Replacing Tires Due to Age?????

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Heres one for semi's having issues. http://www.centralillinoisnewscenter.com/news/local/Semi-Crash-On-I-474-Caused-By-Flat-Tire-135798218.html

I have had 1 broken belt 1 blowout and 1 just flat this year. I am a firm 7 years or less convert wallet be darned.
 
My tires are about 10-15 PSI under their limit. I checked them when the tires were cold. Is that well within safety limits? My tires are 22.5 and I believe they are supposed to be at 110 max
 
trucks have blowouts, I have myself. The difference is, truck do wear out tires more often, they don't have any close fenders in the back and only the air brake components out by the wheel area. Those brake components can and do get trashed but are not as complex or expensive to repair as ochidoc's hydraulics.
All of my blown tires were non-events, no steer axles and no damage. 
 
Well I have to revise my posting.....
I can no longer say I've never had a steer axle tire blow out ....
the date code had 049 as the numerals in it...making it the 4th week of 2009 if I read it correctly..
checking out new steer tires this week...Costco my first look see.
 
A three digit date code means it is from before year 2000, so that tire is most likely from week 04 of 1999. Well past retirement, I'd say.

You can read up on tire date codes in the RVForum Glossary under Tire Manufacturing Date Codes.

http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php?action=Glossary#Tire%20Manufacturing%20Date%20Codes
 
Does the tire age basis for buying new tires apply to cars, pickups, wheelbarrows, bicycles, tractors, go karts, atv's, motorcycles, show cars, etc?  What about spare tires laying on the shelf?  Just curious.
 
Smaller vehicle tires tend to wear out before they age out.  Spare tires age just like tires in use, even quicker if they aren't being exercised by use.
 
taoshum said:
Does the tire age basis for buying new tires apply to cars, pickups, wheelbarrows, bicycles, tractors, go karts, atv's, motorcycles, show cars, etc?  What about spare tires laying on the shelf?  Just curious.

Yes, tires age even if they're not being used.  Most vehicle tires get worn out before they get too old, but tires aging on shelves is a real concern.  It's important for RVers to check the age of new tires they purchase because they will need every month of life they can get.
 
Ned said:
Smaller vehicle tires tend to wear out before they age out.  Spare tires age just like tires in use, even quicker if they aren't being exercised by use.

The "spare" tire on our car is a really small tire compared to the regular tires.  It's never even touched the ground.  It gets no sun, it's in a wheel well, never to be seen.  It would never occur to me that it should be replaced at 5 years.  I guess that's why we have CoachNet?
 
Gary RV Roamer said:
A three digit date code means it is from before year 2000, so that tire is most likely from week 04 of 1999. Well past retirement, I'd say.

You can read up on tire date codes in the RVForum Glossary under Tire Manufacturing Date Codes.

http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php?action=Glossary#Tire%20Manufacturing%20Date%20Codes

Gary, Thanks...
Date code's are on the inside so I will have them checked...It's a wonder I did as well as I did..Guess it's bite the bullet time this week...ouch..oh well, the next blow out might put me into a bad situation I didn't want to be in..I'm going to go across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge & Tunnel for the trip back & a blow out on that would be a bad day happening for sure...
 
A spare will probably last 7 years, maybe as much as 10.  But it is a fairly common thing for someone to put on an old spare, still looking new, and have it fail within 15-30 miles. If you have a full size spare, it is wise to exchange it occasionally with another tire, so that it gets some use. That actually help the tire aging process.
 
The local tire shop said the Bridgestone tires were made in April of '09 ...sidewalls cracking ...nowhere could I get Michelin or or Bridgestone before the second week of January ...and that just wont work...got a pair of Chinese tires put on ...made in China doesn't always mean cheap to buy!! Gonna keep my fingers crossed...Maybe I'll have good luck w/them..
 
In the past, I had blowouts twice  from old tires that looked very good. Both were bought used at garage sales. One of the blowouts took a good chunk out of the rear quarter panel of the van I had at the time. Since that time, I would never continue using a tire after 7 years old especially on a motorhome. A blowout at highway speeds could be disasterous. In fact, my current policy is to replace tires somewhere between 5 and 7 years old.
 
Icemaker said:
The local tire shop said the Bridgestone tires were made in April of '09 ...sidewalls cracking ...nowhere could I get Michelin or or Bridgestone before the second week of January ...and that just wont work...got a pair of Chinese tires put on ...made in China doesn't always mean cheap to buy!! Gonna keep my fingers crossed...Maybe I'll have good luck w/them..

Update: I was lied to again. the tires in question were made in 99. Blew a rear inside duel in Maryland..limped to a Goodyear dealer in Delaware who had a set and installed them. Good guys on hgwy 13 just north of the Maryland state line. If he had had 2 more I would have changed the other set..but those are not Bridgestone and I hope will make it the last leg of this trip..then they too will be replaced,I really hate blow-outs, would have been ugly in the tunnel..whew..but man was that a cool ride across all that water.
 
Hindsight now, but the quick way to tell the difference between 1999 and 2009 tires is the 1999 tires would have a 3 digit date code and the 2009 tires a 4 digit code.
 
here's some info from the FMCA:  (who and how much is an inspection?)

How Old Are Your Tires?

Molded into the sidewall of every tire manufactured is a code that indicates when and where the tire was manufactured. This code is required by the United States Department of Transportation, and the identification number starts with the letters ?DOT.?  The two digits following the letters DOT indicate the plant where the tire was made.  The last group of numbers ? a four-digit code ? is the one that discloses the week and year of manufacture.  The weeks of the year are numbered consecutively, and the last two digits of the year are included.  So, for instance, the code 4711 indicates that the tire was manufactured during the 47th week of 2011, specifically, the week of November 21.

This information is especially important for the owners of motorhomes. Motorhomes aren?t always driven as many miles as the typical passenger car, so motorhome tires often wear out as a result of age-related issues rather than mileage. Because so many variables are involved, it is not possible to provide a replacement date based simply on the calendar.  So, motorhome owners need to keep their tires properly inflated and also have them inspected regularly by a tire professional, such as a dealer. Once a motorhome tire reaches 5 years of age, it should be inspected at least once a year by a tire professional for signs of wear and aging that would indicate the need for replacement. Most motorhome tires will need to be replaced before they reach 10 years from the date of manufacture, but, if not, they definitely should be replaced at this point as a safety rule, even if they still appear to be serviceable.
 
Hindsight seems to run my life. I'm a believer now. Going to order a tire pressure monitor system when I get back home. Evan for the toad.
I learn so much on this site. Thanks.
 
Just replaced the 2004 vintage 235-80r-22.5 Michelins on our MH. Purchased them at our local farm tire supplier. Mounted, balanced with Counteract, out the door for $508 each! The date code on the new tires are 5211!  I believe these tires were still a bit warm when they were delivered to the dealer. The removed tires looked as good as the new ones except for the date code. I feel very comfortable with these new tires!
 
How about two new tires on the front (not that I think you need them), and now you could keep the old fronts for spares if the rig did not come with one. My guess would be that 90% or more of our so called BLOW OUTS are caused by slow leaks in a tire (nail/screw), as you drive down the road the tire slowly looses pressure which in turn causes the side wall to flex excessively , this generates a lot of heat, as the air pressure drops the flex goes up as does the heat. After a while the rubber inside the tire starts to disintegrate and literally starts crumbling under the flexing and the heat, ultimately with the inside of the tire falling apart as you drive, the side wall fails, boom, blow out. New tires fail the same way as old tires. I would say that tire air pressure monitoring (with a alarm) would be money better spent then throwing out almost new tires. JMHO
 
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