Am i crazy (Driving 69 Satellite from Kentucky to Oregon)?

[440 Charger]

Best of luck with your trip it will be fun. Mopars dont let us down when they are cared for.

 

[chtampa]

Since you are short on money you should do a raffle for mechanical issues. Sort of like doing a you tube video and getting paid for it.

 

[WileERobby]

I originally started this post back in January i think but on the advice of members here, i put off the trip until spring. I'm hoping for the best on the tires but we'll see. It's a car i purchased from 2000 miles away so i never got to check it out in person but did have a local car guy that has done restorations check it out for me. At the time i was more focused on the body, frame, etc and didn't think to have him check the tires although he didn't say anything bad about them. Hopefully they're in decent shape with no flat spots.

"Hoping for the best " ? " say anything bad about them" ? "decent shape" ? I wouldn't be doing a trip around town, nevertheless across the country without knowing what rubber is on those wheels. Questions: what tires ? how old ? have they been in the elements ? have they been stationary for a long period of time ? have they been inflated ? Those 4 donuts are whats keeping you safe.

 

[Sam69sat]

"Hoping for the best " ? " say anything bad about them" ? "decent shape" ? I wouldn't be doing a trip around town, nevertheless across the country without knowing what rubber is on those wheels. Questions: what tires ? how old ? have they been in the elements ? have they been stationary for a long period of time ? have they been inflated ? Those 4 donuts are whats keeping you safe.

I'm committed now. It's on my list to check out once i get there. Obviously if they're bad i'll have to do something but i'm done worrying about it for now. I do plan on new tires and 15" magnum 500s but i'm hoping to get it back home first because i haven't decided on the exact tire sizes. Maybe they'll come sooner than later.

 

[WileERobby]

I'm committed now. It's on my list to check out once i get there. Obviously if they're bad i'll have to do something but i'm done worrying about it for now. I do plan on new tires and 15" magnum 500s but i'm hoping to get it back home first because i haven't decided on the exact tire sizes. Maybe they'll come sooner than later.

Wow. You're going to do a cross-country without knowing whats holding you to the road. Wow. I've been in the auto business for 50 years... I've seen what happens when a blowout occurs. Good luck.

 

[Sam69sat]

Wow. You're going to do a cross-country without knowing whats holding you to the road. Wow. I've been in the auto business for 50 years... I've seen what happens when a blowout occurs. Good luck.

I appreciate your concern but you're being a little dramatic aren't you? I did say i'm going check out the tires once i get there. Never said i'm just gonna jump in and drive without a thought. Also said i'd do what needs to be done if the tires do happen to suck. Obviously i'm not going to drive it if the treads are hanging off or flat spots make it shake like a dog shitting peach seeds.

 

[WileERobby]

I appreciate your concern but you're being a little dramatic aren't you? I did say i'm going check out the tires once i get there. Never said i'm just gonna jump in and drive without a thought. Also said i'd do what needs to be done if the tires do happen to suck. Obviously i'm not going to drive it if the treads are hanging off or flat spots make it shake like a dog shitting peach seeds.

Dramatic ? Nope. Offering thoughtful experience to a fellow Mopar guy ? Yep. I got a 50 year old tire in my garage. It looks fantastic. Would I drive 100, or 500, or 1000 miles on it ? Nope. ( At least I hope I put a thought of caution in your head before your trip. And it goes flawlessly. )

 

[Sam69sat]

Dramatic ? Nope. Offering thoughtful experience to a fellow Mopar guy ? Yep. I got a 50 year old tire in my garage. It looks fantastic. Would I drive 100, or 500, or 1000 miles on it ? Nope.

Ok, i respect that and thank you for your thoughts. I'll be sure to check them over. Thanks

 

[mopar 3 B]

Just where is you guys since of adventure. If the dam car has to be prefect just stay at home. Will that is a negative just not going to happen. If the cords are not showing and hold air the tires should be fine for awhile. I don't travel pulling a trailer load of part like some of you think he needs either. Some tools maybe. As far as a spare tire you haven't looked in the trunk of your new ones lately have you. No wonder you see them sitting along side the road with a flat.

 

[Kern Dog]

Wow. You're going to do a cross-country without knowing whats holding you to the road. Wow. I've been in the auto business for 50 years... I've seen what happens when a blowout occurs. Good luck.

Maybe when you were younger, you were more adventurous.
There are hundreds of tire stores along the way. The man can keep speeds low and be careful for awhile to assess the condition. I replaced the tires on my red car only because of age. They were 15 years old. They looked excellent inside and out. I could have driven on them until they were worn out instead of replacing them at 70 % like they were. Now they are 18 years old and actually still look great but nobody will mount them due to "liability concerns".
Many times, people get old and forget that they took risks when they were younger that resulted in zero harm. The experiences that we had make us who we will become.

 

[WileERobby]

How many of you have repaired wrecked cars due to a tire blowout ? How many of you seen what happens when a tire blew & the car went into oncoming traffic ? How many have personally had a blowout at highway speed ? In 50 years, I've experienced all of the above. Just because the cords are not showing & it holds air, the tires good ? And, what do you do in the rain ? Go, ahead do what you want, I don't care.

 

[dadsbee]

200 cars... I'd guess over 1/2 of them on 30+ year old tires. Issues.. zero...

