Weather checked tires
#1
09-21-17, 02:45 PM
Weather checked tires
On my 2002 Tundra I have Michelin 265/70-16 LTX MS2 tires that have only 40k miles but are pretty checked in the sidewalls. They are just short of 7 yrs old and this Colorado climate has pretty intense UV with few cloudy days. The truck lives outside. Is there any definitive way to know if these should be replaced even tho much tread remains?
#2
09-21-17, 03:04 PM
Six (6) years from the date of manufacture is what I've heard . . . . . and you can examine your tires and read the week and year your tires were manufactured by reading the sidewall. Here's a little write-up that discusses the matter of rubber aging and tells you how to read your tire's date code:
https://www.edmunds.com/car-care/how...our-tires.html
Vermont's annual vehicle inspection hasn't (yet) been modified to include this as a cause for failing . . . . but it's coming down the pike.
https://www.edmunds.com/car-care/how...our-tires.html
Vermont's annual vehicle inspection hasn't (yet) been modified to include this as a cause for failing . . . . but it's coming down the pike.
#3
09-21-17, 03:06 PM
6 yrs is what I've heard also although the tires on my truck are past that. Mine aren't weather checked though. I'd be concerned if there is a lot of weather cracks and I needed to go down the highway.
#4
09-21-17, 04:36 PM
Super Moderator
I'd be concerned if there is a lot of weather cracks and I needed to go down the highway.
Probably even more fun at 180mph. Ever seen the damage a flopping tread does to the fenders?
Handyman, as was mentioned, you need to check the date code. You may have purchased them 7 yrs ago, but they might be 8 yrs old.
#5
09-21-17, 05:42 PM
Member
I own a 2003 F150 with only 30,000 mile on it.
All the tires had side wall cracks.
One of the outer bands ripped off and ripped out the fender well on the truck.
And it left me sitting beside the road at 10 PM at night.
Changed the tire, only to find out the spare was 1/2 flat, Get to a 7-11 to pump it up and the pump was out of order.
Have the tires replaced.
All the tires had side wall cracks.
One of the outer bands ripped off and ripped out the fender well on the truck.
And it left me sitting beside the road at 10 PM at night.
Changed the tire, only to find out the spare was 1/2 flat, Get to a 7-11 to pump it up and the pump was out of order.
Have the tires replaced.
#7
09-22-17, 03:33 AM
Tires, Belts and Hoses are a few of the items that begin aging even before they're sold or installed, and where the term NOS (new old stock) isn't used very much by retailers. That familiar new rubber smell should still be present when you buy tires or belts or hoses.
And with tires, you should be able to ask for the freshness date (just like bakery) that's embossed in the sidewall of every tire manufactured since the year 2000.
And with tires, you should be able to ask for the freshness date (just like bakery) that's embossed in the sidewall of every tire manufactured since the year 2000.
#8
09-22-17, 06:29 AM
"Tires, brakes, and exhaust" my dad used to tell me were the three big ones to pay attention to on a vehicle. "If you like walking" he would say, "go ahead and ignore your engine and transmission, but those three things will get you". I don't know that exhaust systems would be as high on his list since they last a whole lot longer than they did even just 30 years or so ago, and brakes are pretty self-evident, but, in my opinion, while radial tires have a lot of advantages, they also require more attention on the part of the consumer. Radial tires are much less forgiving as far as operating underinflated or with damaged or worn sidewalls because the sidewall can and will at some point fail immediately, resulting in total loss of pressure. No doubt in my mind that I would replace them.
#10
09-22-17, 09:58 AM
I ordered now ones today. Upon actual measurement, there was not as much tread as I thought, 5-6/32. Thanks for all the replies.
