Tyre age

[Lenny HB]

Is there any way/company/fitter I can use that will reliably ensure that my new tyres are e.g circa week 5-8 of 2026 if fitting March 2026? There must be quite a few tyre outfits regularly fitting maybe two year old tyres?

The industry considers tyres to new up to 2 years from date of manufacturer some companies use 3 years.

 

[KASPAR]

Hopefully a useful additional point (two actually)....
1. If a nail or such-like ever penetrates the tyre on the shoulder or side wall, it must be changed. Took a bit of persuasion for my nice until she heard someone else provide a real-life story of a blow-out, where they had previously got a guy to vulcanise the hole.

2. I would never have a tyre vulcanised post-puncture. Always a new tyre for me.

Would be pointless not vulcanising a tyre repair.

Are you aware of what vulcanising actually is?

Some techy stuff ?

All modern tyres are made of synthetic rubber, which itself is an artificial elastomer, composed of polymers which are composed of isomers.

Over time, you get something called polymer degradation wherein the very long polymer chains break down into much shorter and more stable chains, but which are different than the original material. That causes cracks, and more importantly a significant lowering of the tensile strength of the material.

For rubber used in tyres, there seems to be a cliff at about five years from which point things accelerate downhill rapidly. On that basis, I’d be disinclined to trust a tyre older than five years except for a show or exhibition vehicle where having original rubber matters, and there’s no driving at excessive speeds.

Polymer is many units ie long chain.

Cracks (flex cracking is the relevant term and testing standard ISO 132:2017 applies) are from ozone attack, exacerbated by flexing of the tyre, particularly the sidewall and tread blocks. Cheap fillers and protection agents and cheap curing systems oft employed in price conscious markets. Ozone is also denser around electric motors ie fridges in MH.

If in Kentucky in the US the likelihood of cracking is considerably higher due to the natural prevalence of ozone for example. In a previous life compounds designed for the same product and application in Kentucky vs North/South Dakota had different components in their polymer content, curing and protection systems.

Cheap protection systems and cheap fillers will leech from the compound manifesting as crazing and cracks in the surface much earlier than higher price/quality systems. For example cross climate or winter tyres have a higher quality/price filler system employing silica vs clay, hence the tread blocks and sipes that are defined due to the physical properties of the compound.

Tensile strength in itself isn't the parameter for a tyre compound.

As a qualified Polymer Scientist specialising in rubber technology in my early career I despair at a lot of misinformation spouted on the internet.

The tyre age thing is related to a cowboy bus operator in the UK that used defective retreads on a bus that crashed. Re-treading is common on truck tyres, again can be done properly, or by cowboys.

Tyre sellers will sell you tyres based on fear and ignorance. Also note the reduction in tread depth of new tyres in the last decade as shrinkflation has been applied. AKA commercial engineering.

 

[TheMobileWanderer]

Would be pointless not vulcanising a tyre repair.

Are you aware of what vulcanising actually is?

My point was that I wouldn't repair a puncture. If I had a puncture or nail in the tyre, I'd replace the tyre instead of repairing it.

 

[PlacidoD]

The industry considers tyres to new up to 2 years from date of manufacturer some companies use 3 years.

Hmnn! I don't like the sound of that! That could reduce my years of use to three or even two years. I think I will run things by my trusted local tyre fitter who has been fitting my motorbike tyres for years and see if I can specify no more than 1 year old. Tyre size is, I think, a fairly common 225/65 16" (I need to check in daylight). It might almost be worth me narrowing down two or three tyre replacement makes and choosing the newest out of the mould!

 

[Chris]

My point was that I wouldn't repair a puncture. If I had a puncture or nail in the tyre, I'd replace the tyre instead of repairing it.

I do have puncture repairs on my cars.

Last year I was getting about 1 a month. I think it was building work in the area and loose nails

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[busby]

So why doesn't everybody have to change their suspension rubbers every 5 years - a failed suspension mounting is just as dangerous as a tyre failing

No it isn't and it's very unlikely because it's not exposed to sunshine..But if you want to risk old tyres and other people's lives please yourself. Those bushes would be looked at each year during an M.O.T. BUSBY.

 

[dunnah01]

No it isn't and it's very unlikely because it's not exposed to sunshine..But if you want to risk old tyres and other people's lives please yourself. Those bushes would be looked at each year during an M.O.T. BUSBY.

