treerootCO
Rising Sun Member
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2005
- Messages
- 5,422
Driving on 30+ year old rubber is not a good idea. I know I am guilty of it. I have driven on some really old tires, even at highway speeds 
The Merc has 43 year old tires on it. I even went into a ditch once because I overloaded a really old set of bias-plys in my pickup after a few too many smoky burnouts (That was three lessons in one )
Wes knows what a rotted sidewall can do.
My point is tires wear out long before our Land Cruisers do. Be safe and think about just how old your tires are, even if the tread is long from the wear marks.
Article from TireRack :
Tire Aging
Nothing Lasts Forever...and Tires Are No Exception
In the 1970s, bias ply tires wore out in about 15,000 miles during two years of service. In the 1980s, early radial ply tires wore out in about 40,000 miles during four years of service. And by the turn of the century, radial tires lasting 60,000 to 80,000 miles were providing four or more years of service on vehicles averaging about 15,000 miles per year. In all of these examples, the tire treads "wore out" before the rest of the tire "aged out."
However, not all of today's vehicles average15,000 miles per year. Multiple-vehicle families, occasionally used recreational vehicles and vehicles driven only for pleasure are driven fewer miles per year. Additionally, enthusiast vehicles trailered to events, shows, stored or put on display for extended periods of time put on far fewer miles. It's possible to encounter ten-year-old tires with significant remaining tread depth because they've been driven less than 1,000 miles a year!
Unfortunately, the growing realization that tires are perishable means that the tires on some of these vehicles will actually "age out" before they "wear out."
How long will tires last before aging out? The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and tire manufacturers are currently studying the many variables. Heavily loaded tires only driven occasionally in scorching climates face some of the most severe conditions, while lightly loaded tires driven every day in moderate climates experience the least severe. Add to that the amount of exposure to the elements (sun and atmospheric) and the quality of tire and vehicle maintenance practices (proper inflation pressure, wheel alignment, etc) and you have an idea of the complexity of the situation. While tire life will ultimately depend on the tires' service conditions and the environment in which they operate, the difficult task remains how to confirm and quantify it.
The current industry association recommendations regarding inspecting and replacing tires due to age originate outside the United States.
The British Rubber Manufacturers Association (BRMA) recommended practice issued June, 2001, states "BRMA members strongly recommend that unused tyres should not be put into service if they are over six years old and that all tyres should be replaced ten years from the date of their manufacture."
The Merc has 43 year old tires on it. I even went into a ditch once because I overloaded a really old set of bias-plys in my pickup after a few too many smoky burnouts (That was three lessons in one ) Wes knows what a rotted sidewall can do.
My point is tires wear out long before our Land Cruisers do. Be safe and think about just how old your tires are, even if the tread is long from the wear marks.
Article from TireRack :
Tire Aging
Nothing Lasts Forever...and Tires Are No Exception
In the 1970s, bias ply tires wore out in about 15,000 miles during two years of service. In the 1980s, early radial ply tires wore out in about 40,000 miles during four years of service. And by the turn of the century, radial tires lasting 60,000 to 80,000 miles were providing four or more years of service on vehicles averaging about 15,000 miles per year. In all of these examples, the tire treads "wore out" before the rest of the tire "aged out."
However, not all of today's vehicles average15,000 miles per year. Multiple-vehicle families, occasionally used recreational vehicles and vehicles driven only for pleasure are driven fewer miles per year. Additionally, enthusiast vehicles trailered to events, shows, stored or put on display for extended periods of time put on far fewer miles. It's possible to encounter ten-year-old tires with significant remaining tread depth because they've been driven less than 1,000 miles a year!
Unfortunately, the growing realization that tires are perishable means that the tires on some of these vehicles will actually "age out" before they "wear out."
How long will tires last before aging out? The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and tire manufacturers are currently studying the many variables. Heavily loaded tires only driven occasionally in scorching climates face some of the most severe conditions, while lightly loaded tires driven every day in moderate climates experience the least severe. Add to that the amount of exposure to the elements (sun and atmospheric) and the quality of tire and vehicle maintenance practices (proper inflation pressure, wheel alignment, etc) and you have an idea of the complexity of the situation. While tire life will ultimately depend on the tires' service conditions and the environment in which they operate, the difficult task remains how to confirm and quantify it.
The current industry association recommendations regarding inspecting and replacing tires due to age originate outside the United States.
The British Rubber Manufacturers Association (BRMA) recommended practice issued June, 2001, states "BRMA members strongly recommend that unused tyres should not be put into service if they are over six years old and that all tyres should be replaced ten years from the date of their manufacture."
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