When are tires too old??

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dm200
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When are tires too old??

Post by dm200 »

Some sources suggest six years from date of manufacture, while some others suggest ten years. The month and year of manufacture is on the sidewall of the tires. My wife and I only put about 3,000 miles per year on each of our older cars (2003 Corolla and 2008 Camry)

So even after ten years, there will be lots of tread remaining. What do others think about when tires are too old and should be replaced?
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by arcticpineapplecorp. »

Do you have to get the car inspected yearly? If so, I'd say when the tires no longer pass inspection.

Otherwise don't many tires have a 4 years or 40,000 miles, whichever comes first? What does the manufacturer say?
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dm200
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by dm200 »

arcticpineapplecorp. wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 2:52 pm Do you have to get the car inspected yearly? If so, I'd say when the tires no longer pass inspection.

Otherwise don't many tires have a 4 years or 40,000 miles, whichever comes first? What does the manufacturer say?
Annual safety inspection, but that only looks at tread remaining.

These tires were on the car when I bought it, so I don’t have any warranty information.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by Yooper »

I go by what the manufacturer recommends. It's painful on low mileage tires, i.e. I replaced my truck's Blizzak tires which had TONS of tread left, because they turned 10 years old (https://www.bridgestonetire.com/learn/m ... tire-lasts "Bridgestone recommends that its Bridgestone or Firestone brand tires be removed from service after ten years regardless of their remaining tread depth.") but felt better for it.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by sport »

There are 4 things that cause rubber to deteriorate faster than normal. The first is Ultraviolet light. So, if you park the car outside a lot of the time, this would favor an earlier replacement. The second is Ozone. This can be found near electric motors that have internal sparking. So, if you keep your car in a garage that has electric motors operating, this would also favor earlier replacement. The third is high temperatures, but that should not apply to tires under normal circumstances. The fourth is chemical attack, but this also should not apply to tires under normal circumstances.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by Jack FFR1846 »

Look for a 4 digit code to figure out year of manufacture. For example, 0818 was made the 8th week of 2018. 0192 was made the first week of 1992.

I'll admit that I push it with tires I've purchased on craigslist and in the last year, mainly for the wheels, I had 4 tires blow and 4 other tires have huge bulges in the tread. All were over 10 years old and had lots of tread remaining. And contrary to TV and popular belief, even the handling of the car was unaffected. It simply sounded like a tire suddenly went way out of balance.

So I'd say less than 10 years, replace them for sure. The exact year, I can't say. I'd expect location and use would make a huge difference. A car left outside in the sun in Phoenix, I'd probably say 5 years. One in the north, kept in a garage, 9 years?

This is another reason why I tend to only buy snow tires for my cars and run them year round. To run snows in the winter and all seasons in the summer cuts the mileage of each in half potentially making both sets age out long before they run out of tread.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by mrpotatoheadsays »

dm200 wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 2:49 pm So even after ten years, there will be lots of tread remaining. What do others think about when tires are too old and should be replaced?
I would be concerned about dry rot.

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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by runner3081 »

dm200 wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 2:49 pm So even after ten years, there will be lots of tread remaining. What do others think about when tires are too old and should be replaced?
It depends on how the car is driven, to me.

Wife's car, heck, hardly leaves a 5-mile radius and max speed limits are 45. I let those tires go past the age as long as there is sufficient tread. On our other vehicle that we take vacations in (and drive further distances/70 MPH on freeway, etc), will usually replace them when they get old, even with tread. We are also in AZ, so heat adds to blowout risk.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by Padlin »

How about taking the car into a tire shop for a yearly tire rotation and have them check them out while they are at it.

I've had tires get bubbles on the side you can't see, and also had some develop sidewall cracks. Reasons to change that have nothing to do with the tread.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by LittleMaggieMae »

I'm a low mileage driver 6K to 7K per year driving a toyota corrolla equivalent car and it's majority city driving on flat roads (no hills or curvy hilly terrain). 4 seasons - streets get plowed and salted in the winter.

I do get a lot of "slow leaks" - from road debris - bolts, screws, nails, pieces of metal - some years are worse than others. I also 'scrape" the curb often and sometimes hit a pot hole too hard OR side swipe a curb and damage a rim.

I go by the recommended replacement age of the tires . Even though they are low mileage at the recommended replacement age - they've usually seen a lot of winters and summers and plugged lots of times from all the scrap metal that's been removed. :)

I tend to drive my vehicle for 10 to 12 years - and I usually replace the dealer applied tires within 4 to 5 years. I will most likely replace 2 of those tires during the 6 to 7 years I drive the car. So, 6 tires (and maybe a rim) over the 10 to 12 years I'm driving the car.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by MathWizard »

I've read 6 to 10 years assuming the tread is OK.

