Sears Allstate tires

[edhd58]

I will be replacing the Sears Allstate tires on the old girl tomorrow.

I was wondering if anyone knows how to decipher the code on the tires to determine when they were manufactured.

I am just curious. 

Edited July 8, 2016 by edhd58
spelling (see edit history)

[c49er]

They look like they are ready for replacement!

[Guest]

This might help, but note before 2000 a date was not required.

Example of a tire manufactured since 2000 with the current Tire Identification Number format:

In the example above:
DOT U2LL LMLR 5107
DOT U2LL LMLR 5107	Manufactured during the 51st week of the year
DOT U2LL LMLR 5107	Manufactured during 2007

[edinmass]

Best guess is March of 1959. I think Alstate was gone by 1969. It's common to find them on cars and as spare tires. They were cheap tires when new, they made car, truck, motorcycle, and small off road tires. I wouldn't trust them even for a test drive in a parking lot. Don't ask me why. Ed.

[ply33]

21 minutes ago, edinmass said:

Best guess is March of 1959. I think Alstate was gone by 1969. It's common to find them on cars and as spare tires. They were cheap tires when new, they made car, truck, motorcycle, and small off road tires. I wouldn't trust them even for a test drive in a parking lot. Don't ask me why. Ed.

 

I know I bought a set of tires from Sears in 1973 and I am pretty sure they were Allstate. So I think at least some sizes were available after 1969. 17-5.25/5.50 tires weren't (and still aren't) fast moving merchandise so maybe the tires were 4 or more years old when I got them. At that time I was too ignorant to know how to check a manufacturing date code or even know where to look.

[edinmass]

I'm pretty sure they were not available in 1979 in any size. So with a year date ending in 9 it's either 1959 or 1969.

[5219]

In the late eighties and into the nineties, the Sears Catalogue sold reproduction Allstate bias ply tires in original sizes for vintage cars.

They also sold reproduction Allstate batteries. When Sears went out of the catalogue business, these products went away. 

[padgett]

Pretty sure a DOT date was required after May 1971 . Initially it was the last three digits (WkWkYr) but could be part of the Mfrs stamp. This changed in the 80s (three digits in a separate block after the Mfr's code), 90s (three digits followed by  triangle), then went to four digits (WkWkYrYr) for 2000

 

Believe dating started in 1968 but the codes were whatever the Mfr wanted to use.

 

Was another extensive thread on this.

[ply33]

23 minutes ago, 5219 said:

In the late eighties and into the nineties, the Sears Catalogue sold reproduction Allstate bias ply tires in original sizes for vintage cars.

They also sold reproduction Allstate batteries. When Sears went out of the catalogue business, these products went away. 

Mine were a catalog order item, delivered for pickup at a local store. So this fits with my recollection.

[edinmass]

The term reproduction Allstate tires made me smile........the thought would have never occurred to me that a store brand tire would be reproduced. It can be a strange hobby sometimes. I have never seen any Alstate tire that seemed to be anything but poor quaility, but maybe I am wrong.

[Steve_Mack_CT]

Ed, in '78 I proudly acquired my first car, a $400 1941 Plymouth two door sedan.  What provenance on that one - it had actually served as a dog house after accumulating 200K miles, but was all one color, prewar and a two door on top of it!!  At 14, I was thrilled.  We did a lot of small jobs on the car and topped it off with a set of 600X16 Sears whitewalls out of the catalog.  I honestly cannot recall if they said "Allstate" but as late as '78 - '79 these kinds of tires were available from Sears.  

[Guest Skyking]

My father bought a brand new Buick in 1955 that came with US Royal tires.  In 1959 he bought his second set of tires from Sears & Roebuck.  They were Allstate.  I was 13 and remember that like yesterday.........as far as I can remember,  they were good tires, but he didn't get the mileage out of them like the originals.

[46 woodie]

Please tell me you are not driving that car with those age cracks. Those tires must be as hard as bricks. You are only asking for trouble.

[Steve_Mack_CT]

Oh my - agree.  I had a car with a set of Firestone WWW that were around 20 years old that looked ok on the outside, but were really cracked badly on the inner sidewalls.  Shame, they still had the nipples on them - I doubt they had 200 miles on them but of course we replaced them.  Had another car with Firestones coincidentally, in the early 2000s that dated to 1973 -74, but looked like new and were very pliable, never did replace them.  

[edhd58]

OMG no I am not driving on  those, the new ones actually came in today and are now on the car. 

[61polara]

And Ed, after all the other discussions, what tire did you order and how does it drive?

[60FlatTop]

Every time I hear someone say "Yep, I took the biased tires off my car and put on a set of radials. The difference is amazing". Your picture is the image that comes to mind EVERY time. I can't control it. The image just pops up.

Bernie

Edited July 9, 2016 by 60FlatTop (see edit history)

[padgett]

I had a set of Bias H-78x15 WWs On a four-speed '70 Grand Prix. Friends called it "asphyxiation".

