Buying old tires

[Dr B]

In the for sale section, there is a "not mine" report of tires from the 1950's for sale.  I have seen several times someone was selling old tires.  Except as rollers on a restoration, why would anyone buy old tires?  I can't imaging taking the risk driving on (someone else's )old tires.  I don't care how good they look or how few miles are on them. Tires age out.  Sure I'll give you a few extra years of use, 10-15 years.  I'm guilty of not checking the dates of the tires on my collector cars, and 10 years always seems to go by quickly. So, can anyone tell me another use for old tires (besides a tire swing for kids)?

 

Robert

[R Walling]

There is a store near me that sells  USED TIRES! i can't imagine what his labially insurance is.

[60FlatTop]

The two most dangerous words in the English language are "I thought".

 

As in "I thought they looked good".

 

Imagine the last time you hear those two words. What happened right before they were uttered?

[NewOldWood]

A lot of old cars are trailered to shows or on permanent display but never driven, why wouldn't they work for that?

[RetroPetro]

Someone looking to complete a Norwalk tire stand display would desire those.

[John_S_in_Penna]

12 minutes ago, RetroPetro said:

Someone looking to complete a Norwalk tire stand display would desire those.

Yes, old tires would be excellent for display.

There are many manufacturers and tread patterns

which once existed, but which are no longer made.

Wouldn't it be good to preserve some examples?

 

For example, my 1957 Buick came with wide-whitewall

snow tires as spares.  One couldn't find those today.

In the 1916 ad below, Firestone extolled their RED-sidewall

tires as being a characteristic of their brand--but have

you ever seen one in real life?

Edited May 22 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)

[TTR]

2 hours ago, Dr B said:

In the for sale section, there is a "not mine" report of tires from the 1950's for sale.  I have seen several times someone was selling old tires.  Except as rollers on a restoration, why would anyone buy old tires?  I can't imaging taking the risk driving on (someone else's )old tires.  I don't care how good they look or how few miles are on them. Tires age out.  Sure I'll give you a few extra years of use, 10-15 years.  I'm guilty of not checking the dates of the tires on my collector cars, and 10 years always seems to go by quickly. So, can anyone tell me another use for old tires (besides a tire swing for kids)?

 

Robert

Just another evidence to confirm something I've always believed in/known "People do strange things (including buy/collect/hoard stuff most people consider just useless junk) !"

 

Heck, just last weekend I stopped by a local C & C event and saw an interesting, unrestored 70+ year old car which the owner/driver proudly(?) exclaimed to a group of bystanders of still having over 50 year old tires on it, to which I replied "I sure hope you didn't put other road users in danger and make rest of us old car enthusiast appear irresponsible by driving it here" only to receive sour facial expression and low muttering of a phrase including the "F" word.

Edited May 22 by TTR (see edit history)

[Peter Gariepy]

Doesn't common sense apply here?

 

Any used/worn part is a compromise.  

• On one hand, they are cheaper or more readily available.
• On the other, they pose risks to safety and reliability.

 

[Ronnie]

I have a question about how long tires should be used. For example, I have a 2012 Equinox with 34,000 miles that has original Michelin tires. It has always been stored inside a dark garage. Does the 10 year replacement rule apply to a vehicle stored in a cool, dark garage or will that extend the life of the tire?

[Jeff Deringer]

Funny, I was just thinking about this the other day.  I'll be coming at it from a different angle though.  I was thinking about times when the tire store folks have told me they can't put a set of (modern) tires back on after a winter changeover because they've "aged out".  They have told me I needed to replace after 6! years regardless of tread depth.  At 10 years they won't touch them. 

 

So I started thinking about all the cars my dad restored and had.  I remember him actually wearing out the "Non-Skids" on our 14 Overland, and upgrading our 32 Lincoln to Denman's, but other than that he never said, "Well, these tires have been on here for 10 years, better buy new ones."  He toured regularly and often and not one time in my life did we have tire problems.  Funny side note, the very first tour I went on after he passed away, my 14 Overland (with 2-year-old tires!) sheared off the stem and I had a flat.  It was so unusual for me/us I didn't have a jack, tube, pump, or anything.  I do now, however. 

 

Anyway, if I were to update every car I have that has 10-year-old tires I would be out a fortune!  Not to mention the chore it would be! 

[Lahti35]

1 hour ago, John_S_in_Penna said:

Yes, old tires would be excellent for display.

There are many manufacturers and tread patterns

which once existed, but which are no longer made.

Wouldn't it be good to preserve some examples?

