Old Tires

I went to get my tires remounted and they refused. They said they were too old. The date code is from 1989. I had no idea I was rolling on 25 year old rubber! They look fine so I'm going to keep running them for now.

Anyone got older tires?

 

My JEEP came with an old off road tire on the spare, dated 1975.

The JEEP is currently rolling on 10 year old Yokohoma Geolandar A/T+IIs.
They look at most three years old. I wish they still made them in the tread pattern I have. I'd buy them in a heartbeat.

 

After blowing tires on the motorhome that were only 7 years old and almost ripping off the exhaust Ive decided there is a valid reason why tire shops don't like to deal with old tires. They were name brand quality tires too. Different occasions that almost ruined a couple vacations.
Having said that, the ones on the '59-5 are probably 20 years old and holding fine. I am planning on changing them out in the next year or so.
How often the tires are driven on can have an effect on longevity as well.

 

IMO weight is a big factor aswell. JEEPs are really the only vehicles I've seen get away with old tires. Most seem to explode when they are 7+ years old.

 

Just saying not the same, but...
I had a 1970 honda 175cc that had original rubber knobbish pattern when I sold it in '97. They needed to be replaced, but they were ok for mild trails to my fishing holes and slow speed around town.

 

When I bought my CJ5 about 2 years ago it had 4 really old and very cracked Dick Cepek bias plys on it. They had good tread left and I had other priorities, like steering and brakes, so they stayed there. The spare was some kind of radial that didn't look nearly as bad as the others. I was in the garage about a year ago on a hot day and heard a pop sound outside. Went out there to find that radial spare had blown just sitting in the sun on the tire carrier. Opened up right across the tread.

I went out and picked up a really good spare and replaced those Cepek rag tires with some nice brand new off road radials right away. Money well spent.

 

"Old" is relative.

I'm running some tires that are 30 and forty years old with no troubles at all. My '57 still has the original spare on it (now 57 years old.) Not saying I'd take them cross-country, but they hold air for years at a time.

On the other hand a lot of tires made in the last decade or so are garbage by comparison. They suncrack in a year or two, and constantly need pumping up.
I had a new set of radials, that I did take cross country - had to replace one on the road because it was leaking - through the casing and out under the tread!

 

Tires are like brakes. Don't skimp on either one, your life could depend on it!

 

I ran a set of BFG Mud Terrains for almost 12 years. They held up well, looked no worse for wear and probably would have been fine. The Jeep is garage kept. I finally wanted to step up 1 size so a few years back I put new tires on. I should have kept the old ones too!

 

Anything I haul weight with with gets good tires and anything I drive alot does too. The tires on the CJ-6 were new in about 94 or 95. Still look good and work fine.

 

last set was put on 2000 . they now about 10K on them , no cracking . jeep is garage kept

 

Weight/loading certainly has an effect as does many other things. Exposure to UV rays, frequency of driving (even short trips, the heat brings the oils to the surface of the rubber keeping it from drying out), cold and heat exposure, bias vs. radial ply tires, type of rubber used (natural or synthetic or aramid), list goes on.

 

I just had a used tire shop refuse to mount a set of tires from 2000. He said that it was illegal for them to mount anything over 7 years old. I went up the road to another and they didn't even look at the date code.

 

Having a motor home I change mine every 6 or 7 yrs after exploding a rear tire (tires were 6 yrs old and had less than 5000 miles on them) . The new tires do not have as much oil in the rubber and not driving them is a major part of the problem as stated. My RV tires cracked at the bottom of the tread and peeled it off!!!
My jeep is a play toy and doesn't get driven a lot and the tires are probably over 10 yrs old I keep an eye on them. If i was planning on a road trip they would probably get changed.