I'll normally change my tyres well before 10 years but if somebody said I had to change them at an arbitrary age I'd ask why There's a school of thought that tyres should be 5 years max which could actually mean only 2 years on the vehicle with some manufacturers. I got tutted by the garage at the last MOT for fitting 7 year old tyres even though they had no miles and had been stored indoors for 5 years.

 

[CAB96]

So why doesn't everybody have to change their suspension rubbers every 5 years - a failed suspension mounting is just as dangerous as a tyre failing

They're under compression?

 

[busby]

I'll normally change my tyres well before 10 years but if somebody said I had to change them at an arbitrary age I'd ask why There's a school of thought that tyres should be 5 years max which could actually mean only 2 years on the vehicle with some manufacturers. I got tutted by the garage at the last MOT for fitting 7 year old tyres even though they had no miles and had been stored indoors for 5 years.

There is your answer..stored indoors...and not inflated..BUSBY.

 

[SpeedyDux]

I do have puncture repairs on my cars.

Last year I was getting about 1 a month. I think it was building work in the area and loose nails

Stay well away from the kerb, just below which the lost nails and screws tend to accumulate on the edge of the roadway. I am especially wary of driving along roads where I can see builders vans and skips.

My other bugbear is the ubiquitous pothole. Really bad at this time of year. The energy with which your tyre hits a pothole is proportional to the square of your speed (O-level physics) so keeping your speed down, plenty of distance from the vehicle in front, and Mk 1 eyeballs open to spot potholes is essential.

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[Montezuma]

Would be pointless not vulcanising a tyre repair.

Are you aware of what vulcanising actually is?


Polymer is many units ie long chain.

Cracks (flex cracking is the relevant term and testing standard ISO 132:2017 applies) are from ozone attack, exacerbated by flexing of the tyre, particularly the sidewall and tread blocks. Cheap fillers and protection agents and cheap curing systems oft employed in price conscious markets. Ozone is also denser around electric motors ie fridges in MH.

If in Kentucky in the US the likelihood of cracking is considerably higher due to the natural prevalence of ozone for example. In a previous life compounds designed for the same product and application in Kentucky vs North/South Dakota had different components in their polymer content, curing and protection systems.

Cheap protection systems and cheap fillers will leech from the compound manifesting as crazing and cracks in the surface much earlier than higher price/quality systems. For example cross climate or winter tyres have a higher quality/price filler system employing silica vs clay, hence the tread blocks and sipes that are defined due to the physical properties of the compound.

Tensile strength in itself isn't the parameter for a tyre compound.

As a qualified Polymer Scientist specialising in rubber technology in my early career I despair at a lot of misinformation spouted on the internet.

The tyre age thing is related to a cowboy bus operator in the UK that used defective retreads on a bus that crashed. Re-treading is common on truck tyres, again can be done properly, or by cowboys.

Tyre sellers will sell you tyres based on fear and ignorance. Also note the reduction in tread depth of new tyres in the last decade as shrinkflation has been applied. AKA commercial engineering.

Hi Kaspar,
Just out of interest, are you saying that the bumff I posted is not really correct, or maybe that it is misleading ?

Just out of common civility, I am not casting aspersions here, nor am I criticising your expertise, I am just curious, and no offence is intended whatsoever.

I would hate to cause any offence, as it seems we are in an age where offence is very easily taken, and from my standpoint, as an 'old beggar', my idea of what constitutes offence is very different to those of the younger generations. I have already, unintentionally, fallen foul of this modern 'Trend' in previous posts.

Meanwhile, . . . . . . Yeah I know, 'Curiosity Killed the Cat'.

I am quite happy to bow to your previous expertise in this field, but I had just read an article online (silly me) that had been posted by a chap who also claimed to be an expert in the field. What he said made sense, . . . . to me anyway, but do we have a differing of expert opinions, where there is a degree of accuracy in both statements, or is the stuff I posted (I thought helpfully) just plain wrong ?

While we are on the subject of tyres, and rubber compounds, I was once told (by an Instructor, at RAF Halton during the 'Wheels, Tyres and Brakes' phase) that in order for tyres to see out their maximum life they need to be 'In Use' regularly. If they are left standing around for any length of time, especially when exposed to sunlight, the molecular structure will degrade to the point where safety is endangered. The 'mobility' of the molecules, which occurs when the tyres are in motion, is an important factor in maintaining a decent safe tyre life. Hence caravans and motorhomes are much more at risk of tyre problems than are cars and vans which are in regular daily use ?