I don't think that I have had tires last that long, but other than 2020, I usually put at least 8K on a year on average.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by quantAndHold »

I just replaced mine after 8 years. They still had plenty of tread, but when I started looking at the tires after I hit a nail, two of them were at the beginning stages of developing cracks in the sidewalls. So I replaced all four.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by Minty »

I've learned lots of things on Bogleheads about household safety, including the necessity for tire replacement after 6-10 years regardless of tread depth (RIP, Paul Walker). I also got free replacements for the recalled Kidde Fire Extinguishers, and replaced old smoke detectors.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by FraserFir »

We replaced at less than ten with lots of tread left because we were starting to notice a lot of cracking in the rubber and were about to go on a long road trip. Low mileage but parked outside in a hot climate they were definitely noticeably less rubbery by the time we replaced them even though they were passing annual inspections just fine. Rubber ages even if you haven't rubbed it all off on the roads. I'd consider going more than six unless I had a big trip coming up but wouldn't take them past ten, and how much past six would depend on how harsh the sitting around environment was (e.g. heat, UV) and what the condition looks like.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by tim1999 »

The only place I'd drive a car with 10+ year old tires to is the tire shop to get new tires.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by adamthesmythe »

I suppose the main risks with old tires are degraded stopping distance and potential blowouts.

If driven only at low speeds, and if a sudden blowout would not be a great inconvenience, then I suppose OP might decide to run the risk.

Not me, though.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by michaelingp »

Any side wall cracks replace them for sure. Personally, I've read a lot of different numbers, but 10 years is definitely on the high side. I had an RV that we only used a few weeks a year. I replaced the tires with practically all of their tread at about 8 years. $900 (ouch!).
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by pizzy »

Are tires expensive enough to try to squeeze the last mile out of them? I vote no. Save $15/month into a tire fund and replace every 4-5 years,

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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by mrc »

My mom bought a 2002 Saturn new and sold it in 2017 with the original tires and about 10K miles. Just before the sale, we had it serviced and the shop didn't recommended a tire change. The sidewalls were in good shape (the car was garaged for the first several years, and in an open shaded carport after that). I was shocked, but it was still good for driving around town. Had I taken the car, I would have replaced the tires before doing any serious highway driving.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by alfaspider »

mrc wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 4:25 pm My mom bought a 2002 Saturn new and sold it in 2017 with the original tires and about 10K miles. Just before the sale, we had it serviced and the shop didn't recommended a tire change. The sidewalls were in good shape (the car was garaged for the first several years, and in an open shaded carport after that). I was shocked, but it was still good for driving around town. Had I taken the car, I would have replaced the tires before doing any serious highway driving.
I certainly would have. Even if the tire doesn't disintegrate, the stopping distance is almost certainly considerably longer than it would have been new. Even if the tire has no visible cracks, the rubber isn't going to be as supple as when new. On super sticky high performance tires, even 2-3 years is enough to show significantly degraded performance from fresh. Paul Walker's death was partially attributed to the vehicle he was in having 12 year old tires, causing the performance envelope to be significantly below what the driver was expecting.

My personal limit is 10 years for a non-performance tire.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by UpperNwGuy »

Now I'm starting to worry. I can't even remember how long ago I purchased the tires on my 20 year old car. I have a feeling that it might have been more than ten years ago.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by 260chrisb »

dm200 wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 2:49 pm Some sources suggest six years from date of manufacture, while some others suggest ten years. The month and year of manufacture is on the sidewall of the tires. My wife and I only put about 3,000 miles per year on each of our older cars (2003 Corolla and 2008 Camry)

So even after ten years, there will be lots of tread remaining. What do others think about when tires are too old and should be replaced?
Ten years is an okay benchmark especially with those two cars. Neither has low profile high performance tires (I'm assuming) nor is it likely they've ever seen high stress use (like an autocross or on a track but again I'm assuming) so they likely still have good tread. Inspect them every season for tread depth and be sure to inspect the outer and inner sidewalls and rotate them every couple years based on your projected mileage. Rotating them every two years allows for an easy inspection of the inner sidewalls. After ten years and 30,000 miles or so replace them. Tires for those cars are not that expensive.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by MarkBarb »

