Hey.

I found a set of tires that were manufactured in 2011. They are brand new but i'm worried about installing them. I will use them in the desert with some highway driving and i plan on running them for around a year. I honestly don't know how well they have been stored...and i do live in the desert ( temperature hits 140 F + in summer and it's starting to go up already...)


I know that they can still look good but be ticking time bombs...what do you guys think?

 

3 years old for tires is nothing.....I know you said you didn't know how they were stored, but I'd just look for cracking, if there's none, I'd go for it. I think as long as they were out of direct sun, you'll be fine.

from TIRERACK http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...jsp?techid=138

 

I heard seven years is the standard of how old tires should be.


And don't forget about using your spare. If it's a full sized spare, don't forget to use it before it gets too old. When it's time to replace all four, just buy three, and save the best used one as the spare...

 

Agreed...new tires are usually good for at least 5-7 years before signs of dry-rot. Depending on how they were stored, however, they might have developed flat-spots or runout, which could cause some slight steering-wheel vibrations/shimmy even if properly mounted and balanced. When the tires are put on the spin-balancer, try to look at them as they are spinning (they are usually spun at around the equvalent of 55 MPH or so) and see if there is any noticeable up/down or side-to-side wobble in them. Runout and out-of-roundness can also be measured with a special roller-gauge that the techincian rolls around the outside of the tire.

 

Thank you all for your input.
I decided to go for newer 2013 Tires...
I'm going to use them in harsh conditions . They need to be fresh.

 

i still have the factory spare tire in my86

 

I got 50% off on Dunlop tires from Tirerack for 3 year olds. Been using them for couple of years now. No problems.

 

3 year old tires in Qatar not to worry, those tires are probably like lead compared to the soft American rubber

 

After 4 years tires mounted on a vehicle will have hardened rubber enough to significantly reduce traction. Most tire warrantys expire in 5-6 years for this reason. Ozone & UV light accelerate the process. Flourescent light emits UV light so don't store tires under it. All of this applys to rubber valve stems also so replace them within 6 years or if excessively cracked sooner!

 

I know some of the bigger box store tire place won't mount tires that are older than a certain age. I'm sure three years is fine though.