Maximum tire life?

Excerpts from

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Bridgestone has broken ranks with the rest of the US rubber industry in recommending a maximum life span for passenger and light-truck tires.

In a recent technical bulletin to its dealers, the tire maker said all tires - including spares - that are more than 10 years old should be replaced, regardless of their external appearance. The company cited the same recommendation issued in September by the Japan Automotive Tire Manufacturers Association.

Many US car makers have pushed ahead with such recommendations, although their age recommendations vary and generally are shorter.

Earlier this year, Ford started urging consumers to replace tires after six years. Ford said its research shows that tires degrade over time, even when they are not being used.

The US tire industry, however, insists there is no science to support this view.

Bridgestone's technical bulletin notes that although the company is not aware of technical data that support a specific tire service life, it believes it is appropriate to follow the Japanese tire industry's new recommendation.

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The folly of mistaking a paradox for a discovery, a metaphor for a proof, a torrent of verbiage for a spring of capital truths, and oneself for an oracle, is inborn in us.

...Paul Valery

Reply to
Steve
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A report out last year suggested 6 years.

Reply to
Hachiroku

Like all compounds, tire "rubber" degrades over time. How much time depends on lots of factors, too numerous to list now.

But, I'm sure most of their concern involves heading off lawsuits from idiots who can't keep their tires properly inflated and maintained. Or from a fool who tries to corner his SUV at 80mph and rolls the tires off the rims...

Reply to
Larry J.

Reply to
Dana

Interesting issue. I bet that there are many variables including rubber compounds, atmospheric pollution types and levels, sun exposure, heat exposure, etc.

Putting an exact replacement interval date on tires is hard, but it is clear that old rubber gets harder and more likely to fail.

John

Reply to
John Horner

My father, who is now 79 years old, bought a 98 Honda Odyssey brand new.

Several months ago, at 45K miles, he put new tires on. He said he couldn't believe how much better the car rode and handled.

He just got used to the original tires slowly going to hell, that's all.

Reply to
Elmo P. Shagnasty

You could be - but before you freak and have the car towed to the tire store, get down on your knees and really inspect the tires.

If you see lots of age cracking and checking, especially cracks that have opened up to expose fabric belts, you have rotten tires. And look down between the tread blocks, that's where the stress is concentrated. If the rubber is as smooth soft and pliable as a baby's bottom, you should be fine for a while longer...

But with 15-year-old tires, even if the outside looks perfect I'd still start looking around for a good sale on tires. The tread compounds change with age, and I'll bet you like the grip and ride of the car on new tires much better.

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Reply to
Bruce L. Bergman

damned right! blaming tires is cheaper than admitting liability for thousands of deaths through /known/ flawed design. and let's face it, that strategy was spectacularly successful before.

Reply to
jim beam

"Do ya feel lucky?" I would put new rubber on 'er.

John

Reply to
John Horner

on a PERFORMANCE care like a 'Vette, no less.

Wow. That's like putting piss-water Mexican gas in it to save a few dimes.

Reply to
Elmo P. Shagnasty

You certainly are entitled to your opinion but a US Senate investigation, numerous courts cases and admissions by the tire manufacture involved in the court settlements, have proven that what you believe that led you to that opinion, is wrong. Do some research on Firestones tires, WBMA :)

mike hunt

Reply to
Mike Hunter

I was under the impression that 10 years was standard on the life of a tire. I bought a new spare a few years ago because the one I had (a full-size spare) was in excess of 10 years old.

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

(still has the original spare in his '85 Corolla GTS AND his '85 Celica GTS...)

Reply to
Hachiroku

excuse me, but when is it ok for a vehicle to roll when a tire blows? i don't care if it's tread separation, broken bottle or gunshot, NO VEHICLE SHOULD EVER ROLL AS THE RESULT OF A FLAT. and no amount of highly expensive lobbying whitewash or out of court settlements can change that fact. similarly, it's just plain criminal to lobby AGAINST rollover roof collapse standards for these same vehicles that have a known rollover propensity "because it would cost too much". have you ever been behind an suv when it rolls and kills its occupants because the roof collapses to hood height? i have.

Reply to
jim beam

Reply to
Dana

Explorers and similar vehicles are top heavy and very easy to roll. My neighbor just totaled her Explorer when it slid wide on a wet corner (first rain of the season in California is a bad, bad thing). When the car hit the curb, boom, over it goes.

People have been buying these tall vehicles thinking they are getting safety, but what they are really getting is a much higher probability of rolling over and the privledge of blocking the line of site for those of use driving reasonable sedans and station wagons.

Several years ago my in-laws rolled their Explorer on a narrow road when swerving to avoid an accident. That vehicle, and many similar ones, is a top heavy monster with tall sidewall tires and is very, very easy to roll. Neither of the two people I'm talking about are agressive drivers and they have never rolled any of their other vehicles.

In the Firestone situation I see two problems. First, Firestone made a bunch of tires which were more failure prone under high heat conditions than are most tires. Second, the Explorer is a top heavy short vehicle which is very easy to roll over. Combine the two and you have a bunch of accidents.

John

Reply to
John Horner

What about your spare tire......it's probably never been out of the trunk. It should have no sun damage.

Who replaces that compact spare after 10 years. I know I don't.

This subject is something to think about especially if you use your spare on the freeway at over 70 MPH.

Reply to
Charlie S

The '85 Rolla has a full size spare, the Celica a 'compact'...it's bigger than a lot of REGULAR tires on other cars!!!

Reply to
Hachiroku

ok, but let me ask again, why does it matter what brand the tire is? i don't care if the tire's been shot out with a rocket propelled grenade or if the tread has separated, the vehicle should not roll!!! and it was known by the manufacturer that this vehicle had an exaggerated roll propensity before it even went on sale. fact is, tire has nothing to do with it. statistically, firestone had no greater failure rate than any other tire, but the whitewash [and firestone's ineptitude at recognising a political scapegoating exercise] made accusations of "it's the tire's fault" stick. but hey, we all know that if the lie is big enough and repeated often enough...

Reply to
jim beam

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