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Aged tyres


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I recently read an article where one of the main reasons for Paul Walker's tragic death was put down to tyres that were too old and past their optimum grip levels.

I had a wheel balance and alignment done a few weeks ago and was pointed out to me that me still near new Michelin PS3s were 5 years old..... (made 16th week of 2011)

Now the question being, and it seems it may be a rather contentious one.... how old is too old?

From Bridgestone AU website;

"How old is too old?

This is a subject of much debate within the tyre industry and no tyre expert can tell exactly how long a tyre will last. However, on the results of experience many tyre companies, including Bridgestone, warrant their tyres against manufacturing and material defects for five years from the date of manufacture. Based on their understanding a number of vehicle manufacturers are now advising against the use of tyres that are more than six years old due to the effects of ageing."

So going by what they say my tyres need replacing very soon! I am yet to really push my 928 and not sure that I ever truly will on the road (for lots of factors) and currently they grip very well, but will they fail me when I really need them.....

But then again from Michelin AU

"1- Keep five years in mind

After five years or more in use, your tyres should be thoroughly inspected at least once per year by a professional.

2- Ten years is a maximum

If the tyres haven't been replaced 10 years after their date of manufacture, as a precaution, Michelin recommends replacing them with new tyres. Even if they appear to be in usable condition and have not worn down to the tread wear indicator.
This applies to spare tyres as well."

Oops my spare is the original tyre... can't buy them anymore anyway....

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5 years seems extreme.  I purchased an M3 with old tyres (you could see very fine cracks in the side wall as the rubber was hardening). I swapped to a new set of tyres and it transformed the car! Ride comfort, handling, grip, braking all noticeably better.

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 What he said ^

 Many don't inspect their tyres as regularly as they should, especially if the car isn't driven much. Any cracks are a good sign to get a new set asap. A Pirelli tech guy told me 3 years if the vehicle isn't used regularly

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I replaced the 6 year old P Zeros with heaps of tread on my 996 as soon as I bought it with PS2s. Transformed the car from both a grip and ride comfort perspective. 

Are the 2 tyres comparable in grip and ride or was it purely from an age thing do you think?

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The last 2 cars i have had i have had to change tyres, the first set because they could be balanced correctly so tyres came off, on inspection it was found 2 had high spots, 8 yrs plenty of tread left but lack of use by previous owner.

The car i have now had Continentals on but were 14yrs old, absolutely no grip and i feared for my safety so they had to go.

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Are the 2 tyres comparable in grip and ride or was it purely from an age thing do you think?

I think it was mostly age. PS2 and P-Zero are meant to be equivalent I think although a lot of people seem to prefer PS2

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Wow, 14 years is old! and potentially dangerous. My 5 y.o. ones seems fine for now....... maybe start to look next year...

 

I think it was mostly age. PS2 and P-Zero are meant to be equivalent I think although a lot of people seem to prefer PS2

Cheers. I do prefer Michelin's over most others...

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Had a 2005 Alfa 147 GTA with it's original Pirellis a couple of years ago. I was swapping the tyres to Michelins, with no prompting from the tyre shop. When the fitter removed the old ones, he told me that they would not have let the car leave their shop.

The compound had hardened to a point that there was no "give" in the side wall. Cracks had started to appear and in their opinion, a high speed run would very likely end in a blow out. They were 8 years old. 

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Extreme example, but the tyres on my 911 were dated 1989. Pretty much full tread depth and passed a roadworthy in Oct 2015 on the understanding I was booked in to replace them. I drove it about 30km on them, quite interesting to say the least as it under steered across 3 lanes of the Nepean Highway at 20kmh...

When the tyre place put the bead breaker on, it went straight through the sidewalls :o 

I'm about to replace the tyres on SWMBO's Spitfire, the fronts are 6 years old but have only done 2000k's, the rears are at least 10 years old so I'd prefer it not to pirouette off the road in the rain. May as well do all 4 at once.