I replaced a set after 8 years with plenty of tread but cracks on the sidewall.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by dm200 »

260chrisb wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 5:00 pm
dm200 wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 2:49 pm Some sources suggest six years from date of manufacture, while some others suggest ten years. The month and year of manufacture is on the sidewall of the tires. My wife and I only put about 3,000 miles per year on each of our older cars (2003 Corolla and 2008 Camry)

So even after ten years, there will be lots of tread remaining. What do others think about when tires are too old and should be replaced?
Ten years is an okay benchmark especially with those two cars. Neither has low profile high performance tires (I'm assuming) nor is it likely they've ever seen high stress use (like an autocross or on a track but again I'm assuming) so they likely still have good tread. Inspect them every season for tread depth and be sure to inspect the outer and inner sidewalls and rotate them every couple years based on your projected mileage. Rotating them every two years allows for an easy inspection of the inner sidewalls. After ten years and 30,000 miles or so replace them. Tires for those cars are not that expensive.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by willthrill81 »

I researched this extensively last year, and the likelihood of a catastrophic blowout, especially at highway speeds in the summer, goes up substantially once tires reach about 7 years of age. I wouldn't risk it. Get cheap tires if you don't drive them much.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by tetractys »

I would go by the condition of the rubber. If tires are showing cracks, brittleness, bubbles, bare threads, or unusual characteristics it would be a good idea to replace them no matter the age or wear.

If you can’t trust your own eyes, then go the statistical chance route.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by finite_difference »

sport wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 3:12 pm There are 4 things that cause rubber to deteriorate faster than normal. The first is Ultraviolet light. So, if you park the car outside a lot of the time, this would favor an earlier replacement. The second is Ozone. This can be found near electric motors that have internal sparking. So, if you keep your car in a garage that has electric motors operating, this would also favor earlier replacement. The third is high temperatures, but that should not apply to tires under normal circumstances. The fourth is chemical attack, but this also should not apply to tires under normal circumstances.
I would also think that very dry climates / low humidity would not be good for rubber compounds.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by sport »

finite_difference wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 7:13 pm
sport wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 3:12 pm There are 4 things that cause rubber to deteriorate faster than normal. The first is Ultraviolet light. So, if you park the car outside a lot of the time, this would favor an earlier replacement. The second is Ozone. This can be found near electric motors that have internal sparking. So, if you keep your car in a garage that has electric motors operating, this would also favor earlier replacement. The third is high temperatures, but that should not apply to tires under normal circumstances. The fourth is chemical attack, but this also should not apply to tires under normal circumstances.
I would also think that very dry climates / low humidity would not be good for rubber compounds.
Since there is not any water in rubber compounds, low humidity will not cause them to dry out. High temperature, OTOH will cause deterioration.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by finite_difference »

willthrill81 wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 6:29 pm I researched this extensively last year, and the likelihood of a catastrophic blowout, especially at highway speeds in the summer, goes up substantially once tires reach about 7 years of age. I wouldn't risk it. Get cheap tires if you don't drive them much.
I agree with a 6-year replacement interval. I think I read the same study but can’t find it now.

Just don’t go too cheap on tires. Better to spend more on tires and less on the car.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by whodidntante »

If you buy a Mustang your tires will never get too old.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by jabberwockOG »

No more than 8 years for beater that is used for errands and run at lower speeds (less than 55 mph).
No more than 6 years for car that is run at expressway speeds (55+mph). On road trips sometimes briefly up to 95mph to pass, bad idea to run that on old rubber.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by finite_difference »

sport wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 7:18 pm
finite_difference wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 7:13 pm
sport wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 3:12 pm There are 4 things that cause rubber to deteriorate faster than normal. The first is Ultraviolet light. So, if you park the car outside a lot of the time, this would favor an earlier replacement. The second is Ozone. This can be found near electric motors that have internal sparking. So, if you keep your car in a garage that has electric motors operating, this would also favor earlier replacement. The third is high temperatures, but that should not apply to tires under normal circumstances. The fourth is chemical attack, but this also should not apply to tires under normal circumstances.
I would also think that very dry climates / low humidity would not be good for rubber compounds.
Since there is not any water in rubber compounds, low humidity will not cause them to dry out. High temperature, OTOH will cause deterioration.
Humidity is a factor according to BMW: https://www.bmw.com/en/automotive-life/ ... tires.html