Edited July 9, 2016 by padgett (see edit history)

[edhd58]

New Coker Bias , on now 

[5219]

Good for you!

I use bias ply on my 1940 LaSalle and my Continental Mark II. I don't care what anybody says. They don't look right with radials!

[60FlatTop]

Nice looking tires. Good aspect ratio, period looking tread, and just looks natural.

Bernie

[misterc9]

Allstate tires were available in a wide range of price and quality. You could buy top shelf  Allstates but most were price tires.

[john2dameron]

Allstate tires, Kenmore appliances, and probably everything else Sears sold were manufactured for them under contracts.  They put out a specification list for so many tires and the low bidder, Goodyear, Goodrich, Firestone, or who ever made the tires.  A few months later they'd contract for another lot and another might get the bid.  I ran some Sears tires but could never get much mileage from them.  I punctured an almost new tire and took it back to get it plugged and they would not plug it but sent me to a local service station to get it plugged at their expense.  Said they weren't allowed to plug tires.  They also sold Michelin radials and I bought several sets for a '68 Chrysler I bought new.  That car was death on tires and front end alignments did not help.  I think it was caused by the torsion bars getting out of adjustment.  Every time I had the front end aligned they'd adjust the torsion bars.

[8E45E]

I thought Sears made some of their bias-ply Allstate tires 'in-house', but only the most common sizes at the time.  I do know their radial tires were sourced from Michelin.

 

Craig

[Packard Don]

I have two sets, one on my 1954 Packard Patrician and the other on my 1956 Clipper and both sets were purchased in the ‘80s.  They were sold through Sears but only by special order.  Both are very low mileage sets and the only visible age damage was on one that sat flat in the dirt for several years which ruined the sidewall. These cars haven’t been driven in years but the tires still look good other than the bad one! Whether they are or not is another matter.

Edited October 16, 2018 by Packard Don (see edit history)

[Curti]

I have a LOT of Sears Craftsman tools with a 'lifetime'  guarantee.  I never considered it is the lifetime of the company

[huptoy]

Sears did not mfg any tires but contracted with Armstrong Rubber Co.  50% of Armstrong’s yearly production in the 50s - 70s were Allstate.  The contract called for Armstrong to be paid on a cost plus by Sears.  Sears warehoused tires in 1 of 5 plants and shipped tires directly from plant to stores.  Michelin tires were imported by Sears to the Armstrong plants to be distributed to the stores.  Armstrong built radial tires starting in the late 60’s. Surprisingly, the Des Moines plant, in the 60’s, built tires for Firestone, Good Year, Goodrich, Phillips Oil, and others.  The Firestone plant across town sent a truck every evening to pickup the days production.

[kgreen]

2 hours ago, Curti said:

I have a LOT of Sears Craftsman tools with a 'lifetime'  guarantee.  I never considered it is the lifetime of the company

Ace Hardware carries Craftsman tools now and have honored warranties on my old tools.  Not sure if Craftsman was bought by Ace.

[28 Chrysler]

On 7/7/2016 at 11:23 PM, edinmass said:

The term reproduction Allstate tires made me smile........the thought would have never occurred to me that a store brand tire would be reproduced. It can be a strange hobby sometimes. I have never seen any Alstate tire that seemed to be anything but poor quaility, but maybe I am wrong.

Montgomery Wards tires are being reproduced in limited sizes. 

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

40 minutes ago, kgreen said:

Ace Hardware carries Craftsman tools now and have honored warranties on my old tools.  Not sure if Craftsman was bought by Ace.

 

 Craftsman was bought by Stanley tools.

 

  Ben

[Rusty_OToole]

For years Sears Allstate tires were about the only source for obsolete sized tires for twenties and thirties cars. They were available everywhere in the 40s, 50s and 60s. They used to be common on older restorations and well preserved original cars. When did companies like Coker get into the old car tire business? Up until then Sears was the only game in town for obsolete tires.

[Pfeil]

