Tire Age - potential danger...

[Yelcamino]

I found this on another forum and thought I'd share with you guys since we do like to push our cars harder than the average driver...

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4826897 (tire age)

[Mike Holleman]

Boy, That will get your attention.

[Sir Don]

Thanks, educating the public for safety like in this news clip is what makes these web sites priceless. I wouldn't have seen it, and maybe others already know this, but I didn't.

[Motown 454]

Last year my daughter wiped out an 02 Trailblazer on the highway .She blew a tire coming up an on ramp and went across the rosad and hit the Jersy barrier. She totaled the truck .Thank god she was wearing her seat belt. When she got out of her truck the people thought she was drunk the way she went straight across the road. When the state polioce showed up he was looking for her across the road . He thought she got thrown out of the truck. She had her truck servised two days before . She lives away from us so I try to tell her the things to have checked on the truck when she goes for service. The mechanic told her the tires were fine plenty of tread. I wish She had seen this so she wouldn't depend on their word as always correct. Thanks for posting .I will definitly show this to her.

[Yelcamino]

I know it's just a news story but if the date code thing is correct, at least you can tell how long the "new" tires you're about buy have been sitting on a shelf! Hopefully this info saves everyone some grief.

[wayne70]

That opened my eye's! I am going to check the tire's on all the vehicle's we have.

[130fe]

Thanks for the info Herb, I am going to check mine also.

[CliffS]

That's some scarry stuff. I just bought 'new' Falcons last week. Will check asap.

[DAK]

Even with 15yrs of servicing cars I never concidered tire age till I seen this news story. I thought the tread was good, rubber wasn't all cracked and no had no seperation they were good. Reminds me of a old set of Michelins that I had on my car that looked good but at the dragstrip my car would start shaking like crazy on top end. I can't imagine a blowout a 110+mph.

[GHOSTDANCER]

Excellent information. Hope everyone takes the time to watch the video and check there tires age.

[rockertype]

Holy cow! That information is definitely worth passing on. I just ran outside and checked the "Sportsmans" I bought last year.
(2307) Whew! I guess Summit sells new tires!

[Turbo Rob]

I decided to research the topic a bit more so I contacted the "Rubber Manaufacturer's Association" in regards to the matter. Here is their response.

STATEMENT OF
RUBBER MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION
Tire Service Life for Passenger Car and Light Truck Tires

Tires are designed and built to provide many thousands of miles of excellent service but must be maintained properly. As explained below, the service life of a tire is affected by many factors that are independent of the chronological age of the tire.
Service Life is Not Determined by Chronological Age
Tires are composed of various materials, including rubber, having performance properties essential to the proper functioning of the tire. These component properties evolve over a combination of time, service and storage conditions. For each individual tire, this change is affected by many elements such as temperature, storage conditions, and conditions of use (e.g., load, speed, inflation pressure, impacts and road hazard injury) to which a tire is subjected throughout its life. Since service and storage conditions vary widely, accurately predicting the serviceable life of any specific tire based on simple calendar age is not possible. RMA is not aware of scientific or technical data that establishes or identifies a specific minimum or maximum service life for passenger and light truck tires. However, in some cases a tire or vehicle manufacturer may make a specific tire replacement recommendation regarding its products. If so, the consumer should consult the manufacturer with any questions with regard to following the recommendation. Further, any such recommendation should not be considered a minimum serviceable life for the tire.
The Consumer Plays A Primary Role in Tire Maintenance
The tire industry has long emphasized the consumers’ role in the regular care and maintenance of their tires. (Tire care and service manuals are available from RMA on its website, www.rma.org.) Tires should be removed from service for several reasons, including tread worn down to minimum depth, signs of damage (cuts, cracks, bulges, vibration, etc.) or signs of abuse (underinflation, overloading, etc). That is why it is recommended to have tires, including spares, inspected regularly. A monthly maintenance inspection, for which the consumer must be primarily responsible, should focus on proper inflation pressure, tread wear and tire damage. This monthly inspection should be supplemented by recurring rotation, balancing and alignment services. This inspection should occur whether or not the vehicle is equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system. Additionally, the condition of a tire should be assessed regularly to determine if there are any tactile or visual signs of damage that make replacement necessary.
Storage, Rotation, and Other Conditions That May Affect Tire Service Life
Tires should always be stored in a dry, cool, well-ventilated place. Avoid storing tires in areas that are exposed to wetness, petroleum or petroleum-based products, extreme temperatures, direct sunlight, and/or other sources of ozone, such as electric motors. Storage areas should also be clean and free of grease, gasoline or any corrosive chemicals which can deteriorate the rubber.
If a vehicle is fitted with a matching full-size spare tire (same size and type as other in-service tires) the consumer should follow the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendation for rotating the spare tire. When any spare tire is placed into service, its inflation pressure must be checked immediately.
Consumers are strongly encouraged to be aware not only of their tires’ visual condition but also of any change in dynamic performance such as increased air loss, noise or vibration. Such a change in performance could be an indication of an internal condition that might dictate removing the tires from service immediately to prevent a tire failure. In these cases, RMA recommends that consumers consult a tire service professional.

I thought this was a very interesting response...

[70bird]

Hey all, Probably goes without saying but don't forget about your RV's in storage. Imagine a blow-out in a 10,000+ lb. vehicle.
If considering buying a used RV, this would be good to know as 6 new motor home tires are going to add at least $1600 to your initial investment.
Ask me how I know. :(