Although it sounds like excess humidity is worse than very dry conditions.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by Nestegg_User »

michaelingp wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 4:09 pm Any side wall cracks replace them for sure. Personally, I've read a lot of different numbers, but 10 years is definitely on the high side. I had an RV that we only used a few weeks a year. I replaced the tires with practically all of their tread at about 8 years. $900 (ouch!).
We have a trailer, bought used, that I checked had nine year old tires...but I'd driven them several thousand miles (thread looked good) but as I expected to have a decent load, and thought that there might be beginning of cracks... I definitely replaced (along with brakes and bearings) with new tires...
and upgraded from C class to D class for better highway considerations (long hot roads are bad for tires, and especially for older tires)

As for the OP:
I usually haven't had tires over seven years, but as that was before retirement, I've usually "used up" versus "timed out"
I still would consider seven years to be time to replace, regardless of tread depth. That assumes lower speed conditions, under 75, as again higher speed causes heat buildup in the rubber...degradation in any manner, whether due to age or other condition, could cause problems.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by sport »

finite_difference wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 7:31 pm
sport wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 7:18 pm
finite_difference wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 7:13 pm
sport wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 3:12 pm There are 4 things that cause rubber to deteriorate faster than normal. The first is Ultraviolet light. So, if you park the car outside a lot of the time, this would favor an earlier replacement. The second is Ozone. This can be found near electric motors that have internal sparking. So, if you keep your car in a garage that has electric motors operating, this would also favor earlier replacement. The third is high temperatures, but that should not apply to tires under normal circumstances. The fourth is chemical attack, but this also should not apply to tires under normal circumstances.
I would also think that very dry climates / low humidity would not be good for rubber compounds.
Since there is not any water in rubber compounds, low humidity will not cause them to dry out. High temperature, OTOH will cause deterioration.
Humidity is a factor according to BMW: https://www.bmw.com/en/automotive-life/ ... tires.html

Although it sounds like excess humidity is worse than very dry conditions.
Well, they may know something I don't. However, I worked in the rubber industry and we made rubber products for continuous service underwater. Some of those products were had physical wear use, similar to tires.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by tibbitts »

I'm not an expert but I'd say 10 years, especially if the tires are stored in favorable conditions and driven somewhat conservatively.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by blastoff »

I've had tires I replaced before a guideline due to significant cracking. Was low ish on tread anyways.

When I buy tires, I try not to buy the expensive 85,000 mile warranty ones if I know they'll be too old by 45000 miles. I still try to buy decent tires, but often you can pay a bit less for a tire with a slightly lower milage warranty.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by slickracer »

7 years, tires are cheap insurance.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by jasper »

Jack FFR1846 wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 3:13 pm

This is another reason why I tend to only buy snow tires for my cars and run them year round. To run snows in the winter and all seasons in the summer cuts the mileage of each in half potentially making both sets age out long before they run out of tread.
Could u expand on this? I live near the Rockies and have been thinking of snow tires. If u run them in the summer is it just a harsher ride? Do they not last very long?

I’m second guessing driving all season tires but am balking at having 2 sets of tires with minimal storage space
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by Watty »

dm200 wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 2:49 pm Some sources suggest six years from date of manufacture, while some others suggest ten years. The month and year of manufacture is on the sidewall of the tires. My wife and I only put about 3,000 miles per year on each of our older cars (2003 Corolla and 2008 Camry)

So even after ten years, there will be lots of tread remaining. What do others think about when tires are too old and should be replaced?
If a set of tires costs $400 and they last for 10 years then that is only $40 a year.

For each extra year you can get out of the tires then that saves you something like $40 per car. To me that is not worth the risk of there being a problem with the old tires.

I also like replacing things like tires when I can shop for a good price and get them when it is coinvent for me. If you wait for them to fail then you might(at best) come out of your house one morning and have to deal with a flat tire at a bad time not get a good deal on the next set of tires.

Most likely you will not have the same cars in ten years in 2032 anyway.

If you don't have the car in 2032 then it really does not save you anything to delay and buy the new tires in 2025 instead of 2022.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by tibbitts »

Watty wrote: Tue Jan 25, 2022 12:21 am If you don't have the car in 2032 then it really does not save you anything to delay and buy the new tires in 2025 instead of 2022.
But buying between now and 2025 all but guarantees you'll wreck the car or suffer a catastrophic impractical-to-repair problem before 2025.