 

For example, my 1957 Buick came with wide-whitewall

snow tires as spares.  One couldn't find those today.

In the 1916 ad below, Firestone extolled their RED-sidewall

tires as being a characteristic of their brand--but have

you ever seen one in real life?

Reminds of my neighbor's discovery of a rare prewar bicycle in a local barn. Rough shape but it had the original red stripe tires on it that looked like they were melting off the rims. He sold it to some collector who didn't want the bike touched in anyway, got big money for it too! 

[kgreen]

2 hours ago, R Walling said:

There is a store near me that sells  USED TIRES! i can't imagine what his labially insurance is.

What's insurance?

 

On an equally serious note, I have a friend in the engineering consulting business who tells me that he wont get sued if he has no insurance.  I've always had insurance and have been sued plenty.  

[TTR]

21 minutes ago, Ronnie said:

I have a question about how long tires should be used. For example, I have a 2012 Equinox with 34,000 miles that has original Michelin tires. It has always been stored inside a dark garage. Does the 10 year replacement rule apply to a vehicle stored in a cool, dark garage or will that extend the life of the tire?

 

13 minutes ago, Jeff Deringer said:

Funny, I was just thinking about this the other day.  I'll be coming at it from a different angle though.  I was thinking about times when the tire store folks have told me they can't put a set of (modern) tires back on after a winter changeover because they've "aged out".  They have told me I needed to replace after 6! years regardless of tread depth.  At 10 years they won't touch them. 

 

So I started thinking about all the cars my dad restored and had.  I remember him actually wearing out the "Non-Skids" on our 14 Overland, and upgrading our 32 Lincoln to Denman's, but other than that he never said, "Well, these tires have been on here for 10 years, better buy new ones."  He toured regularly and often and not one time in my life did we have tire problems.  Funny side note, the very first tour I went on after he passed away, my 14 Overland (with 2-year-old tires!) sheared off the stem and I had a flat.  It was so unusual for me/us I didn't have a jack, tube, pump, or anything.  I do now, however. 

 

Anyway, if I were to update every car I have that has 10-year-old tires I would be out a fortune!  Not to mention the chore it would be! 

It’s pretty simple.
Any tire manufacturers liability & replacement warranty expires when the tire is 6 years old, from the manufacturing date (noted on the side wall of any tire intended for public road use made since late 1960s), not from the day you buy or have them installed (a “new” tire could be already several months or years old by then).

As far as SAFETY concerns or related liability, for anything beyond that “6 years”, you’re on your own.

Yet there are plenty of people, including so-called old enthusiasts/hobbyist, who choose to ignore these SAFETY concerns, especially those of other road users, and drive on tires far beyond their “Best/Replace/Safe before” dates.

Like mamma Gump use to say “Stupid is as …”

[Dodge55Royal]

I have the original spare in my '55 Dodge which I cleaned up with Armor All and display at car shows and cruises. I would use it in an emergency but wouldn't exceed 30 mph and would only use it to get home or to the nearest tire store. I know you're not supposed to mix bias ply tires with radials but wouldn't be afraid to do it under these circumstances....

 

 

[West Peterson]

I have 55-year-old tires on my 1970 Camaro. I've been told not to drive on them for safety reasons. I respond with, "I won't drive on them because they're too valuable." (The single most difficult factory-supplied muscle-car-era tire to find.... or so I've been told. Estimated value: $1,500+ per tire.)

 

Actually, I do drive on them, but only on short jaunts around town, or up into the trailer.

[ABear]

25 minutes ago, Jeff Deringer said:

They have told me I needed to replace after 6! years regardless of tread depth.  At 10 years they won't touch them. 

6 yrs is recommended age out automobile (passenger/light truck or trailer tires), per tire manufacturers.

 

Age out before tread is worn out takes priority..

 

If for any reason modern tires show any defects like cracking on sidewalls or tread it is better to error on the safe side and replace.. Tire shreds do a great deal of damage when they fling about at speed..

 

See what Goodyear states about tire age out HERE

 

Yeah, I know, they make more money by selling new tires, that is true, but they still have liabilities to contend with if they allowed for longer ages.. They have loads of engineers and QA statistics data to back up the recommendations they make.

 

[zepher]

My elderly mother had the original tires on her 2017 SUV.

Her car only has about 32k miles on it so the tires had plenty of tread but they were old and getting hard.  Her car sits outside due to a lack of garage space.

I replaced them about 6 months ago just because I did not want her even tooling around town with 7 year old tires.

