Shelf life of tires?

[jlwdvm]

Do tires (new/used) have a shelf life if stored indoors at a constant temp? I'm looking at getting a set of tires for my Vibe wheels that are coming in for my R and have lots of questions!

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[key01]

All tires are date coded and yes they have a shelf life

 

[oldbmwfan]

Typically 10 years from date of manufacture, which is on the tires. R-comp (I would include Cup 2 here) cannot be stored at low temps (below freezing). Tires should be stored uninflated if mounted, or dismounted, to minimize rubber breakdown and dry rot.

If uninflated and wrapped in heavy plastic bags, honestly they can go more than 10 years safely but the compound will harden over time.

 

[GTthree50]

6 years from date of manufacture.
http://www.tiresafetygroup.com/tires-expire-in-six-years/
https://articles.extension.org/pages/73045/tire-safety:-expiration-dates

There is also supporting evidence for 10 years also but if thinking about the safety aspects, 6 years seems safer.

 

[Zcobra1]

Yep...6-7 years max in my book. Tires can look good, no cracks, etc. but the rubber keeps curing each year, drying out and losing the elasticity that you need. Hard rubber and performance cars do not mix.
Many older Vipers (in particular) have met their demise due to this....10 or more year old tires, lotsa torque and no nannies spells disaster. Yes our cars have nannies and a higher torque band but still, good fresh tires are critical....

 

[madlag]

This is good info. I’ve wondered if there was a definitive answer many times and I’m sure it varies per rubber manufacturer. Always used the 5 year rule myself.

 

[oldbmwfan]

Apply some common sense to your use and application, also.
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=183

For performance tires that you'll drive at high speed, high loads, or on track, use a shorter "safe" window. For your snow tires that are off the car for 8 months a year and never see speeds above 80 mph, you can stretch it (again, providing you store them properly). Interesting note in the article linked is that higher speed and load-rated tires age out slower.

Still, Paul Walker died in his CGT on old tires, so do what makes you feel safe.

 

[datadatum]

Good info in this tread.

When tracking or autocrossing, I can tell a difference between "fresh" rubber and tires that are a few seasons old. Most drivers going for top time always get new tires.

 

[Mustang_Lou]

Btw, the date of manufacture is shown as a 4-digit code such as 0717 meaning manufactured on the 7th week of 2017.

 

[jlwdvm]

I just picked up a set of 4 305 Cup tires from a PP owner that swapped them out for a street tire. They have about 5/32” of tread left. I have a set of Vibe R spec rims coming in and decided to stick with Cup tires because of the lack of availability of 315’s for the rear. I’m gonna use the Carbon wheels and original Cup tires for the traxk and the Vibe set for the street. I don’t think the tires will last 5 years and got a great deal on them!

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