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Condemning a tyre on an arbitrary age is very unscientific. The MOT in the UK (strict) uses condition , not age , does it not?

Leaving your car outside all year in Brisbane is very different from garaging a rarely used car in Hobart. The science of rubber.

Not withstanding driving habits , car specifications & performance,  and tyre pressures.

But tyre companies are like car companies , and quite happy to relieve you of hard-earned as often as you wish ;)

Modern tyres being a product of modern science and technology are extremely durable,  aren't they? 

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UK MOT used to be on condition, which is why the Spitfire passed its last one there 6 years ago with the very old rears. Thinking about them, they're actually nearer 15 years old. It took me 4 years to restore it and they were at least 3 years old when I took it off the road for the rebuild. Time for the bin for those ?

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Semi slicks on my track car were 12 years old, dry and crusty.  In the wet at Sandown it was undriveable.  Stiff and slippery, so much so I looped it and hit the wall.  New A050 fitted and it's like night and day.  Not tread related, more to do with softness of the rubber.

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Semi slicks on my track car were 12 years old, dry and crusty. 

Track cars and cars driven at autobahn speeds = different matter! Certainly if you go tracking , the wallet must come out , for performance and safety reasons.

In other words , old sandshoes are fine , unless you are a serious runner . If you can afford a daily driver Veyron , the $20,000 oil change and $100,000 tyre change won't bother you! 

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Nothing like fresh rubber. Inspires confidence, which are the best drives.

So the confidence levels slowly droop over a few years , and then when you cornering  like Miss Daisy you plump on a  new set? Or change on a stric, Puritanical  time basis? Or wait for the treadbars to get down to 2mm?1mm?0mm.

It's all very confusing !

Just don't worry about the petrochemical footprint . 

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I recently read an article where one of the main reasons for Paul Walker's tragic death was put down to tyres that were too old and past their optimum grip levels.

I had a wheel balance and alignment done a few weeks ago and was pointed out to me that me still near new Michelin PS3s were 5 years old..... (made 16th week of 2011)

Now the question being, and it seems it may be a rather contentious one.... how old is too old?

From Bridgestone AU website;

"How old is too old?

This is a subject of much debate within the tyre industry and no tyre expert can tell exactly how long a tyre will last. However, on the results of experience many tyre companies, including Bridgestone, warrant their tyres against manufacturing and material defects for five years from the date of manufacture. Based on their understanding a number of vehicle manufacturers are now advising against the use of tyres that are more than six years old due to the effects of ageing."

So going by what they say my tyres need replacing very soon! I am yet to really push my 928 and not sure that I ever truly will on the road (for lots of factors) and currently they grip very well, but will they fail me when I really need them.....

But then again from Michelin AU

"1- Keep five years in mind

After five years or more in use, your tyres should be thoroughly inspected at least once per year by a professional.

 

2- Ten years is a maximum

If the tyres haven't been replaced 10 years after their date of manufacture, as a precaution, Michelin recommends replacing them with new tyres. Even if they appear to be in usable condition and have not worn down to the tread wear indicator.
This applies to spare tyres as well."

Oops my spare is the original tyre... can't buy them anymore anyway....

Have you read your owners manual?  The Porsche tyre life issue is addressed there :)

Condemning a tyre on an arbitrary age is very unscientific. The MOT in the UK (strict) uses condition , not age , does it not?

Leaving your car outside all year in Brisbane is very different from garaging a rarely used car in Hobart. The science of rubber.

Not withstanding driving habits , car specifications & performance,  and tyre pressures.

But tyre companies are like car companies , and quite happy to relieve you of hard-earned as often as you wish ;)

Modern tyres being a product of modern science and technology are extremely durable,  aren't they? 

It's not unscientific, a tyre degrades whether you use it or not, that's a fact.  And that's not correct about car companies trying to get money out of you, Porsche don't make tyres.

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