[Zimm63]

I replace mine at 8 years.  

 

[Dr B]

1 hour ago, Jeff Deringer said:

Anyway, if I were to update every car I have that has 10-year-old tires I would be out a fortune!  Not to mention the chore it would be! 

Yes, I think of this too. However, if something happens and I/my family/someone else gets hurt, then I would be kicking myself (if my legs still worked) for not replacing them.

 

Robert

Edited May 22 by Dr B (see edit history)

[Dr B]

1 hour ago, Jeff Deringer said:

the tire store folks have told me they can't put a set of (modern) tires back on after a winter changeover because they've "aged out".

So, I have a second set of winter tires mounted on a second set of wheels for my dd. I change them myself after Thanksgiving and again before Easter. We don't get serious winters here, so I only use them 3-4 months a year and don't put a lot of miles on that car. Tread still looked good after 10 years. This past winter while driving to work on the expressway, I noticed the handling felt "strange".and then the rear end was all over the place so I quickly moved over to the right shoulder. I looked at the rear tire and it was shreaded around the side wall. After I was towed and got all new winter tires, I examined the shredded tire for signs of a puncture or damage in the tread, but I couldn't find anything. It appears to have self destructed. "Aged out" I think so. Luckily no one was hurt. It was a wake up call for me. Your mileage may vary.

 

Robert

 

 

 

 

Edited May 22 by Dr B (see edit history)

[Mark Gregush]

On the other hand, I have tires on my 20 Dodge that are as soft and pliable as the day they were made back in the late 60's, were new stored in a basement. Don't think I will ever get over 35 and installed on the rear. 

[Ronnie]

1 hour ago, TTR said:

As far as SAFETY concerns or related liability, for anything beyond that “6 years”, you’re on your own.

Yet there are plenty of people, including so-called old enthusiasts/hobbyist, who choose to ignore these SAFETY concerns, especially those of other road users, and drive on tires far beyond their “Best/Replace/Safe before” dates.

Like mamma Gump use to say “Stupid is as …”

If you have a tire blow out resulting in an accident that damages someone else's property you are on your own regardless of the tires age. If you think a tire manufacture is going to come to your aid if the tire is less than 6 years old you are in for a big disappointment. I think mamma Gump was saying that about people who make their decisions strictly on the recommendations of a manufacturer. The tire manufacturer is making recommendations based on what is best for them, not you.

[pfloro]

I know that 60FlatTop (Bernie) tells us to never say: "I thought"...!

 

However, I thought that the rubber formulation changed a few decades ago.  This provided a more responsive and safer tire but at the cost of faster deterioration of the rubber.

 

If there is any truth to this, it might explain why tires manufactured 60 years ago are soft & pliable and may be "safe" for limited road use.

 

We need the experience of a chemical engineer who worked decades ago in the tire industry.

 

Paul

 

 

 

[Grimy]

1 minute ago, pfloro said:

I know that 60FlatTop (Bernie) tells us to never say: "I thought"...!

 

However, I thought that the rubber formulation changed a few decades ago.  This provided a more responsive and safer tire but at the cost of faster deterioration of the rubber.

 

If there is any truth to this, it might explain why tires manufactured 60 years ago are soft & pliable and may be "safe" for limited road use.

 

We need the experience of a chemical engineer who worked decades ago in the tire industry.

 

Paul

 

 

 

The chemical formulation is one of the issues a HCCA committee is seeking information on, with the prospect of discussions with tire manufacturers.  If I'm reading the sparse info correctly, they would suggest a more durable (longer-lived) rubber for the high-pressure tires which will not see many miles or high speeds.  I know I've almost completely done through a set of 35x5 BFG Silvertowns in about 8,000 miles.  I think the formula change for modern tires occurred about 30 years ago.

[TTR]

I could see someone living in poverty and needing to rely on aged or worn out tires and otherwise neglected vehicle to earn a survival for themselves, but anyone who portray themselves as old car enthusiast and can afford owning, enjoying & driving such luxury on public roads with past due, i.e. dangerous to SAFETY of others, tires due to cost or some other lame excuse is just irresponsible.

 

24 minutes ago, Ronnie said:

The tire manufacturer is making recommendations based on what is best for them, not you.

IIRC, like almost all other automotive related SAFETY "recommendations", this too is based on NHTSA mandated regulations created to protect SAFETY of all PUBLIC road users, not what manufacturers see best for them.