That was the logic I used in not buying tires a couple of months ago. Unfortunately now the tires I want are on backorder (vs. available a couple of months ago) at a $100 higher price.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by lazydavid »

whodidntante wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 7:29 pm If you buy a Mustang your tires will never get too old.
And neither will the spectators at your local cars and coffee. :shock:

(slightly) More seriously, to pursue this strategy, one must avoid the Performance Pack or any other option that adds staggered tire sizes. Otherwise, while you'll replace the rears every few months, the fronts will dry rot. :mrgreen:
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by deanbrew »

jasper wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 10:16 pm
Could u expand on this? I live near the Rockies and have been thinking of snow tires. If u run them in the summer is it just a harsher ride? Do they not last very long?

I’m second guessing driving all season tires but am balking at having 2 sets of tires with minimal storage space
Using winter tires year-round definitely has drawbacks. Significantly louder, especially at speed, rougher ride quality, much inferior traction/handling, and considerably shorter tread life. I suppose each person can weigh these factors into their own driving patterns and desires, but I would never use winter tires all year long unless I lived where it was winter more than eight months a year.

Then again, I see people driving Jeep Wranglers with big knobby tires on the highway, with all of the same drawbacks (and more), knowing they almost never go off-road. So, it comes down to what your preferences are and what you are willing to accept.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by willthrill81 »

deanbrew wrote: Tue Jan 25, 2022 9:57 am
jasper wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 10:16 pm
Could u expand on this? I live near the Rockies and have been thinking of snow tires. If u run them in the summer is it just a harsher ride? Do they not last very long?

I’m second guessing driving all season tires but am balking at having 2 sets of tires with minimal storage space
Using winter tires year-round definitely has drawbacks. Significantly louder, especially at speed, rougher ride quality, much inferior traction/handling, and considerably shorter tread life. I suppose each person can weigh these factors into their own driving patterns and desires, but I would never use winter tires all year long unless I lived where it was winter more than eight months a year.

Then again, I see people driving Jeep Wranglers with big knobby tires on the highway, with all of the same drawbacks (and more), knowing they almost never go off-road. So, it comes down to what your preferences are and what you are willing to accept.
We once put ice tires on an SUV. They had crushed walnut shells embedded in the rubber, and they worked remarkably well. They didn't produce any more noise than all season tires, and due to the expense and hassle of switching them with other tires, we just left them on all year. IIRC, they lasted about 3.5 years and over 30k miles, but they were definitely worn out by the time we got new ones.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by JupiterJones »

Q: When are tires too old?

A: When they reach retirement age

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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by hunoraut »

jasper wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 10:16 pm Could u expand on this? I live near the Rockies and have been thinking of snow tires. If u run them in the summer is it just a harsher ride? Do they not last very long?

I’m second guessing driving all season tires but am balking at having 2 sets of tires with minimal storage space
generally, winter tires are made of softer compound, and thus more compliant and comfortable riding. for those same reasons they are also prone to wearing faster.

for people who don't have heavy cars and/or don't push their cars very hard (=most people), they wouldnt be able to tell the difference.

but horses for courses, season-specific tires perform better for their designated conditions, so i prefer running dedicated tires on my car. if you run a SINGLE set of tires, whether they are snow-specific vs all-season should really be dictated by where you drive.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by lazydavid »

hunoraut wrote: Tue Jan 25, 2022 11:20 am
jasper wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 10:16 pm Could u expand on this? I live near the Rockies and have been thinking of snow tires. If u run them in the summer is it just a harsher ride? Do they not last very long?

I’m second guessing driving all season tires but am balking at having 2 sets of tires with minimal storage space
generally, winter tires are made of softer compound, and thus more compliant and comfortable riding. for those same reasons they are also prone to wearing faster.

for people who don't have heavy cars and/or don't push their cars very hard (=most people), they wouldnt be able to tell the difference.
I agree with the first part, but not the second. Because of the softer compound (which gets even softer as temperatures rise), prominent siping and very deep tread, winter tires tend to "wiggle" when driven in the warmer months, and this is VERY obvious in even the most casual driving scenarios. One of the more pronounced effects I've experienced is highway driving on grooved concrete. When I've had to make those drives in unseasonably-warm weather like say, 65F, the car actively wanders from side to side in the lane with zero steering input. If you've ever driven over a bridge made of metal mesh and felt the car moving around on you, that's what it felt like--except it's a little scarier at 70mph.