I remember this training issue particularly well, even though it was over 60 years ago, because it was introduced when the instructor was informing us that if we were posted to one of the new Lightning squadrons, we could look forward to changing the tyres after as few as 4 take-offs and landings, . . . if lucky 10 might be managed at best. I was posted to Coastal Command, . . . say no more.

Like I mentioned earlier, . . . I'm just curious.

This topic always conjures up the late Ronnie Lane, and Slim Chance, playing 'Roll on Babe'.

"Roll on, babe,
Don't you roll so slow.
When the wheel don't turn,
You don't roll no more".

I also accept that in my continuing search for knowledge, I am often ridiculed.

 

[KASPAR]

Hi Kaspar,
Just out of interest, are you saying that the bumff I posted is not really correct, or maybe that it is misleading ?

Just out of common civility, I am not casting aspersions here, nor am I criticising your expertise, I am just curious, and no offence is intended whatsoever.

I would hate to cause any offence, as it seems we are in an age where offence is very easily taken, and from my standpoint, as an 'old beggar', my idea of what constitutes offence is very different to those of the younger generations. I have already, unintentionally, fallen foul of this modern 'Trend' in previous posts.

Meanwhile, . . . . . . Yeah I know, 'Curiosity Killed the Cat'.

I am quite happy to bow to your previous expertise in this field, but I had just read an article online (silly me) that had been posted by a chap who also claimed to be an expert in the field. What he said made sense, . . . . to me anyway, but do we have a differing of expert opinions, where there is a degree of accuracy in both statements, or is the stuff I posted (I thought helpfully) just plain wrong ?

While we are on the subject of tyres, and rubber compounds, I was once told (by an Instructor, at RAF Halton during the 'Wheels, Tyres and Brakes' phase) that in order for tyres to see out their maximum life they need to be 'In Use' regularly. If they are left standing around for any length of time, especially when exposed to sunlight, the molecular structure will degrade to the point where safety is endangered. The 'mobility' of the molecules, which occurs when the tyres are in motion, is an important factor in maintaining a decent safe tyre life. Hence caravans and motorhomes are much more at risk of tyre problems than are cars and vans which are in regular daily use ?

I remember this training issue particularly well, even though it was over 60 years ago, because it was introduced when the instructor was informing us that if we were posted to one of the new Lightning squadrons, we could look forward to changing the tyres after as few as 4 take-offs and landings, . . . if lucky 10 might be managed at best. I was posted to Coastal Command, . . . say no more.

Like I mentioned earlier, . . . I'm just curious.

This topic always conjures up the late Ronnie Lane, and Slim Chance, playing 'Roll on Babe'.

"Roll on, babe,
Don't you roll so slow.
When the wheel don't turn,
You don't roll no more".

I also accept that in my continuing search for knowledge, I am often ridiculed.

No offence taken, I'm too long in the tooth to be offended.

In your earlier response there are links to Wikipedia, hardly a reliable source of facts. The jist of what has been posted conflates polymers, elastomers, plastics and rubbers; and subsequently the behaviours of such.

In terms of tyres I explained in simple terms what happens and how the curing and protection systems work to combat flex cracking or ozone attack; which is the root cause for tyre degradation outwith physical damage such as punctures, kerbing, slashing. Tyres are black by using a relatively cheap filler, carbon black that provides strength and uv/oxygen protection.

It gets much more complex to examine further such as the reinforcing tyre cord and it's constituent components including the amount of copper in the brass coating on the steel wires, how that brass has been applied, the bonding agents on the non metallic component of the tyre cord be it monofilament, multifilament, the helical surface area, different compounds under the tread and their curing systems in relation to the tyre cord components, the tread compounds, the heat history of the various processes in the compounding, extrusion, moulding of the final product. That is known as the black art in rubber technology.

As you say 'in my continuing search for knowledge', which is commendable and part of lifelong learning that goes with the territory of being scientist / engineer in my case.

I too recently saw a series of comments on another forum from someone with a degree in elastomer technology. The only degree I'm aware of is in Materials Science. Rubber and Plastics hasn't a degree assigned.

My late father was working on lightnings at Tengah in the 60's and served his apprenticeship at Halton. Small world.

 

[DDJC]

I use Bridgestone, so new boots cost more than £650.
Changed last year and the date on them was 2023. I will change them again in 2028. I don't care if the tread depth is more than the Grand Canyon, they will get changed. I've only got one family.

 

[PlacidoD]

There is your answer..stored indoors...and not inflated..BUSBY.

Ah! So that explains my received wisdom of changing when 7 years old!
Typically two years old when fitted but stored indoors until then. So 5 + 2 = 7 years?!!