Tire repair on old tires.

[Gizmo]

I recently had a flat on my 69 Roadrunner (nail). When I took it to be patched at a Goodyear station I was informed that they no longer will patch tires that are over 5 years old. They said the risk was that they could explode when reinflated. Pep Boys pluged the tire,(no charge) but their service manager told me they too have new gidelines on repairing older tires. He told me Michelin started the fuss. How odd, they market some of the highest mileage tires available. What good are they if you don't drive 70,000+ miles in 5 years? What if the new tire you buy has been in the system for 2 years before you buy it, then it's good for only 3 years? Better not get a flat in your weekend driver or you may have to resort to "Fix-a-flat" in a can. I carry one now just in case. Is this a Federal Regulation or Industry imposed regulation? Any one else run into this?

 

[krowbar]

Explode when reinflated! WTF? Sounds like some BS to me. Only problem I've had with tires lately is dry rotting. EXCELLENT tread on 2 front tires. Sidewalls were leaking. JUNK THROW AWAY SOCIETY anymore.

 

[patrick66]

I had a set of Goodyear Eagle GT tires on my Coronet from 1996 to 2010. Sold the tires and the Magnum 500s they were mounted on to a guy. He knew they were 15 years old, and to him, it was no biggie. As my car has ALWAYS been stored indoors (except while being driven), there was NO sidewall decay or cracking, nor was there any cracking in the tread. The sidewalls were like new. As long as a tire is NOT being stored outside and exposed to the sunshine, a radial tire can last years with proper inflation and care.

The "don't drive more than five" silliness is driven by the tire companies for more sales, period.

 

[YY1]

I plug my own.

Kind of a lost art.

Plugs are cheap and easy to find.

Secrets:

Get everything ready before you start.
Cut plug in half (they're WAY too long)
Load in plug tool (the kind with the slot in the center)
Slather with plenty of rubber(vulcanizing) cement
Inflate tire to about 10 LBS over spec
Remove object if not already removed (safer to do before inflating above spec)
Ream thoroughly (but not long enough to let tire deflate) and acquire feel for belt depth
Insert plug being sure to go about 1/4" below belt depth
Quickly jerk plug tool out while slightly twisting it, and being aware if plug is still below belt
After cement tacks, use sharp razor to trim plug even with tread (or plug could pull out)

On a related note-

5 years ago I bought a set of four (OK, 2x 14" and 2x 15") Tiger Paws.
Almost 5 years to the day, the 14's developed busted belts (and no plugs) and dry rot.
The 15's are fine.

 

[Dennis H]

PC overkill. Error on the side of selling more tires.

 

[440+6]

I've been pluging my own tires since I was a kid and never had a plug fail, or a tire "explode" either.
What a bunch of BS.

 

[69a100]

I think it all has to do with liability issues. I went digging to see if I could find anything about repairing old tires and came up empty, but found many about selling old tires and when you should replace them. I can tell you this for FACT! The tires on my old van are probably 20 yrs. old if a day with still good tread, this is just a back up daily driver that gets motored around town at 45 mph tops and less than 500 miles a yr. It wanders all over the place, even on a short highway trip. My brother loaned me his wheels a couple years ago when we had to do a road trip and I'll tell you this. The ride, handling, and drivability of the van was like a new vehicle compared to the old tires. So yes there may be some truth to it, maybe 6-10 years is a bit much. But after 10+ years I'd say your on borrowed time. Lots of reading here, you be your own judge!
http://www.edmunds.com/car-care/how-old-and-dangerous-are-your-tires.html
http://www.nhtsa.gov/Research/Vehicle+Research+&+Testing+(VRTC)/Tires
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=138
http://www.wheels.ca/news/tire-talk-how-old-is-too-old-for-tires/

 

[dvw]

Not only do I run older tires I plug them also. That includes slicks. Funny thing you see newer tires that are dry rotted, and 10 year old ones that are perfect. My trailer spare is a passenger car tire from 1983, no cracks. I've used it on 3 trailers. And yes I've had to replace more than a few sets of tires due to cracking on each trailer. Just like when I worked at a Belle Tire. They won't sell just 2 tires if your vehicle is 4wd. "They claim that it could void the warrantee" on the transfer case. I don't buy it. My 2 cents.
Doug

 

[Car Nut]

aboard!

 

[Dennis H]

The 2 year old Michelin Pilots on the 06 Daytona look gnarly already. Lots a tread - lots of cracks.

 

[satman72]

The issue lies in the heat/cold cycles on the tires. Not so much on miles driven.

 

[Dennis H]

The issue lies in the heat/cold cycles on the tires. Not so much on miles driven.

Meaning more frequent short trips are better for aging?

 

[Funship32]

In today's litigious society and in light of the care bear media where every death is a greek tragedy, the mfg's and tire dealers probably just covering their butts. After all it does not matter in the courts if the tire was underinflated, run beyond any reasonable use or the user was just a numbskull that was driving on bald tires that had slits in the sidewalls- someone, somewhere else is at fault.

 

[satman72]

Meaning more frequent short trips are better for aging?

Just the opposite I think.

 

[HawkRod]

I agree that the tire companies are being overly conservative - it protects them AND it might generate more sales. I do think 5 years is BS.

Having said that, I am NOT a fan of old tires. they are rubber, and rubber degrades. All these Corvette nuts want to buy 50 year old tires so they can have a NCRS correct car. It is stupid. Those tires ARE dangerous. They were never meant to last that long, and I sure as heck won't trust my newly restored Road Runner to an ancient set of tires and risk a catastrophic sidewall failure. 10 Years? Fine But too much more than that and I am not running them...

My $0.02

 

[Budnicks]

welcome to FBBO from Sonora Calif.

 

[Photon440]

Hi Gizmo, welcome. :wav:
Let's see your '69 road runner