Vintage tires safe?

[Craig Brown]

You don't know what you are taking about.

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[Backkick]

DO NOT use these tires. THe rubber on such tires typically dries up, become hard and brittle and are no longer safe to use. Change them immediately.

 

[luc]

You don't know what you are taking about.

Show mw a picture of an expiration date on a tire ..
You’re confusing facts with fiction
The issue is not if old tires have less grip and can even be dangerous, of course they are, but rather with you flatly stating that the have an “expiration date “ when they don’t
You must be living in a parallel universe

 

[G.T.]

I would replace those, very much past their best. Especially considering the car they are on.

On a related note I am recommissioning a 90's-era car and have driven it with everything from brand new to ancient tires in the process.

The 10-plus year old tires on it were definitely harder and broke traction easier than the brand new 2025 tires on a wheel set I borrowed from a friend.

Then I had both sets of wheels reconditioned and I borrowed a third wheel set so the car wouldnt have to be on stands. These had 24 (!) year old tires.

I drove the car a couple of times with them and was on edge the whole time but being stored out of the sun they had no cracks and ran them for a few short trips without incident.

But...older tires can look fine but be hardened/fossilized even without cracks showing. Dismounting the 10-year old tires basically destroyed them.

 

[Skye]

"Other than the rubber being hard, are they safe to drive on?" That the rubber is hard should be a warning not to use the tires. The compounds have broken down and can no longer provide the traction they once did, much less maintain integrity when stressed.

I'd never consider the risk on such a nice car. As to insurance and payouts, if something did go pear-shaped, discovering ancient date codes after-the-fact could cause an insurer to wash their hands of it.

I re-read articles on tire dates and codes. While there are manufacturer codes in the format of "WWYY" for the week and year of production, tires do not have an expiration date stamped on them. However...

Every manufacturer I read has a warranty that defines how long they'll cover a tire from defects or problems. Virtually every one stopped supporting the tire at the end of six years, including Ford. Many specifically cited compound degradation and tire integrity in the verbiage.

So while there's no actual stamp on the tire, there is an effective expiration date, via the warranty. YMMV.

I'd consider a set of junk tires if I was wheeling a car from building to building, driving far enough to put on a trailer or shoeing the car for winter, the good tires inside climate-controlled storage. Otherwise, replace.

Edit,

This time of year, RVs broken down on the side of the road is a common sight. Often, they're in two states: 1) bare rim, from ancient tire falling apart at speed or 2) FD putting out the fire, the result of cracked and damaged fuel lines or electrical circuits. Both states are caused by rubber and plastic compounds, naturally degraded due to time, temperature variations, UV exposure and other factors.

 

[Hack]

Show mw a picture of an expiration date on a tire ..
You’re confusing facts with fiction
The issue is not if old tires have less grip and can even be dangerous, of course they are, but rather with you flatly stating that the have an “expiration date “ when they don’t
You must be living in a parallel universe

Yes 100% true there is no expiration date written on the tire. The expiration date is manufacturing date, which is on the tire, plus the manufacturer's recommended life.

I'm not sure why someone would argue about it, other than they like to argue semantics. I think it's pretty clear what people are saying when they use the phrase "expiration date" when referring to a tire.

 

[Rod G]

not me no thanks if they are hard their junk !!!

 

[sk47]

So while there's no actual stamp on the tire, there is an effective expiration date, via the warranty. YMMV.

Hello; Applying such a logic would that mean we should not drive a vehicle after the warranty expires???

 

[lo-fi]

I recently purchased a new sports car (not a Mustang) and it had relatively "new" tires (Michelins) from 2008 on it. Absolutely no way would I have gone more than the trip from where the transporter dropped off the car to home. I could feel how ancient those tires were. Good god.

 

[Craig Brown]

I never said that the tire has an expiration date on them. I said they have an expiration date. That date is ten years after the MFG date. Check with any tire company. F all of you. Do not drive on old tires!

 

[sk47]

I said they have an expiration date. That date is ten years after the MFG date. Check with any tire company. F all of you.

Hello; Ten years makes some sense from a legal CYA standpoint. I imagine running a tire past ten years then having a problem could mean no liability for the tire maker.
Of course, several have declared six years is the number that a tire is too old. I get a sense these numbers are arbitrary.
I looked at the tires on my truck today since they are at or near the six year time. Stuck a thumbnail into the tread and found it still soft. Tread looks good as I commonly put less than 3000 miles per year on them. Sidewalls still smooth.
The last set of tires on that truck did run over ten years, maybe 14 to 16 all told and were getting hard. Tread was getting low, so I got new tires. But of course, actual experience does not count, does it?
I know my personal example sounds bad to some, but I have a friend who has me beat for running old tires. Twenty or more years on his old sports cars not uncommon. Tires that not only were old but looked bad as well. Yet they held up.

How many have a spare that came with an older car and have run that spare?

"F all of you." Interesting way to communicate. You can buy new tires every six, three or two years if you choose. My comments are not meant to stop anyone spending for new tires, just to give the OP a tale of my experience.

 

[luc]

What degrade tires are temperature (heat), uv (sun) and ozone
Manufacturers always have to assume the worst situation , it’s why almost all cars are designed to be understeering, it’s the worst handling characteristic but also the safest one for the average driver that has poor driving skills, go too fast in a turn, the car want to go straight, driver lift or even brake, weight is therefore transferred to the front tires, traction is increased and car turn
Same thing with tires life, their recommended tire life is based on worst case scenario as explained above
If you car spend most of it’s life garaged indoor, in the dark and in a cool place, it stand to reason that the tires will last longer that if always parked outside in the heat and uv radiation
Point is, educate yourself, use critical thinking and don’t automatically believe what the “experts “ or government are telling you
Use your own brain and judgment to make a decision….. and don’t forget to change your oil every 3k miles ….

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