old tires

[jp1gt]

has anyone used some old tires that have never hit the ground with new tubes? They will have  split rims 

[dalef62]

Plenty of talk about old tires on here, do a search and you will find all kinds of information pro and con.

[jp1gt]

Thanks for the info. I will try new tubes with the old tires.

[Soupiov]

What's wrong with old tubes?  I am running old , patched tubes in most of my cars as they are much thicker and hold air better than the garbage they sell today.  I would be more concerned about old tires if they have  cotton cord reinforcing as that can deteriorate  without detection weakening the sidewalls.  I put 4 brand new, still wrapped,  GoodYear diamond tread tires on one of my cars years ago and had two  sidewall blowouts in under 100 miles.  NOS, properly stored but over time the cotton rotted.  In any event be sure to use tire flaps on split rims or the tubes won't last  regardless!

[Matt Harwood]

I'm still shocked that people with old cars are so willing to take chances with old tires. We fret over just exactly the right kind of oil and obsess over how to make the cars live as long as possible and be as reliable as we can make them, then a large number of us just skip the most basic, simple, and direct safety and reliability upgrade: new tires. You wouldn't put used oil in your engine, even if it only had a few hundred miles on it--why use old tires? When failure comes, you'll wonder why you made such a stupid decision.

 

If you can afford an old car, you can afford new tires.

[pfloro]

2 hours ago, Matt Harwood said:

If you can afford an old car, you can afford new tires.

My Uncle Jack (a drinking, smoking Long Island, NY postal worker) told me 50+ years ago:  "Never skimp on tires or brakes."

I have never forgotten that...  I can't wait to see him again...  He was a pistol...!

 

Paul

 

PS:  Picture taken with Dapper Dan in the early 1960s...

 

Edited May 14, 2022 by pfloro (see edit history)

[TexRiv_63]

My 34 chevy came with this "never on the ground" spare...went right to the discard pile.

[Str8-8-Dave]

My almost new used 2015 Porsche 911-4S had 5900 miles on the rather expensive Pirelli tires.  I asked the seller if the tires had ever been changed and he sent pictures of the date codes on the tires which verified they were original issue but he took pictures of the sidewalls of the tires, good closeup pictures to convince me the tires were still good.    Mind you- Porsche has 2 settings for TPMS monitoring of tire pressure, a "comfort setting", about 4PSI front and 6PSI rear lower recommended tire pressures than the "standard" setting.  The owner's manual goes on to say the comfort setting is good for speeds up to 165mph and above that you should use the standard pressure...

 

So, let's see, who is m life insurance agent?  Should I trust 7yr old tires on a car like this?  Do I still enjoy life north of the green green grass?  I bought $1800.00 worth of new tires from Tire Rack BEFORE the car was delivered to me.  I paid an additional $300.0 to have the Porsche dealer evaluate the TPMS system operation and mount and balance my new tires.  And when those tires are 4 years old, not 7 years old, If I still own and drive the car the tires will be replaced.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 14, 2022 by Str8-8-Dave (see edit history)

[Stude Light]

Keep in mind that the engine does not propel the car, nor do the brakes stop the car, nor does the steering system steer the car....all of that occurs right where that little tire patch contacts the road. The tires also act as part of the suspension system, absorbing all those impacts. The tires do it all. Think about all the flexing that constantly goes on with the sidewalls which also creates heat - it's a wonder that even new tires survive (poorly made ones don't). Now consider aged rubber on those sidewalls and at that contact patch...flexing and heat build up. Old rubber is okay for static displays or maybe even short trips under 25mph but that's about it. Ask yourself how much risk you are willing to take and are you okay with passing that risk on to loved ones or friends if a sudden blowout results in an accident? It hurts to spend the money but I've thrown away plenty of good looking tires. 

Scott

[pfloro]

...and it doesn't matter if the vehicle sitting atop those 4 patches weighs 1 ton or 3 tons...  Yes, the contact area may be greater with bigger tires but it's all relative...

 

I know that I'm preaching to the choir but it's important to state.

 

Paul

[Bhigdog]

My personal experience leads me to think the fretting over tire age is approaching hysteria..............Bob

[alsancle]

 They just need to be inspected for dry rot, bubbles, etc.   If there is no visible defects,  a 20/30 year old tire is perfectly fine.

[jp1gt]

All of the tires are very soft, you can put your finger nail in them easily. What kind of places deal with split rims?

[Bloo]

Short answer: A tire dealer who deals with over-the-road trucks and buses.

 

Long answer: There are three distinct types of rim that people refer to as "split rims"

 

1) True split rims. These split down the middle and have no visible external split. No one will work on these, really no one.

 

2) Locking ring rims. These have a ring that comes off on the outside to get the tire off. This is the one you need a truck shop for. They will know how to work on these and have the appropriate equipment, like a safety cage.

 

3) Rims that are split across the rim perpendicular from inside to outside. This is the easiest of the bunch. It is seen on a lot of teens and 20s cars. No tire shop will have seen one in 60 or 70 years. It might be better for the rims if you read up and learn to do this one yourself, because they can get bent during mounting. It is quite a bit of work though.

 

It would help to know what you are working on.