Anyway, I'm still and always will be of an opinion that anyone deliberately driving with aged -/ worn out or otherwise unsafe tires or any other SAFETY related items in or problem with their car, be it an "antique" or brand new is irresponsible person I prefer not to be associated with as a vintage car enthusiast/hobbyist.

 

But as another saying goes "To each his/her own" (or something like that).

 

YMMV.

Edited May 22 by TTR (see edit history)

[TAKerry]

I guess Im the only one that drives my vehicles, LOL. I replace my tires every 60-80k miles when they wear out. I dont think I have ever had a set last longer than about 3 years!

Now, On my 'antique' car, they are just pushing 6 years and look as good as new🤔

[Ronnie]

1 hour ago, TTR said:

IRC, like almost all other automotive related SAFETY "recommendations", this too is based on NHTSA mandated regulations created to protect SAFETY of all PUBLIC road users, not what manufacturers see best for them.

Anyway, I'm still and always will be of an opinion that anyone deliberately driving with aged -/ worn out or otherwise unsafe tires or any other SAFETY related items in or problem with their car, be it an "antique" or brand new is irresponsible person I prefer not to be associated with as a vintage car enthusiast/hobbyist.

We have no vehicle inspections here in the part of TN where I live. I guess you might could say we are a irresponsible state. I see you live in CA, a state that probably has more regulations on vehicles and highways than any state in the nation. How many times have you had someone tell you their car didn't pass inspection because their tires were past the manufacture's recommended 6 year date for replacement?

 

As for not wanting to be associated with irresponsible people... that should start to be less of a problem for you. TN is being flooded with (irresponsible?) people from CA who tell me they are coming here to get away from all the regulations and associated high prices. They seem to like paying around $3 per gallon for the same gas that was costing them about $6 in CA. I guess it's irresponsible for them to feel that way but they do.

[TTR]

1 hour ago, TTR said:

I could see someone living in poverty and needing to rely on aged or worn out tires and otherwise neglected vehicle to earn a survival for themselves, but anyone who portray themselves as old car enthusiast and can afford owning, enjoying & driving such luxury on public roads with past due, i.e. dangerous to SAFETY of others, tires due to cost or some other lame excuse is just irresponsible.

 

Anyway, I'm still and always will be of an opinion that anyone deliberately driving with aged -/ worn out or otherwise unsafe tires or any other SAFETY related items in or problem with their car, be it an "antique" or brand new is irresponsible person I prefer not to be associated with as a vintage car enthusiast/hobbyist.

And I won't mind if these irresponsible individuals have a blow-out or some other roadside problem disrupting their drive, actually it serves them right, but I'm always worried they may not be ones suffering from this foolishness.

Some of their foolishness might lead to not only property damages, but injuries or worse, of innocent bystanders/road users.

 

But I guess it's like they say "Common courtesy or - sense aren't actually that common".

[rocketraider]

3 hours ago, TTR said:

tire manufacturers liability & replacement warranty

Is there such a thing in this day and age?

 

I've concluded that modern tire and battery warranties aren't worth the paper they're printed on, and the big-name tire companies are the worst offenders. Warranty issues are why I refuse to use any Goodyear branded tire.

[TTR]

18 minutes ago, Ronnie said:

We have no vehicle inspections here in the part of TN where I live. I guess you might could say we are a irresponsible state. I see you live in CA, a state that probably has more regulations on vehicles and highways than any state in the nation. How many times have you had someone tell you their car didn't pass inspection because their tires were past the manufacture's recommended 6 year date for replacement?

 

As for not wanting to be associated with irresponsible people... that should start to be less of a problem for you. TN is being flooded with (irresponsible?) people from CA who tell me they are coming here to get away from all the regulations and associated high prices. They seem to like paying around $3 per gallon for the same gas that was costing them about $6 in CA. I guess it's irresponsible for them to feel that way but they do.

So instead of being responsible individual and maintaining the SAFETY of your own vehicles, you find it excusable to ignore it since the State of TN don't have mandated SAFETY inspections for them ??? 😲

There are no such inspections here in CA either, but based on the junk, including many antique/classic/old/vintage cars, I see people driving daily, I think there should be.

 

As a side, I spoke with a (new) client earlier today about this, i.e. Tire safety, to make sure the car he wants to bring to me next month to work on will have a good, "fresh" set (I refuse to road test any that don't).

I also spoke with another client (from TN) who visited Monday to test drive the car I'm working on for him and one of the topics was about the new tires and how impressed he was with the choice (car used to have radials, but now great bias ply's). 

