeah. im not getin them BUT they have been stored in a garage in plastic bags stacked on eachother for about 2-3 years so i would assum that the tires are ok
The tires I'm running right now are in the same category. The previous owner had them in storage for about 3 years. They're not bad, but I do sometime wonder whether some of my complaints of excessive tread noise and balancing issues could be related to their age. Then again, I'm convinced the guy used "stop-leak-in-a-can" on one of them -- which of course, does wonders.
Shop Manuals, Brochures:
www.kenmcgeeautobooks.com
Stop leak in a can will eat the inner liner of the tire away, which will also make the tire impossible to patch. I would get new tires...
1983 Camaro Z28
and if he did use the stop leak stuff he better have told you about it... because if you go to get new tires and dont tell the people about the stop leak around here anyway, you can get fined or in some serious trouble because the stuff its made of, is not good to get into your eyes...
where is that, I work in a shop and have never heard of that before, then again I am in canada, I just make the people know how bad it can actually be for us if we do not know it is in it, but you will usually know when you pull the stem or core out of it, smelly stuff!
