Tyre cracks

[alabbasi]

I think you will find that the recommendation is that a new tyre shouldn't be sold once it is older than 6 years at the time of sale, and any tyre shouldn't be used on a car once it is older than 10 years. That said, if a tyre is displaying signs of old age, then it should be replaced regardless.

That's probably country by country. Here, you can't sell a tire if it's 3 years old and the recommendation for replacement is at 6 years.

 

[C240Sport97]

with new tyres, you will think you have a new car due to massive improvement in ride and handling

 

[markjay]

That's probably country by country. Here, you can't sell a tire if it's 3 years old and the recommendation for replacement is at 6 years.

Ah... I see that you're in Dallas, Texas....

 

[190]

I think you will find that the recommendation is that a new tyre shouldn't be sold once it is older than 6 years at the time of sale, and any tyre shouldn't be used on a car once it is older than 10 years. That said, if a tyre is displaying signs of old age, then it should be replaced regardless.

This is more like it, Throwing away good tyres at 5 years old is far too pessimistic. Two of mine are already 6 years old but show not the slightest signs of cracking. It can depend on the tyre make and if the vehicle is garaged.


I once bought a motorcycle that had done just 6000 miles on 28 year old tyres. The front was obviously perished but the rear looked so good I initially thought it must have already been replaced.

You probably won't want to do this because of the disposal problems but if you really want to know what a tyre is like, then when you change them ask for one of the tyres back and cut through it with a hack saw or angle grinder. I did this with both 28 year old tyres and was surprised that internally, the structure was still perfectly sound. Not saying they always will be but personally I wouldn't worry about minor surface cracking on the evidence I saw. The worst aspect of an older tyre is the compound gets hard and you lose grip, particularly in the wet.

 

[219]

Do I need to make sure the new tyres aren’t from Hungary then?

Tyres are a personal choice .

I prefer Continental , others prefer Michelin .

Both are reputable brands .

 

[219]

No, just make sure they are new. You would be surprised how old some 'new' tyres are. We had an irreparable puncture on the wife's Zafira a while back, I wanted to match the new tyre to the good one on the other side.

I found them 'new' online but when I went to my local tyre suppliers they all told me that particular pattern/designation had not been manufactured for at least 4 years......

The year and week of manufacture is stamped on the side of every tyre

 

[Petrol Pete]

The year and week of manufacture is stamped on the side of every tyre

And sometimes ground off by unscrupulous sellers. You and I might spot it , but many would not.

 

[219]

Thank you everyone for all your advice! I’m going tomorrow to get the rears but I’ll also get the fronts done as well for safety and peace of mind.

appreciate all the advice and this is a perfect example of how useful this forum is

A full set of matching tyres in good condition always helps when selling a car ; it is a sign that a car has been properly maintained.

If I find a car with a mixture of odd tyres ( other than pairs of decent matching tyres on each axle ) or budget tyres on a premium car , I immediately assume corners have been cut in maintenance.

 

[219]

And sometimes ground off by unscrupulous sellers. You and I might spot it , but many would not.

It is something I look at if viewing a car to buy .

TBH , I hadn’t thought to check at tyre fitting places as the tyres are normally ordered in .

Edit , I just went out and checked the ones I had fitted back in April , all four dated 01 20 so no complaints there .

For anyone’s interest, here’s a guide

Tyre markings | Continental tyres

Markings on the tire sidewall are shorthand for a wealth of information including the load index, speed rating, tire size, construction, and more.

www.continental-tyres.co.uk

 

[John]

I would change those tyres - even for a budget set which is better than ageing/cracking premium.

They will only let you down when you least expect it otherwise.

I think I'd rather make a judgement on the history of a car, as to how it has been looked after, rather than assuming budget tyres means reduced / lacking maintenance... you never know the reason why a car was fitted with budgets.

 

[KP090]

Tyres are a personal choice .

I prefer Continental , others prefer Michelin .

Both are reputable brands .

Ive got Michelin Pilot sport 3 on at the moment but will change over to Pilot sport 4

 

[alabbasi]

This is more like it, Throwing away good tyres at 5 years old is far too pessimistic

You've never had a blow out have you?