Edited May 22 by TTR (see edit history)

[dl456]

Replying to the OP, there  is great value to certain size rollers. Nobody wants to put a  

3k set of tires on a project that may take several more years to complete. 
Also,no tire age conversation can be accurate without considering the difference between bias and radial. 
If a bias tube type tire shows no deterioration, I consider it safe. Radials 10 years max with good storage. 
Radials will fail even if they look good.

my 2 cents. 
Dennis

[TTR]

23 minutes ago, rocketraider said:

Is there such a thing in this day and age?

 

I've concluded that modern tire and battery warranties aren't worth the paper they're printed on, and the big-name tire companies are the worst offenders. Warranty issues are why I refuse to use any Goodyear branded tire.

I agree, but like any other liability or warranty, these can be forced, although in most cases may unfortunately require an attorney or a few on your side.

But in my opinion, individual responsibility should start at home and not trying to blame someone else, which seems to have become way too common in our society and likely another ill trait started by my generation (Baby Boomers).

Edited May 22 by TTR (see edit history)

[Ronnie]

13 minutes ago, TTR said:

There are no such inspections here in CA either, but based on the junk, including many antique/classic/old/vintage cars, I see people driving daily, I think there should be.

I think that attitude might be the reason I see a lot of bumper stickers and T-shirts like the one below. I don't own one, and never will, but you are starting to educate me on the reasons why other people do.

 

 

[nzcarnerd]

7 hours ago, R Walling said:

There is a store near me that sells  USED TIRES! i can't imagine what his labially insurance is.

I guess meant liability, not labia.....😉

[Andy J]

I bought a set of tires from a man once and he told me that he personally wouldn't run tires over 4 years old,regardless of how much tread was on them.Of course,he sells tires for a living.I believe if a car is kept in a building,out of direct sunlight,they will be safe 6-8 years at least.

[Dr B]

1 hour ago, dl456 said:

If a bias tube type tire shows no deterioration, I consider it safe. Radials 10 years max with good storage. 

I have heard this before. Is there any data that supports the idea that bias ply tires last longer than radial tires?

 

Robert

[jensenracing77]

I see this conversation come up often across the internet and enjoy reading them. Most people have no idea that they will recap tires older than 10 years old when they pass inspection. 

 

[Grimy]

Who remembers GEHRIG high-pressure tires?  I understand they went out of business about 1969 due to the death of the founder.  We still see Gehrig high-pressure tires occasionally on well-driven pre-1924 cars!  I suspect the chemical formulation is the reason.  Can anyone speak knowledgeably on this issue?

[Grimy]

5 hours ago, TTR said:

I could see someone living in poverty and needing to rely on aged or worn out tires and otherwise neglected vehicle to earn a survival for themselves, but anyone who portray themselves as old car enthusiast and can afford owning, enjoying & driving such luxury on public roads with past due, i.e. dangerous to SAFETY of others, tires due to cost or some other lame excuse is just irresponsible.

With respect, that's easy to say when you're replacing "modern" tires, but there's a huge amount of labor in changing tires on demountable rims (at least an hour per), a bit less on lock ring wheels--none of which are amenable to a tire machine.  Not to mention, Coker now wants over $500 each for blackwall BFG Silvertowns that last 8,000 miles--when you can get them, as Coker apparently does a run only about every third year.

[7th Son]

 

 

1 hour ago, jensenracing77 said:

I see this conversation come up often across the internet and enjoy reading them. Most people have no idea that they will recap tires older than 10 years old when they pass inspection. 

 

Ahhhh...Recaps. Does anyone remember Bruce's Tires in San Jose, CA? They are still operating in many Bay Area cities and are popular tire stores. Back in the day (1950's & '60's) they were famous, at least locally, for their [cheap] recapped tires and their drag racing slicks. A lot of us wannabe racers ran slicks on the street, but that's another story. All the serious drag car owners would install nothing else. But I digress...

In high school, about 1960, Bruce's offered their "standard cap" for $3. and the "premium" for $4. Of course, they required a recappable casing in trade, otherwise there was an additional $1. charge. I purchased and drove on Bruce's caps on my cars for over a decade and never I recall a problem or tire failure. As a young married man on a budget, I relied on recaps through a number of relocations from California, to Oregon, then to Washington. Even in later years, my "casual" cars, with the exception of the family hauler, all were shod with caps until they became harder to find. Now, there appears to be a local branch of a national recap/retread company in town offering a good selection of caps for most all later model cars at reasonable prices (all above $4.).

Unless there is information to dissuade me, I think I'll try a set again for the next one of my cars that need "new" tires.