Tires still good?

[icemann427]

When my brother bought his 05' Escalade, he immediately took off the stock rims and tires and replaced them with some aftermarket ones. I purchased the vehicle from him about two years ago and am now wanting to sell it, perhaps with the stock rims and tires while keeping the aftermarket ones. Are the brand new tires that are now about 7 years old still good? They have been stored in a garage, stacked one on top of the other, inflated on the stock rims.

Thank you much.

[A930Rocket]

Probably not. Although new at the time, they could have been made a year or more earlier. Keep the rims, but ditch the tires.

When I bought my BMW last year, it had 10 year old tires.

The rubber was as hard as a bowling ball.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Probably okay to drive around locally but I wouldn't go on any long trips on them or sustained runs up to highway speed...

[Zeke]

Before the Internet and all the info, people drove on tires for more than 7 years if they had tread. In fact, retreads were commonly sold for cars. Some of those casings must have been down the road a piece.

You might mention to the buyer what you did and ask him/her if they'd like to buy your aftermarket wheels at market price. Anyway. make sure you get a signature on a "as is" statement with disclosure if you want to protect yourself completely.

I've not yet heard of a private seller held liable unless they purposely deceived.

[wdfifteen]

Kept inside, cool, and out of the light? I wouldn't worry about them. If the garage gets hot or they sat in the sun, I'd replace them.

[icemann427]

Thank you all! Yes, they were stored out of the light in a fairly dark garage. The garage gets somewhat warm/hot in the summer though. Thanks for all the advise!

[Jim Richards]

I would only use those tires for local trips for a couple of years, then pitch them out.

[kaisen]

They're fine, fine, fine. There should be NO REASON that you can drive sustained freeway speeds, and do everything and anything you could do with any other tire

These guys are super paranoid

[Jim Richards]

My personal experience disagrees with you, Eric. Local (including local freeway) driving...no problem. Sustained (road trip) driving ...problem.

[kaisen]

What would be the physical science behind 7 year old tires being unsafe?

I can see if they were bearing weight, out in the sun, or some other detrimental environment. But they shouldn't be dry rotted if they were indoors, they shouldn't be out of round, they shouldn't have lost their shape in any way.

Tire manufacturers say their tires can be sold as new up to 7 years in storage

[strupgolf]

Not to worry. Keep them, drive them, and don't look back. They are probably as good as new.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I think the "seven years like new" thing presupposes that the tires have been coated in preservative/slime the whole time and properly stored. Most tires haven't. Any that have been mounted, certainly if they've been driven have had the protective stuff worn off.

Yes, there's being paranoid but I personally have had two tires come apart on me at freeway speeds. It ain't fun and it does a hell of a number of the fenders.

[recycled sixtie]

While on the subject of tires what date no. do you look for on a tire? Where is it located ? Sorry to sideswipe your thread.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by recycled sixtie

While on the subject of tires what date no. do you look for on a tire? Where is it located ? Sorry to sideswipe your thread.

There are tutorials on the Web. It's coded. I think nowadays you would find it on the inside sidewall. Even non directional blackwalls have a better side for the outside.

[89911]

Originally Posted by kaisen

What would be the physical science behind 7 year old tires being unsafe?

I can see if they were bearing weight, out in the sun, or some other detrimental environment. But they shouldn't be dry rotted if they were indoors, they shouldn't be out of round, they shouldn't have lost their shape in any way.

Tire manufacturers say their tires can be sold as new up to 7 years in storage

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."

Got this from tirerack. What I have noticed in driving older tires on occasion is that they just don't have any traction. The feel less rubbery and more plastic like. I guess you could drive in a staight line without problems, but for anything meant to handle, it would suffer.

[RWebb]

Probably not okay to drive around locally as you are more likely to have to make a panic stop on the rock hard tread compound -- it will skid & some small kid will be dead.

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by kaisen

What would be the physical science behind 7 year old tires being unsafe?

I can see if they were bearing weight, out in the sun, or some other detrimental environment. But they shouldn't be dry rotted if they were indoors, they shouldn't be out of round, they shouldn't have lost their shape in any way.

Tire manufacturers say their tires can be sold as new up to 7 years in storage

the rubber contains sulfide* bonds that continue to cross-link no matter how they are stored, even in a pure nitrogen atmosphere

now, if you store them at absolute zero... it will slow that down


* IIRC - and they may be di-sulfide

[look 171]

I just drove on my 9 year old tires yesterday when I took the Land Cruiser out for a battery charge. Up until several months ago, it was driven on a weekly basis. I would not drive to NYC with it, but will do Vegas all day long.

[aigel]

The tires age just from sitting. The ozone in the air attacks the rubber for example. I am no chemist, but there is also an aging reaction where the rubber hardens and becomes more brittle over time. This is sped up by heat cycles but still happens sitting in the dark garage that goes up and down in temp every day ...

We have had a few treads on here on this subject and I always recommend to toss tires 6+ years old on high center of gravity vehicles. A blow out at highway speed can definitely kill you.

Aged Tires: A Driving Hazard? | Video - ABC News

Selling the vehicle you may decide for yourself what you want to do. I myself would not sell it with those old tires - Karma ...

G

[89911]

Originally Posted by recycled sixtie

While on the subject of tires what date no. do you look for on a tire? Where is it located ? Sorry to sideswipe your thread.

Tire Tech Information - Determining the Age of a Tire