| Author |
Message |
Peter E (Sdibaja) (67.115.9.227)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 11, 2003 - 1:23 pm: | |
I had a pair of 12R22.5 tires that were about 12 years old and no one wanted them, even for free. They had lots of tread and no weather checks.
I ended up selling them to a water truck operator in Baja, Mexico. The tire shop operator and several commercial truckers down there say that tires are always used until they are either weather checked or the tread is gone and would not hesitate to use “old” tires.
I understand that tires are dated and that there is some kind of time limit for replacement.
Is there some regulation that applies to RVs?
Is there some regulation that applies to commercial use or is this just a “guideline”?
In the real world, is there any reason to replace tires that are in fine shape but were manufactured 10 or 15 years ago? |
DonTX/KS (205.187.92.180)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 11, 2003 - 2:41 pm: | |
None whatsoever that anybody I have ever seen come up with. Even commercial aircraft and school buses can run 20 or thirty year old tires, no age limits, DOT does not have any either. Insurance companies don't care.
Mostly the tire manufacturers have decided it is good business I suppose, sure increases sales of new tires if you can scare people into getting fresh ones.
I was running recaps on my bus, that were over 20 years old! It was a very fast bus, ran the hot highways at above legal speeds, never had a problem. |
DonTX/KS (205.187.92.180)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 11, 2003 - 2:49 pm: | |
None whatsoever that anybody I have ever seen come up with. Even commercial aircraft and school buses can run 20 or thirty year old tires, no age limits, DOT does not have any age limits either. Insurance companies don't care.
Mostly the tire manufacturers have decided it is good business I suppose, sure increases sales of new tires if you can scare people into getting fresh ones. Most people fall for it.
I was running recaps on my bus, that were over 20 years old! It was a very fast bus, ran the hot highways at above legal speeds, never had a problem. |
Johnny (65.177.177.98)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 11, 2003 - 6:00 pm: | |
I'm with Don--unless the rubber has turned rock-hard, or they're dry-rotting, I see no reason not to run them.
BTW--Had they been 11R22.5's, I'd bet they'd have gone in a hurry. |
Phil Dumpster (12.230.214.167)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, November 12, 2003 - 5:02 am: | |
If you want your tires to last a long time, apply a silicone based protector which blocks ultraviolet light. A high end detail shop usually has this stuff, and it can also be had over the Internet.
Stored out of the light in a cool and dry place, tires will last several decades. |
Johnny (206.134.56.234)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, November 13, 2003 - 11:29 pm: | |
Or, just use the $3/quart DOT3 brake fluid. Seriously--it does the same thing. |
DonTX/KS (67.210.119.39)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 14, 2003 - 8:21 am: | |
I am in shock! This topic usually gets a dozen or so self appointed experts that swear they have seen tires self-destruct on the shelves at stores on the day they get 5 years old! They must have gone broke buying new tires I guess. |
Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary) (209.128.99.4)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 14, 2003 - 12:41 pm: | |
I think everone just took your word as gospel Don.
Gary |
Geoff (Geoff) (66.238.121.178)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 14, 2003 - 2:15 pm: | |
I had 6 tires that were 7 years old but still had 60-70% tread left. They were mounted on my one ton work truck-- the first tire failure was the tread separating on a front tire-- that one was easy to feel since the tire wiggled when it hit the bad spot. I replaced that tire. Couple of months later I had to do some local freeway driving and a rear tire fell apart coming home. Bought another tire. A week later I lost another rear tire on the same trip-- this time I bought four new tires making six new ones. Glad I had a spare.
Second experience: I used to use ArmourAll on all my car and motorcycle tires, then I noticed that they would all start cracking after a couple of years. Apparently the spray draws the natural lubricant out of the tires so they dry up and start cracking. Now I put nothing on my tires and just scub them good with soap and a brush. They last for years and still look new after I scub them. And I don't bother covering them up from the sun.
--Geoff
'82 RTS CA |
Peter E (Sdibaja) (66.123.254.69)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 14, 2003 - 3:16 pm: | |
Like Don, I too am in shock.
I do remember hearing, here and elsewhere, that there were "laws" requiring early retirement (pun intended).
My search of tire manufacture sites comes up with nothing of the kind, and no one is coming forward here either.
Like Geoff, I too have had some tires die early, but nothing I could put my finger on related to shear age… the City fleet lost several that were less than a year old, for no apparent reason.
My "real world" experience tells me that if tires are treated properly, and show no sign of age, last well into a second recap. No, I don’t use recaps, but will not get into that argument.
Thanks for all the input!
Peter E |
Peter Broadribb (Madbrit) (216.67.210.100)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 14, 2003 - 6:35 pm: | |
I just lost one to seperation. It was on the front of my Ford 1 ton Dually. I had always had a sorta vibration at around 65 to 75 mph. Balancing of wheels and driveshaft never got rid of it, even rotating the tires had little effect. Not always there if you went to 80 mph and then slowed down. I thought it was an harmonic balance problem somewhere, until yesterday.
