Old tyres - would you use them?

[JNW]

Hi
I've bought a set of tyres on steels, and looking at the condition, I didn't think about their age, which turns out to be 12 year old. They have great tread and seem fine except for a bit of sidewall perishing.
Online, the consensus seems to be that tyres should be retired at about 6-10 years old, regardless of visible condition.
So the question is, should I use them? My current tyres are randoms from 2002 to about 2009.
I would be very interested to hear the voices of experience on this one.
Cheers
Julian

[BOXY]

Rubber does degrade. We used to scrap un-used hydraulic hose at 10 years old even if it had been stored out of UV light and in temperature stable conditions. Personally if a tyre has been holding up the weight of a van out in the elements for ten years I'd invest in new one. Trying to save money when it comes to tyres, like brakes, can end up costing a whole lot more in the end.

[California Dreamin]

Too old and perrishing..replace.

Martin

[t25holdsworth]

Absolutely not. Do not use them. I made the mistake of using old tyres on one of my classic cars a few years ago, and one of the tyres completely de-laminated whilst I was travelling on the motorway. After getting the car home, I had them all replaced, but kept the good ones which I studied carefully. I found that with relatively little effort I could actually pry the rubber off the steel braids (which is what happened on the car). Rubber does deteriorate, and is affected by UV light, temperature change and age..
I think the 'powers that be' were looking into having an age limit on tyres, so it may become a MOT issue. Personally I wouldnt use tyres that were any older than 8 years old due to my own experience..

There are a few websites that will decode the info on the tyres, and give you info on age, type, rating etc etc..

[Nij]

As everyone else says - get rid and buy new! Unless you dont use it over the winter then it might be advisable to use them as 'standing' tyres.
I understand budget at times can be bad but I would never use 2nd hand tyres or part worns. Budget tyres can be a worthwhile investment if you dont do a lot of miles.

[billy739]

if your going up/down the mtorway daily at 70mph then get new.

i have never had a problem with using old /perished tyres , but you do need to be sensible and check the wear and for damage ect , but then you should be checking the pressures weekly and having a quick visual weekly even if you buy new!


people have had probs with old tyres , but you can have the same with new. i have seen bulges/ deflated new tyres !

just be sensible , and make sure they have no faults to begin with.

some perishing is exceptable - i am running an old /perished pair at the moment on the front of my van , only because the tracking was out and it was eating tyres , so i stuck an old pair on until the tracking was corrected. they have not got anyworse since and i can run at 70/80 mph no prob.

just be sensible , and check regularly the same time you check the oil/water

[kevtherev]

you really should change them asap.
Rubber is organic and all things organic degrade, The resins that are used in the construction and mixing processes have by now outstayed there usefullness.
The rubber and the synthetics have now become brittle as these bonding resins harden. in wet weather the grip would be compromised.
Then we could talk about strength if you want?

I used to make van tyres for Goodyear, they had a shelf life of 6 years....

[paulo999]

I got an advisory on one of my fronts at the MOT back in Feb. I've just taken a look and decided it's time to get sorted.

Is there any big difference between brands?

I was going to get Firestone Vanhawk - on the extremely considered basis that I think the tyre wall "looks nice" in their photos.

[kevtherev]

Any Branded tyre will be suitable.
Goodyear, Pirelli, Michelin, Bridgstone, Firestone, Continental Dunlop..

The cheap tyres or "economy" that are half the price of Branded tyres are not , repeat not the same tyre that's cheaper.
They are cheap for a reason.... half the price means half the performance.

A recent test on Telly proved this beyond doubt.
They took a Dunlop tyre and an equivilant "lookalike" tyre with a nice sidewall pattern.
Drove them both at a brick wall and braked at the correct distance.
The Dunlop tyre stopped well in time whereas the Yokimatazooma tyre carried on through it.
Driving them around corners saw the cheap tyre leaving the track on every bend trying to keep up with the Dunlop

[paulo999]

Any Branded tyre will be suitable.
Goodyear, Pirelli, Michelin, Bridgstone, Firestone, Continental Dunlop..

The cheap tyres or "economy" that are half the price of Branded tyres are not , repeat not the same tyre that's cheaper.
They are cheap for a reason.... half the price means half the performance.

A recent test on Telly proved this beyond doubt.
They took a Dunlop tyre and an equivilant "lookalike" tyre with a nice sidewall pattern.
Drove them both at a brick wall and braked at the correct distance.
The Dunlop tyre stopped well in time whereas the Yokimatazooma tyre carried on through it.
Driving them around corners saw the cheap tyre leaving the track on every bend trying to keep up with the Dunlop

Cheers. Interesting to hear the results of some objective tests - confirms my instincts about buying suspiciously cheap stuff, at least when it's safety critical.