Allstate: 1926-1995 (Sears' divestment)   Today, when people think of Allstate, they think of automobile insurance. Over the years, however, Sears used the Allstate brand name on a wide variety of products for the automobile, from spark plugs to rebuilt automobile engines. The Allstate brand began in 1925 as part of a national contest to name Sears' new brand of automobile tires. Public response in the contest was overwhelming. Before it was over, 937,886 people submitted a total of 2,253,746 names. Entries came from every state and in 25 different languages. Hans Simonson of Bismarck, N.D., received a $5,000 cash prize for his winning entry Allstate. In 1926, Sears adopted the trademark Allstate for initial use on automobile tires and tubes. The tires-guaranteed for 12,000 miles-quickly became big sellers in the catalog and at the new Sears, Roebuck and Co. retail stores (which first opened in 1925). Sears Chairman General Robert E. Wood credited the Allstate tire with making an important contribution to the success of Sears' retail store program. Sears formed the Allstate Insurance Company on April 17, 1931. Allstate offered low rates, available to customers through direct-mail sales (Sears catalogs) and through sales booths in Sears stores. Allstate eventually expanded into fire insurance. The highpoint for the Allstate brand came in the 1950s and 1960s, when the brand appeared on a wide range of products, including garage door openers, fire extinguishers, motor scooters and camper shells. During these years, before seatbelts, heaters, radios, and air conditioners became standard equipment on automobiles, Sears offered a complete line of these accessories under the Allstate brand. In 1952, Sears introduced the Allstate automobile. Built by the Kaiser-Frazer Corporation, the Allstate automobile came in two models: The Standard ($1,395) and the Delux ($1,796) models came with a choice of optional four- or six-cylinder engines and a transmission overdrive. All automobiles came with a 90-day guarantee. As popular as the insurance and accessories were, however, few people wanted to buy an entire car with the Allstate name. Disappointing sales caused the Allstate automobile to disappear from Sears stores after 1953. By the end of the 1960s, Sears limited the Allstate brand name to insurance, tires, and automobile batteries. By the mid-1970s, Sears no longer used the Allstate brand on merchandise. In 1995, Allstate became completely independent after Sears divested its remaining shares to Sears' stockholders, ending the company's 70-year relationship with the brand it created.

[Dave Henderson]

Here's another 2 cents worth concerning Allstate tires and the date codes.
As had been pointed out, the earlier tire date code (prior to 2000?) had just one space for a number depicting the year the tire was made.  Just for kicks I've pictured an Allstate tire from a set that I bought way back when, and the date code on it is 330.  But which year "back when" was the when?h   Darn if I didn't find the shipping label, dated 10/24/80!  
These tires were stored unused in a cool dark dry place until 2002 when they were mounted for the first time on a car that had been in long storage, sitting on maypops.  We did the parade at the Auburn reunion with the "new" Allstates on and then upon returning home switched back to the old (really really old,  pre 1950, anyone remember Mobil brand tires?) tires to resume storage of the car.  Surprisingly, the Allstates even today still look unscathed by time, except for some discoloring of the whitewall, which responded to a thorough scrubbing with soapy wet-or-dry sandpaper.  

[8E45E]

On ‎10‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 5:19 PM, Pfeil said:

Allstate: 1926-1995 (Sears' divestment)     In 1952, Sears introduced the Allstate automobile. Built by the Kaiser-Frazer Corporation, the Allstate automobile came in two models: The Standard ($1,395) and the Delux ($1,796) models came with a choice of optional four- or six-cylinder engines and a transmission overdrive. All automobiles came with a 90-day guarantee. As popular as the insurance and accessories were, however, few people wanted to buy an entire car with the Allstate name. Disappointing sales caused the Allstate automobile to disappear from Sears stores after 1953.

http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/showthread.php?46900-Orphan-of-the-Day-12-12-1952-Allstate

 

I posted a photo of an Allstate here   ^

 

Craig

[8E45E]

Studebaker offered Allstate tires on the Avanti:  http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/showthread.php?96094-Sears-contest-Avantis&highlight=allstate

 

Craig

[Paul Dobbin]

I have a set of Allstates (5) on my 1935 Ford pickup.  Hard as stone, i doubt they would go down if deflated.  Still drives well after the initial thumping stops (1/4 mile).  Best guess is 1970 for mine based on the trucks history.   I never drive it over 45 MPH or more than 50 miles from home.

My first 34 Ford got new Allstates in 1972 with portawalls.  After we started doing Glidden Tours we upgraded to Coker wide whites.  

[Dave Henderson]

12 hours ago, Paul Dobbin said:

I have a set of Allstates (5) on my 1935 Ford pickup.  Hard as stone, i doubt they would go down if deflated.  Still drives well after the initial thumping stops (1/4 mile).  Best guess is 1970 for mine based on the trucks history.   I never drive it over 45 MPH or more than 50 miles from home.

My first 34 Ford got new Allstates in 1972 with portawalls.  After we started doing Glidden Tours we upgraded to Coker wide whites.  

Assuming they are constructed like my Allstates which are from 1980, the thumping could be attributed to their being nylon cord tires, which was a characteristic from new. 

[TerryB]

The orange colored Allstate tins with the map of the USA on them for oil, tire repair etc are quite collectible.  Maybe the tires are too for man cave use.  Living in a small town as I did as a kid meant Sears was your go to place for most everything.  We also had some auto supply store, can’t remember the name, that sold some really bargain basement tires under their house brand.  The really big sellers were the recap tire places.  They were popular into the 1980s.  As a poor college kid the recap dealers got a lot of my business!

[Dave Henderson]

Our Clarendon Va. Sears store sold bulk oil.  I'd bring in a can and it would be filled for chump change per quart.   
In the '50's I had a summer job at a back street garage installing Sears rebuilt motors picked up at the store. 
Oops, this thread is drifting off course, sorry.

[Nina1984]

i have 40 allstate tires at my house how much are they worth