Took the seperated tire back under warranty and put the other front tire as a spare and bought 2 new upgraded ones of the same brand (Big O) and the vibration has gone and the truck has stopped the slight pull to the left it has always had.
Reckon it was a bad tire all along.
Peter. |
HenryMC7 (66.222.184.148)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 14, 2003 - 9:34 pm: | |
I've heard the suggestion of coating the airbags with the same silicone type protector. What are the "self-appointed" experts opinions? Is there a way to help the rubber in the bags stay supple?
Henry |
DonTX/KS (67.210.125.235)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 14, 2003 - 10:41 pm: | |
In reading and absorbing info, it appears that the best recommended appoach is simple soap and water cleanliness, and keeping out of the sunlight is the best rubber protection. You would think there would be SOME protective spray or something to help. |
TWO DOGS (66.90.218.80)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 14, 2003 - 10:45 pm: | |
keep tellin' ya'....brake fluid |
ken turner (152.163.252.163)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2003 - 11:54 am: | |
http://www.teammiata.com/303products/tire.htm |
ken turner (152.163.252.163)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2003 - 12:39 pm: | |
http://www.nrscatalog.com/product.asp?pfid=1909 |
Mallie (65.38.24.98)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, November 17, 2003 - 9:38 am: | |
"Self appointed Expert" eh Don?
We have talked about this before. And I am no expert. I have just seen what old tire can do. I do have a friend who has been in the tire business all his life and he probably knows about as much about tires as anyone I know. He says Tires are engineered for life. Different applications have different life. Typical truck tire has a 6 year life. I say from my experience that Past 7 is ify, past 10 is flirting with disaster. And if you value the under side of your coach you will pay attention. If you do not believe this call any reliable recaper and ask them.
And according to my friend, the treatment you put on tires, or the cover, only affect the outer layer. The crucial deterioration is all the way through and would happen even if they were stored in the dark cool basement. |
DonTX/KS (205.187.92.153)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, November 17, 2003 - 1:55 pm: | |
Yeah, don't you love that term Mallie? You and your friend may well be absolutely dead on, and the old tire guys are just flirting with disaster.
Of course, the guy that is making his money convincing others of that in order to sell tires and make more money, is not my most sought after source. Some time ago I learned that having a fox help design the chicken house just never seems to work well for me.
I still cannot answer why the heavily regulated safety conscious airlines, or the DOT or the insurance industry apparently thinks differently. (Then again, I don't have the greatest faith in their intelligence either). Rest assured, if the tire makers could convince ANY of them to include a "time factor", their business would flourish. Apparently they can't?
I will agree, recappers certainly will not recap a tire that is too old, and they are putting warranty on the recaps.
My mind is not made up, I am just still searching for facts and reality.
Another factor in this I have heard advanced, is that sure my 20 year old tires were going strong, they don't make them with the same compounds these days. Modern tires are made poorly and won't last like the old ones did. I have 40's and 50's vehicles that are still being driven on their original tires!!
(Reckon that will stir up some comments Mallie?) |
TWO DOGS (66.90.210.43)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, November 17, 2003 - 3:16 pm: | |
yeah...when I bought my '40 Packard....out in the desert for YEARS....the guy went out there & aired up the tires&pushed it up on his trailer. |
FAST FRED (65.154.176.240)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 18, 2003 - 6:15 am: | |
yeah...when I bought my '40 Packard....out in the desert for YEARS....the guy went out there & aired up the tires&pushed it up on his trailer.
But did he push it at 75 or 80 for 10 hours?
Heat buildup is the hassle , the Two in one day blowouts I have endured were on old tires after a 10 hour push.
The airlines recapp many times but the carcas is seldome over 3 - 4 years old. Not all antiskid systems are good enough to free the locked tire on a bogie fast enough , so they still get big flat spots .Too deep a flat spot and its another Travelift tire.
FAST FRED |
DonTX/KS (205.187.92.194)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 18, 2003 - 7:45 am: | |
Quick, get rid of newer tires! Here is an interesting fact I found this morning while searching for information, might be why I was doing so good on old recaps, and why they are not banned by FAA or DOT:
MYTH #4: A tire casing wears out
with the tread.
FACT #4: A tire casing doesn't wear out like its tread does. It's generally built to go much farther. Also, casings don't lose strength. Tests have shown the opposite. The University of Michigan found the burst strengths of worn tires were higher than new tires. The worn tires were stronger! Why? Because loads placed on tire plies tend to equalize while running, actually improving strength as the tire wears. One more thought about casings. When you buy a retread from a company that inspects thoroughly, such as Premier Bandag, you know you're getting a proven casing. A new tire can have manufacturing defects. These invariably show up early in the tire's life. By the time it has gone through its first tread life, you know you have a casing that can deliver many more miles. |