I will still never give up my winter tires because of how wonderfully they work in the cold, snow, and ice, but I definitely would not choose to run them in the summer unless it was to finish wearing out a set that was already past the winter wear bars. They're totally fine in warmer weather once they're worn down to the harder rubber towards the bottom.
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dm200
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by dm200 »

In this area, all weather tires year round work very well.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by hunoraut »

lazydavid wrote: Tue Jan 25, 2022 12:01 pm I agree with the first part, but not the second. Because of the softer compound (which gets even softer as temperatures rise), prominent siping and very deep tread, winter tires tend to "wiggle" when driven in the warmer months, and this is VERY obvious in even the most casual driving scenarios. One of the more pronounced effects I've experienced is highway driving on grooved concrete. When I've had to make those drives in unseasonably-warm weather like say, 65F, the car actively wanders from side to side in the lane with zero steering input. If you've ever driven over a bridge made of metal mesh and felt the car moving around on you, that's what it felt like--except it's a little scarier at 70mph.

I will still never give up my winter tires because of how wonderfully they work in the cold, snow, and ice, but I definitely would not choose to run them in the summer unless it was to finish wearing out a set that was already past the winter wear bars. They're totally fine in warmer weather once they're worn down to the harder rubber towards the bottom.
other variables figure into this too such as pressures, sizing, and subclass of tires. i run primarily performance-winter tires (dunlop sp winter sport, michelin pilot sport alpin, etc) and theyre quite indistinguishable in late spring warmth.

even with very wintry nokian r3, they dont wander, and under daily commute if i wasnt asked to become attuned to what the car is shod on, i wouldnt be able to tell. (car is normally shod with pilot sport 4s, .35 aspect ratio)
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by JackoC »

Watty wrote: Tue Jan 25, 2022 12:21 am
dm200 wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 2:49 pm Some sources suggest six years from date of manufacture, while some others suggest ten years. The month and year of manufacture is on the sidewall of the tires. My wife and I only put about 3,000 miles per year on each of our older cars (2003 Corolla and 2008 Camry)

So even after ten years, there will be lots of tread remaining. What do others think about when tires are too old and should be replaced?
If a set of tires costs $400 and they last for 10 years then that is only $40 a year.

For each extra year you can get out of the tires then that saves you something like $40 per car. To me that is not worth the risk of there being a problem with the old tires.

I also like replacing things like tires when I can shop for a good price and get them when it is coinvent for me. If you wait for them to fail then you might(at best) come out of your house one morning and have to deal with a flat tire at a bad time not get a good deal on the next set of tires.

Most likely you will not have the same cars in ten years in 2032 anyway.

If you don't have the car in 2032 then it really does not save you anything to delay and buy the new tires in 2025 instead of 2022.
Our car is 17 yrs old (this month, has generally been 'one of our cars' but right now the only one) on its second set of tires. They are 7.5 yrs old, plenty of tread at 42k miles. I can now tell rubber condition isn't 'like new' which till fairly recently it looked, although not 'spider' cracks in the side walls yet let alone anything more serious (in which case I'd replace them now). But it's like you say, if I think I'll keep the car even another year I should probably replace them soon. If I don't get rid of the car this year with old tires (unlikely), I'll sell it in the next few years with pretty new tires and it won't matter much how new they are. But since it's a pretty big SUV and I tend to go for high end tires it was $2100,[edit, duh that was including refinished wheels, ~$1260 for the tires] in 2014 (including full size spare) installed, good price at the time.

*sold our newer car last year but factory order of another at slight discount to MSRP fell through when they kept coming back with 'well but it won't have', when it got to stuff like a satellite radio :( and right now seeing MSRP+ prices I don't want to pay, and we can get by with one car.
Last edited by JackoC on Tue Jan 25, 2022 3:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: When are tires too old??

Post by Jack FFR1846 »

jasper wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 10:16 pm
Jack FFR1846 wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 3:13 pm

This is another reason why I tend to only buy snow tires for my cars and run them year round. To run snows in the winter and all seasons in the summer cuts the mileage of each in half potentially making both sets age out long before they run out of tread.
Could u expand on this? I live near the Rockies and have been thinking of snow tires. If u run them in the summer is it just a harsher ride? Do they not last very long?

I’m second guessing driving all season tires but am balking at having 2 sets of tires with minimal storage space
Depends what tires you have now. If you have touring tires and run regular snows, they'll likely either be the same or a bit more "squishy". If you buy performance snows, you'll have better handling than those touring tires. In the winter, snow tires are worlds safer. I used to laugh at 4x4 pickups and explorers on the side of the road with their all season tires spinning as I drove by in my 1 wheel drive Honda CRX-Si with 4 snows. I tend to buy ONLY snow tires now. They get driven all season. I get at least 50k miles out of any set. And they don't age out before I wear them out.
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