 

[Sam69sat]

How many of you have repaired wrecked cars due to a tire blowout ? How many of you seen what happens when a tire blew & the car went into oncoming traffic ? How many have personally had a blowout at highway speed ? In 50 years, I've experienced all of the above. Just because the cords are not showing & it holds air, the tires good ? And, what do you do in the rain ? Go, ahead do what you want, I don't care.

I haven't and hope like hell i never ever experience that. Serious question though, is there an expiration date on tires? Lets say a car with 10 year old tires, parked in a garage that's only been driven 200 or 300 miles a year and was moved often enough it didn't develop flat spots. Would those be considred safe?

I probably am a bit crazy though. Hell, i was seriously comtemplating buying a 34' sailboat last year, sailing down to Mexico and waiting for the right season to sail over to the South Pacific (solo if need be). Still want to do it someday. Any sailors here that have done it?

 

[1STMP]

200 cars... I'd guess over 1/2 of them on 30+ year old tires. Issues.. zero...
View attachment 1089947

Not a fair comparison. How many of those
beauties have driven across country, with
varying road and weather conditions at
70-80 mph, except maybe on or in a
trailer. I'll bet those trailers don't have
tires that are 30 years old.....

 

[Kern Dog]

The world has drifted into a place that is over-political, over-sensitive and over-litigious.
Too many people look to sue someone for their own mistakes.
OSHA wouldn't exist if people didn't do stupid things then sue their employer for a payout.....and win.
Tire companies started this Any tire older than 6 years of age is a danger bullshit to sell more tires. Sure, in some cases, a tire may fail at 6-7-8 years of age but what percentage of tires of that age are still fine? Why live your life always expecting the world to crash down on you? Companies and Government apply a "one size fits all" approach to a problem and it rarely fits all situations.
I am no tire expert but I know a crack when I see it. I know when the sidewall or tread feel hard to the touch. My Nitto tires had 50% tread on the back and well over 70% on the front and when I had them dismounted, the insides looked as good as my new tired did. The old ones were approx 15 years old and maybe had 15,000 miles on them. These were street tires with a treadwear rating somewhere in the 300 range. They are not Chinese made and not cheap.

 

[1STMP]

I'm committed now. It's on my list to check out once i get there. Obviously if they're bad i'll have to do something but i'm done worrying about it for now. I do plan on new tires and 15" magnum 500s but i'm hoping to get it back home first because i haven't decided on the exact tire sizes. Maybe they'll come sooner than later.

I tend to agree with WileE on this one.
His concern lies with your life and that
of others. Not to mention the wakos
out there on the road that wouldn't
hesitate for a second, to off you, and
steal what you have. I was the victim
of an attempted carjacking, while being
stranded beside the road. It don't feel
too good having a gun pointed at you,
with the guy asking for your keys. Call
it devine intervention, but god was with
me at 3:00 am on that back road in the
middle of nowhere, Texas. There's no
sense placing yourself in that type of
situation. You should at least have a
reputable tire joint give you the green
light. You might not be so lucky as I.

 

[1STMP]

The world has drifted into a place that is over-political, over-sensitive and over-litigious.
Too many people look to sue someone for their own mistakes.
OSHA wouldn't exist if people didn't do stupid things then sue their employer for a payout.....and win.
Tire companies started this Any tire older than 6 years of age is a danger bullshit to sell more tires. Sure, in some cases, a tire may fail at 6-7-8 years of age but what percentage of tires of that age are still fine? Why live your life always expecting the world to crash down on you? Companies and Government apply a "one size fits all" approach to a problem and it rarely fits all situations.
I am no tire expert but I know a crack when I see it. I know when the sidewall or tread feel hard to the touch. My Nitto tires had 50% tread on the back and well over 70% on the front and when I had them dismounted, the insides looked as good as my new tired did. The old ones were approx 15 years old and maybe had 15,000 miles on them. These were street tires with a treadwear rating somewhere in the 300 range. They are not Chinese made and not cheap.

Old tires are a crap shoot. Without knowing
how well an inherited set of tires was
maintained; ie, run at proper pressure,
rotated as recommended by manufacturer,
were they "curbed"? Tires can have
problems that may not be visible, or
discernable at first glance. Sure, tire
distributers want to make boat loads
of cash selling unsuspecting customers
a brand new set of tires. If the OP is
attempting a cross country trip on an
unknown set of tires that have been
"unused" for this length of time, I'd at
least, have them checked out. I hope
he knows an honest tire dealer. Therein
lies the problem.
I know where you're coming from. I had
a set of tires on a CJ7 that had less than
10,000 miles on them. Garage kept, perfect
shape, but couldn't trade them in because
they were deemed to be too old. I would
have trusted those tires because I knew
their history.

 

[Kern Dog]

I wouldn't attempt a cross country drive without looking the car over either.

 

[1STMP]

I wouldn't attempt a cross country drive without looking the car over either.

I agree. The OP should at least perform
the basics.

 

[dadsbee]

Not a fair comparison. How many of those
beauties have driven across country, with
varying road and weather conditions at
70-80 mph, except maybe on or in a
trailer. I'll bet those trailers don't have
tires that are 30 years old.....

Be careful who you ask that question toooo... I bought this trailer in Feb 1990.. still the original tires. I also drive my Superbird regularly and her tires are now 31 years old as well. Almost 3500 miles this past summer. Also drove it from Atlanta Georgia to Alexander City Alabama during the Aero Reunion, winding through Eleanor Roosevelt State Park and out on the express way chasing a Daytona at over 100 at times. (can you note there's a bit of Scottish in my blood? )