tires too old?

[carlo]

When deciding whether or not to replace your tires, do you just keep an eye on the tread depth? Or do you replace them when they're five or six years old, regardless of tread depth? Any truth to the idea that tires should just be replaced once they reach a certain age?

I've been running the same tires on my Camry since January '03. I have over 60,000 miles on them, and they still have a decent amount tread on them.

[eyeball96]

Damn...What tires are you runnin?

['_']

Yeah what tires are they? Are they starting to crack or something?

[96paseo]

You can check your tread depth against the wear indicators on the tire. In the deep channels of the tread, there are small square bumps. Get a gauge (they're cheap) and measure at those spots. There are three of them. Outer, center and inner. If you have 1/8" or less on any one, replace your tires. The other big factor is the tread dry rotting.

[carlo]

Sorry about my lack of math skills, reading skills, basic common sense, etc. After seeing eyeball's comment, I double-checked my receipt. I was looking at a receipt for my other car and did the math using the camry's current mileage minus the other car's mileage.

For the record, I have a little under 30K on the camry's Goodyear Eagles.

[Dave's]

If I understand it correctly, even unused tires sitting on a dealer's shelf can begin 'going bad' with time. Steel belts may rust and then come apart when installed and driven. The 'rubber' can degrade with time, especially if sitting in a hot warehouse. I've read not to buy tires manufactured anywhere from 6-8 years ago. But tires being routinely driven may be another matter. Buying tires which are 4 years old and then using them for another 6 years may be fine.

[eyeball96]

I was thinkin I wanted some of those tires! Still not bad for Goodyear.

I run Goodyear LS's on the GMC (on the chevy I had too), and their about 4 years old. Still with plently of tread tho!

No cracking or anything, but I problaby replace them in the fall, due to age!.....just to be on the safe side!

[dz63]

There is some debate on this topic with many of the major tire manufacturers recommending replacement after 10 years regardless of tread depth. The age of the tire is coded into the side of the tire. Ford recommends replacing the tires after 6 years. Click on the link below for more information.

http://www.safetyresearch.net/Library/SRS046.pdf

When shopping for tires, it pays to check the dates on the tires, because some tire dealers have been known to sell old tires. Some of them don't even know to read the date code and many are not aware of tire age limits. Here is an interesting NBC report on tire age.

http://www.nbcactionnews.com/content...L1bv_9htQ.cspx

There is also some debate about whether to replace your tires when the tread depth reaches 4/32" or 2/32". 2/32" is considered "bald" and definitely in need of replacement, however, depending on driving conditions, etc. some recommend replacing tires at 4/32". This video from Tirerack is interesting and I think informative.

http://www.tirerack.com/videos/video_popup.jsp?video=5

[ALarsh]

You will know when they need to be replaced. I bought my 97 last year and it still had the original tires on it (43k miles, that makes the tires 10-11 years old!). There were slight cracks in the tires and the steering wheel would vibrate at highway speed. Replaced the tires and vibration is gone and running smooth.

[flyeri]

I bought some new Michelins 6 months ago from a dealer I have known and dealt with for over 20 years. When I got home I noticed that 2 were just over 3 yrs old and the other 2 were almost 3 yrs old. I called and asked him about it and without question told me he would get 4 more from his warehouse or order them for me. He called 4 days later and changed them.
He said he did not like putting any on a vehicle that were more than 2 years old. I had seen the news casts and after doing some research myself felt that there is some valididty to the concerns. Bridgestone tires last me about 2-3 years so starting with 1-2 yr old tires is not a problem. Michelins will last me 4-5 yrs so I don't want anything over 1 yr old.

[dz63]

Originally Posted by ALarsh

I bought my 97 last year and it still had the original tires on it (43k miles, that makes the tires 10-11 years old!)...

Wow! A '97 with 43K miles. Nice find!

Originally Posted by flyeri

I bought some new Michelins 6 months ago from a dealer I have known and dealt with for over 20 years. When I got home I noticed that 2 were just over 3 yrs old and the other 2 were almost 3 yrs old. I called and asked him about it and without question told me he would get 4 more from his warehouse or order them for me. He called 4 days later and changed them.

He said he did not like putting any on a vehicle that were more than 2 years old. I had seen the news casts and after doing some research myself felt that there is some valididty to the concerns. Bridgestone tires last me about 2-3 years so starting with 1-2 yr old tires is not a problem. Michelins will last me 4-5 yrs so I don't want anything over 1 yr old.

It is my understanding that the DOT date code is only located on one side of the tire. Next time I get new tires installed, I am going to ask them if they would install the tires with the date code facing outward, so it it easy to check the date.