Tire Question

[packick]

This is probably a stupid question but I would like to see what the answer is. I know you should replace tires about every 10 years or so, even it they have lots of tread still left on them. But in the case of my 1936 Special, while the tires are showing small signs of cracking due to age, isn't it really the age of the inner tubes that one would have to worry about since that's what holds the air? So if I installed new inner tubes, why do I have to worry about the minor cracking on the tires?

[Leif Holmberg]

In my opinion it dosen`t matter how new the inner tubes you have,if the tires are cracked thru the cord levels the tube will came out and "bang".If the tires have start cracking I think it will be worse and worse.And it`s hard to measure and see how deep the cracking is too.

Leif in Sweden.

[Pete K.]

I second the motion.

[Mark Shaw]

Tread wear is secondary; other issues could be sidewall failure while turning, cord separation at highway speeds, etc. etc.

It just isn't worth the risk.

[mrspeedyt]

maybe i'm not wise BUT i'm still driving on a set of recaps that were bought in 1975 on a 41 desoto and a set of whitewalls installed in the mid 80's on my 41 cad. only problem has been 2 tubes. all the tires are bias 'rag' tires. and have cracks. steel belted tires are another story. i prefer bias.

[Guest BigDogDaddy]

I also have older bias ply tires on my '40 Limited. They were on the car when I bought it, and the company has been out of business since at least the 1960's So they are nearly fifty years old, and I have been driving on them for 15 years. I had new tubes put in them and then drove the car about 700 miles when I went to the national in Danvers and beyond.

[Mark Shaw]

Well guys, I just hope your good luck holds....

[packick]

Decisions, decisions. I only drive this car on country roads as opposed to the Interstate highways and, as this is a Special, it only likes to go 50 mph maximum or so. Decisions, decisions.

[Brian_Heil]

Yikes. When the old tire fails, it fails at speed due to the heat and load that right then puts it past its mechanical/thermal material limits. They don't fail in the garage on a cool evening. And when they fail, they don't slow leak, the tire case bursts most often, like pulling a zipper. Ever seen all those tire parts the truckers leave along the road when they throw a re-tread?

When they burst and cause an accident and you end up at the 'big car show in the sky', the insurance investigators will see the 'ancient' DOT date codes on your failed tires and your widow won't get a nickel of life insurance money and the folks you hit will sue your wife for what's left and your insurance company won't cover/defend her either.

[Marty Roth]

Let's just start off by assuming that your life, and those of your family are worth more than the cost of a set of tires......

[Erik]

If a tire is beyond the "best before" date - change regardless of limited use on secondary roads etc.

Will you be able to live with yourself if a tire fails and you cause an accident injuring or killing someone?

[39BuickEight]

When they burst and cause an accident and you end up at the 'big car show in the sky', the insurance investigators will see the 'ancient' DOT date codes on your failed tires and your widow won't get a nickel of life insurance money and the folks you hit will sue your wife for what's left and your insurance company won't cover/defend her either.

I am an insurance adjuster and if there is an insurance company out there with those kind of exclusions, that's really unfortunate. Any company I have worked for or heard of can't/doesn't deny claims just because the insured is lacking in judgement. If that were the case, every auto accident would be investigated for maintenance records, which is simply not what happens. You can't even deny a claim for an insured who is drunk, much less riding on old tires.

[Brian_Heil]

I stand corrected. Thank you for the input.

[Larry Schramm]

Here is a picture of the spare tire from my Wife's Corvette that was in storage..........................................................................................

[5219]

For what it's worth, I have never had a bias ply tire shred or deconstruct itself. I have had many radial tires shred, lose their tread, and fall apart at highway speeds. Some of these radials were not even very old when they flew apart. When I was younger and radials were unheard of, I drove on some pretty crummy old bias ply tires. I had flats, but I never had them do the kind of things that radials do.

[Brian_Heil]

Larry,

Any guess as to the age of that tire?

Another good friend, and BCA Member, Tom Halka had the original radial tires off his 1979 Turbo Coupe stacked in his garage and one blew just like yours. That was a couple of years ago so his was ~32 years old.

[Guest WEB 38]

Does any one remember what we drove on during world warII

[Guest WEB 38]

Does any one remember what we drove on during world warII Does any one remember rethreds. Or boots in a tire? Bill

[60FlatTop]

The speed minder on my '60 Electra is set for 85.

When I first got into this hobby people would cut you off to get a look at the radiator badge to see what you were driving. Today if they don't recognize it coming up in the rear view mirror they won't have a lot of time to watch the rear end either.

I think tires and rear end lube are the most neglected components on a collector car.

Math works best for the tire age argument. A good biased tire will run about 12,000 miles. If you drive your car 1500 miles a year, wear and age will dictate perfect timing for replacement. 1,000 miles a year pushes it a little.

If you don't wear out a set of tires in 10 years------------ shame on you.

Bernie

Oh, that brief mention about the neglect of rear end lube; I'm not as nice about that topic.

[60FlatTop]

I just saw the post right before mine. Here's where I started working when I was 11:

Jerry's Tire Shop- And I can tell stories that would make a progoofoff's hair curl.

Bernie

[Daves1940Buick56S]

Bernie:

Where was that shop? Looks familiar...I lived in the Roch area in the early 70s.

Cheers, Dave

[Larry Schramm]

Brian, I believe that it was the original to the car, + maybe one set of tires. Probably late 70's or early 80's.

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

Does any one remember what we drove on during world warII Does any one remember rethreds. Or boots in a tire? Bill

YEP!!! All the way into the '50s.

Ben

[60FlatTop]

Dave, I think you spotted it; on Ridge Road (104) in Spencerport, a couple of doors from Robinson's Motorcycle Shop and almost out to Basil's Hot Dog Stand.

When it got illegal to sell regrooved tires we sold you a wheel and gave you the tire.

If one tire was a little taller than the other I would mount the tall one ob the right to compensate for the crown of the road.

I could change a 10X38 rear tractor tire in less than 20 minutes.

And my Grandfather taught me to never take a man's last dollar---- up to, but not including.

Bernie