Question About Tires

hdsn49

My 49 Super 6 sedan has tires on it that I purchased 27 years ago. I have only put about 7000 miles on the car in that time. I recently noticed that the tires are beginning to show cracking.



Tire dealers are saying that you should not run tires that are over 4 years old. I think that they are just trying to sell new tires. The question is do you feel its safe to run on 27 year old tires?

JasonNC

Personally, I wouldn't risk it unless I was the only person on the highway and had somehow managed to install airbags in the car.

terraplane8

Depends on the tyre. The ones I have on the rear of my car are at least 35 years old, but do not have any cracking. They are a "heavy service" tyre and look to be in perfect condition. If someone can tell me how to read the code on the tyre I will ascertain the year they were made.

rambos_ride

hdsn49 wrote:

My 49 Super 6 sedan has tires on it that I purchased 27 years ago. I have only put about 7000 miles on the car in that time. I recently noticed that the tires are beginning to show cracking.



Tire dealers are saying that you should not run tires that are over 4 years old. I think that they are just trying to sell new tires. The question is do you feel its safe to run on 27 year old tires?

I don't have personal knowledge of the "4 year" rule - my gut tells me someones using a sales gimmick (FYI: I have a set of tires on a 4wheel drive JEEP that are 13 years old and have over 70k miles and show no signs of cracking or other problems than normal tread wear) - but the fact that your tires are showing cracking in the rubber is cause for some concern.



You could probably get away with running in town at low speeds but I would never get it above 30mph for any sustained period.



Seriously though for what you have invested into the car, or what it is worth - if you have any hesitation about the tires drop the 500-800.00, get a new set of rubber and be safe and confident on the road?

Unknown

My Terraplane had 30 year old tires on it when I got it. I have since put new Cokers on it. Thats been 2 years. I went to the barn to get the old tires to move a parts car and the tread had popped off 3 of them. Glad I was not driving with my kids when that happened. Bottom line... get a set YOU trust.

Club Coupe

There have been some studies made over the last couple of years about the life expectancy of radial tires, separating, etc. The Government at one time was considering dating tires just like groceries and giving them a 4 to 5 year life expectancy. I think that that is what your tire shop is referring to. I know for a fact that uv rays will destroy tires. I have a car that is in line for restoration and had been sitting outside for a number of years. It has been inside for the last 4 years and every tire had rotted, separated and gone flat. The paperwork for these tires shows that they were installed in 1989 and have been run a little less than 5,000 miles. Granted these are radial tires, and I think that the study was based on radials, but personally, I would not trust 27 year old tires that are showing signs or cracking. They are not the original tires so really, with all due respect, what is the point of taking a chance with them? Your life and safety are certainly worth more than a set of tires. All that being said, I have a 1975 car that has always been garaged with 10,000 miles on it that I bought new. It has the original radials on it. The car sits on jack stands until I take it out. Every year I thoroughly check the tires for air pressure cracks, etc and every year I see nothing. Last year I took the car to my tire shop, with the tire study in mind. We put the car up on their lift and the manager and I thoroughly checked each tire. We found nothing. He suggested leaving well enough alone, which I have done. This car is driven less than 150 miles a year, at speeds below 50 mph. So there you go. Some I replace, some I don't, but one thing I know, I wouldn't trust the '75 on the interstate for any distance without a new set of tires. My opinion only.

Jon B

Speaking as someone who got a full 25 years from his set of Sears Allstates, I say 'it's time to change!' I too still had tread but the tires were really beginning to crack badly. I think you've definitely got your money's worth. If you want, retire them to 'storage duty' on any other cars that you have lying around, but I think dry-rotted tires are a definite hazard. If you want to save a buck, look into some nice blackwall 'blems', and you'll get a discount. Or look around, you might actually find a StepDown owner who has just upgraded to new wide whites or radials, and has a very serviceable set of used tires to sell you, cheaply.



As for me, I took the opportunity (when my tires wore out) to get a set of repro Goodyear diamond-tread whitewalls that I had lusted after for 25 years, but which I could not justify buying while my old Sears tires were still usable.

Geoff

Cracking is usually caused by deteroriation of the rubber, brought on mainly by UV rays, but also drying out of the compounds within the rubber. This can be overcome to a degree by regularly using a product such as Armor-all or similar which penetrates into the rubber and canvas structure of the tyre and keeps them soft and supple. Also of course, keep the car out of the sunlight, and up on jacks if stored for any length of time. I have tyres on my Essex which are over 30 years old, showing no signs of stress, and have been retreaded twice! However, I agree, if in doubt - replace.

Geoff.

PAULARGETYPE

well Coker Tire says at 8 years the tires have detoriated to the point that they should not be driven at hiway speeds remember when the made 7.60X15 tires in the 50's you were not driving your step down 60 to 70 MPH for hours like some of us do now I FOR ONE WOULD NOT DRIVE ON A TIRE THATS MORE THAN 8 YEARS OLD



Just a little story to make my point on our way to the national meet in Waterbury CT. I HAD 3 TIRES COME APART ON MY 57 HOLLYWOOD I HAD JUST REPLACED THE 2 FRONT TIRES THINKING WHAT COULD HAPPEN THE OTHERS LOOKED GOOD ?? WELL YOU GUESSED IT THE TREAD CAME OFF THE CASEINGS OF THE TIRES MAKEING OUR TRIP A LOT LONGER YOU DON'T WANT TO BE OUT ON AN INTERSTATE CHANGING A TIRE IN 100 HEAT WHAT A MESS WE EVEN LOST THE SPAIR !!! BE SAFE AND CHANGE THOSE TIRES



HUDSONLY

PAULARGETYPE

Uncle Josh

I put a nearly new set of 205-75 'take-offs' on my Commadore for $40 each mounted and balanced. Then I painted them with latex house paint. Work and look great.

http://groups.msn.com/HudsonEssexTerraplaneBulletinBoard/unclejoshshudsons.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=2644

Unknown

NO,NO,NO...Replace those tires. I owned a tow truck (wrecker for those back East) company for 18 years and the one item that caused more wrecks other than driver error was proper maintenance of tires. Yeah, I know we could chalk tire maintenance up to driver error too... The worst thing in the world for a tow operator or highway patrol trooper is to roll up on an accident, especially with children involved that could have been so easily avoided. Add that to a collectible car such as a Hudson and it is just that much worse. Bad tires frequently cause rollovers. Don't chance it.