 

[190]

You've never had a blow out have you?

I haven't but if I thought 5 year old tyres were dangerous in the UK I wouldn't drive on them,

The fact is I see no evidence or see any guidance to suggest that 5 year old tyres are dangerous. I think I'm taking a realistic approach driving on tyres with a speed rating of 149 MPH and never exceeding half that speed. I can readily accept that were I to drive at or close to a tyres performance envelope then I should ensure they were always perfect in every way.

 

[optimusprime]

I use silicon spray on the tires it stop them cracking like these have ,But now i see i have these cracks in the tyre tread not on the sidewalls they are like new .All down to sitting in the hot sun . I also use 4 canvas covers that the paint shop use if they have to spray a car to stop over spray on the wheels .You can purchase these off ebay . Nio more expensive tires for me next time ,,if i have to change them every few years for cracking.

 

[alabbasi]

The fact is I see no evidence or see any guidance to suggest that 5 year old tyres are dangerous.

5 year old tires is getting up there. Even if they don't show cracking, they would harden up over time. It becomes a problem in the summer when the roads get hot. I see cars all the time on the side of the highway with blown out tires.

 

[John]

Tyres which aren't used tend to "dry out" as I understand it. Using them keeps them supple and "lubed" for want of a better phrase. So this doesn't help the cause for longevity.

As for age of tyres, I would only use that as a factor in deciding.

I've seen 10 year old tyres looking very fit and well and 2 year old tyres like the OPs.

Certainly wouldn't blindly-replace after a set time as it's incredibly-wasteful.

 

[Cherrypd]

Exactly the same on my SLK. I also do 3-4k per year and the fronts have just become an advisory on the MOT. Of note from mine is the tyre valve has similar cracking which I’d never notice.

 

[rf065]

Exactly the same on my SLK. I also do 3-4k per year and the fronts have just become an advisory on the MOT. Of note from mine is the tyre valve has similar cracking which I’d never notice.

I noticed the other day, my SLC300 tyres are starting to show cracks like the OP's, just not as bad though. The car was registered in 2017 and has only done 7500 miles!

 

[190]

Tyres which aren't used tend to "dry out" as I understand it. Using them keeps them supple and "lubed" for want of a better phrase. So this doesn't help the cause for longevity.

The technical reason that I've read is that the rubber contains ant-aging chemicals which are more effective when the tyre is regularly exercised.

There are lots of variables to tyre aging such as exposure to sunlight and ozone, A common ozone generator is any electric device that produces sparks such as motor with brushes. When buying new tyres an unknown is where they have been stored. When I've had to store tyres I've wrapped them in black plastic bags to protect them from light and ozone but yes the best thing for them is to be in use.

The 6 /10 year rule for tyre life should also be applied to the spare tyre. How many cars have a spare tyre or spacesaver that's over 6 years old and has never been used. Well mine for one. According to the guidance they should be replaced. That must happen very rarely but a sensible precaution would be to rotate the spare or if not when it does have to be used, keep the speed down.

 

[219]

I would change those tyres - even for a budget set which is better than ageing/cracking premium.

They will only let you down when you least expect it otherwise.

I think I'd rather make a judgement on the history of a car, as to how it has been looked after, rather than assuming budget tyres means reduced / lacking maintenance... you never know the reason why a car was fitted with budgets.

Generally budget tyres being on a car shows the owner has cut corners on maintenance.

The car may have a stamped up service book , but that may mean it has only ever had the basic services done at the dealership, with advisory work , if done at all , being done elsewhere on the cheap .

A new set of budget tyres will certainly be less likely to fail than a set of old tyres , but we all know that some budget tyres can be lethal in terms of very poor grip in the wet etc .

I do have four premium tyres on my car , and a budget tyre on the spare wheel , the reasoning being it will get me home in an emergency, and I’ll get the proper one fixed without delay , but if I couldn’t afford brand new tyres then I’d put part worn decent tyres on from a reputable place , and have done in the past .