stownsen914

Old tires are a crap shoot. They might be fine and perform well. But they might not. I worry less about the traction - I can judge that from the driver's seat. I worry about carcass failures. If this happens, you won't see it coming, and it will probably happen at the worst possible time when the tire is heavily loaded, either in a turn or at high speed. Not my version of fun.

Nowanker

Agreed!
Carcass failure = Bad scene!
Yet still, no one has come up with a reason for a tire carcass to fail from just sitting on the shelf.
My only point....

stownsen914

I've heard too many stories (granted not overwhelming) of old tires failing catastrophically. Blowout, delams, etc. Would love to see data, or unbiased info from an expert. I'm just not a fan of taking a chance on low probability events that have large negative consequences. Otherwise, why wear a helmet - it's highly unlikely you'll need it.

Nowanker

Leaving the 'Well, the grip is going to suck, so you'll probably crash...' out of the discussion, does anyone have any direct link, strictly between tire age and tire failure?
Exclusive of sun/ozone weathering, of course. Those, I'd classify as 'damage', not 'age'.

So far, I have yet to hear a plausible connection.
Anyone? Please?
Zhao's anecdote of the 20 year old ice racing tires seems to refute it.

This is way more fun than rehashing Lewis Hamilton's abominable fashion sense!

LuigiVampa

I don't understand this debate.

I don't want old tires on my trailer yet some people are debating keeping old tires on a race car?

Is it a lack of respect for your car or your own life that makes some people consider using old tires?

If you can't afford decent tires you certainly can't afford a repair bill.

Nowanker

Lots of superstition and myth in the automotive world.
People feel compelled to do things, because 'That's what you have to do!'
Never mind that there isn't one shred of real reasoning behind some 'must dos'.

Never set a battery on concrete. It'll go dead
Only break in an engine on non-detergent oil.
You can't break in an engine on synthetic oil.
When bleeding brakes, you must start at the wheel farthest away from the master cylinder.
Many more... those are just the ones that came to mind.
All bullsh*t, although I'd happily change my view if anyone could provide some actual facts to support those theories.

So far, not one logical explanation how a tire edges toward catastrophic failure while sitting on a shelf.
Other than It's simply not done!

I'm not advocating driving on questionable tires. Merely questioning the criteria for declaring them 'questionable'.
So far, haven't seen a compelling reason that a tire would suddenly turn to garbage on its 5th birthday....

J richard

WARNING

Service Life For Race Tires: Old tires can fail in use, causing loss of vehicle control and personal injury. Environmental conditions like temperature extremes, exposure to sunlight, electric arc, solvents, automotive fluids, and atmospheric pollutants accelerate the aging process. Hoosier Racing Tire strongly recommends that new (sticker) tires should be put in service within 2 years of date of purchase. Used (scuffed) tires have a shorter service life than new (sticker) tires. Poor storage and infrequent use accelerate the aging process.

you’ve heard from a number of very experienced an knowledgeable people who simply don’t want to waste time proving a negative. Dont take their silence as acceptance, it’s just tedium…
and btw just about every example you gave about “myths” were actually true at one point. And it’s non-“dispersant” oil for setting the rings on a fresh build, still required by several mfgrs, and aircraft engines.
I’m out….

ldamelio

Extremely well stated. In addition to OPs disregard for safety, he does not take social cues well.

ldamelio

Extremely well stated. In addition to OPs disregard for safety, he does not take social cues well.

Olemiss540

I imagine this is exactly what it feels like attend one of my HOA's monthly board meetings.

Be honest now, how many of ya'll are on the board of their respective HOA?

Glyndellis

Once the age of tires is beaten to death, can we discuss why perfectly good harnesses have to be replaced after 5 years? This would help my tire budget....

docwyte

The best answer I've gotten for the harness question is "Because they have an expiration date on them". So if they didn't have a date on them, like the stock 3 point belts, then they wouldn't need to be swapped out after 5 years apparently

Nowanker

Dogma is a powerful force, and highly resistant to logic..
It's simply.... indisputable.

LuigiVampa

It's a fair point and I think storage does play a part in how long a tire lasts. There is a reason why I put covers on my trailer tires when not in use - blocking UV will extend their life.

That being said I think it makes sense to compare and extend this conversation to most of the components of a race car which operate under stress. Do you wait for them to fail, or do you assess a reasonable life-span, at which point the part is replaced before failure?

I time out all the important parts of my race cars, especially suspension and steering components. In the absence of any way to accurately ascertain the remaining life in a tire I will make a judgement call and most likely toss it if there is a concern.

Of course, the most accurate gauge of tire life is below -

zedcat

There's data and analysis available if someone wants to research it vs following traditional guidelines. Rubber and related compounds oxidize and degrade with time. Their physical properties change. How fast, how much is often established emperically- lessons learned the hard way. For harnesses there has been testing of strength vs age and that data is available if someone wants to look it up.