Truck Tires - 12 years old

[JoePa]

The tires on my 2005 F350 look real good - the thread and the sidewalls both look good - they only have around 35K miles on them - but they are 12 years old - I read that tires that old aren't safe anymore and should be replaced even if they look good on the outside because they could be going bad on the inside - if this is true or not I don't know - I do load the truck with a camper when it is being used so it does carry quite a load - I was wondering what some of you guys thought - it seems ashamed to throw such good looking tires away - thanks

[Snowwalker]

More then five years is too old to be sold if I remember correctly.

[sawbill]

Actually there is a lot of decent sites to read up on this particular matter. One I went to said 5 - 7 years whether the tire is used or not. Some of the factors involved that influence a tires condition are shipping temperatures and storage conditions. After a certain time the oils and binding chemicals dry out. Again, whether the tire is driven or not.

Yours are 12 years old and look good but everything I have read says they should be tossed for safety reasons.

[patvetzal]

Don't know about the age of tires but the name on the side seems to have a lot to do with longevity. I have a trailer that only get a few hundred miles per year. Replaced a set of weathered Goodyears when they were over 40 years old but bought a popular offshore brand. They lasted less than ten years before they started to come apart...
I have a pile of old tires on rims out back that are over 10 years old that I save for utility trailer use. Most will never see speeds over 50 mph...

[sawbill]

That's where mine usually end up. I just keep the speeds down and load the trailer lighter. And make sure I'm never too far from a good wheel wrench, spare and jack.

[Fox]

It is mainly the sun that attacks them, any weather cracking on them on the tread or the sidewall? If you have sidewall cracking they need to go, I have tires on my Jeep though that are 7 or so years old, barely used, they seem to be fine, but I would not be running them up at 100MPH either.

[JoePa]

No weather cracking on the side walls - the truck stays in the garage when it is not being used - and that's usually from Nov to May - I guess the one thing you need to check when you buy new tires is how old they are - you might buy a new set of ties and if you don't check they may be a couple years old already - from what I read the manufactures now have to put the date of manufacture on the tire - when I go to buy new tires I'll ask the seller how old the tires are before I buy them

[Fox]

No weather cracking on the side walls - the truck stays in the garage when it is not being used - and that's usually from Nov to May - I guess the one thing you need to check when you buy new tires is how old they are - you might buy a new set of ties and if you don't check they may be a couple years old already - from what I read the manufactures now have to put the date of manufacture on the tire - when I go to buy new tires I'll ask the seller how old the tires are before I buy them

There is a DOT code on them, online you can reference this and know exactly what month they were made.

[patvetzal]

The strenth in a tire comes from the cords. The rubber merely provides a seal for the air. The scientists in the factory often give you a different answer from that of the sales people....
Many years ago before serpentine fan belts service station attendants were told to show the client all the cracks in the back of their fan belts, then sell them a new one. The company that made the belts pointed out that the cracks had no connection to the strength of the belts....