Clarification on tire ages and shelf life

[Anonymous]

Apparently Michelin urges replacement of tires over ten (10) years of age.

[1stinLA]

Something people and tire companies do not look at is the valve stems, I have found them to start degrading and getting brittle after about 4-5 years whether on the camper, flat, or boat trailers.

[MeanV2]

Shap from La wrote:

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Personal Experience with quality tires on low mileage vehicles.

2 sets of Firestone Indy 500’s on my old Classic boat trailer, and a set of goodyear wranglers on my 2007 Yukon. Both low mileage vehicles as pertaining to treadwear. All 3 sets I’m speaking of were looking good and still had plenty of tread life left on them but when they hit the 6 year mark they all started having air leaks from unknown locations. I would fill them up and they would hold air for a while with no foreign objects detected. It winded up being little hairline cracks within the tread pattern that the leaks were coming from. So, after 5 years no matter how good the tires look now I’m putting new shoes on all of my rides. Of course on most vehicles I won’t get close to 5 years because of the mileage since I average about 20000 miles per year on my truck and car. But the Yukon is a garage queen and the boat even though regularly used won’t see the tread life come to an end.

I’m sure if they are sitting in the shop on a shelf in the shade and without the load of being installed on a vehicle with no exposure to the elements they will last much longer. But, for me if a tire is installed after 5 years of sitting on a shelf then you are nearing the end of life for that tire from my own experiences.

Chris Coupel
Paulina, La.

I think a tire aging setting on a shelf versus installed with a load on, etc would 2 entirely different animals. I count my time from when they are put in service as long as they are not  over the limit on shelf age suggested.

Dan

[Redngoo]

From my experience in the past when a tire starts showing signs of aging its is best to change them out. Though some aging elements don’t show or is visible to the eye. Alot depends on physical element of nature. Uv being the worst. The type of roads one travels. How fast one drives on pot holes. The slamming impact of the holes definitly breaks the inner cords down. I have a 2002 ford which I purchased new. Truck has only 60 k miles on it. Basically used for boat towing only .put set of michelin tires on at 40k. due to truck not under a carport and Uv.the side that see the most tires had cracks around the rim. Other side was fine. So I had to replace them. Those tire probally had 40 k left in them. The little caracal I sold earlier this yr had set of marathons probally 8 yrs old. Wouldnt have been afraid to light out across country with them. Difference being boat was stored in a dry cool place. In ending. Short tire life is due to the way we treat them. One will dodge a hole with there tow vehencle and let there trailor slam these holes is not good. Here in walker county I see this often. Not only is it bad on tires. It’s bad on trailor and boat.

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2013 PANTERA 2
MERCURY 200 PRO XS
MINNKOTA 80LB FORTREX
25 fury

[Shap from La]

Personal Experience with quality tires on low mileage vehicles.

2 sets of Firestone Indy 500’s on my old Classic boat trailer, and a set of goodyear wranglers on my 2007 Yukon. Both low mileage vehicles as pertaining to treadwear. All 3 sets I’m speaking of were looking good and still had plenty of tread life left on them but when they hit the 6 year mark they all started having air leaks from unknown locations. I would fill them up and they would hold air for a while with no foreign objects detected. It winded up being little hairline cracks within the tread pattern that the leaks were coming from. So, after 5 years no matter how good the tires look now I’m putting new shoes on all of my rides. Of course on most vehicles I won’t get close to 5 years because of the mileage since I average about 20000 miles per year on my truck and car. But the Yukon is a garage queen and the boat even though regularly used won’t see the tread life come to an end.

I’m sure if they are sitting in the shop on a shelf in the shade and without the load of being installed on a vehicle with no exposure to the elements they will last much longer. But, for me if a tire is installed after 5 years of sitting on a shelf then you are nearing the end of life for that tire from my own experiences.

Chris Coupel
Paulina, La.

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Chris Coupel
Paulina, La.

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