Do original oem tires become unsafe after a number of years?


Willrx

GT Owner
Aug 9, 2012
73
Atlanta
If your GT has its original tires, do they become unsafe after being on the car for 7+ years? Should they be replaced regardless of tread wear after a few years?
 
YES, if you drive more than EP.
 
All it takes is a tire separation at any speed and you have major damage to your GT. I changed mine out a couple of months ago, just to be safe.
 
Wow! Glad I asked, thanks!
 
If you are considering a change, go with the BRIDGESTONES. Do not waste your money on another set of goodyears
 
Thanks!! I'll check em out!:thumbsup
 
Tires are nothing to ignor and almost every GT I see for sale has the OEs. First thing I do is get them off. (take it from an old tire lawyer)
 
Thank you all so much!!
 
I second the BRIDGESTONES recomendation. Much improved. And yes, tires do 'age out' Even Goodyear recommends replacement of tires over 7 years old as do most other manufactures. Rates of failure are much higher as the tires get older and the rubber is much harder as well.
 
Tires are nothing to ignor and almost every GT I see for sale has the OEs. First thing I do is get them off. (take it from an old tire lawyer)

That is exactly what I did. Never saw the car with anything but bridgestones. Nice sticky tires right from the garage.
 
Brigdestones

So what model, size and aspect ratio are you guys recommending in the the Bridgestones?
 
Do a search for The Tire Thread.... You'll find all you want to know.
 
Goodyear F1 flat out suck. Get Bridgestones and never look back.
 
Personally, I like the Goodyears as a great rain, and even snow, tire. I've been caught having to go over some 8,900' passes in a freak snowstorm with half worn Goodyears (>1" of snow covering the road), and they stayed the course for me. And, in major rainstorms travelling across the country, they've been a great rain tire, especially when the car starts hydroplaning a bit. As a general daily tire,, I'll take the Goodyears. For the track, they are slippery and don't have the grip of other tires available. Thus, on the track, I have been running Michelin Pilot Sport Cups, which can still be driven on the highways.
 
Last edited:
Personally, I like the Goodyears as a great rain, and even snow, tire. I've been caught having to go over some 8,900' passes in a freak snowstorm with half worn Goodyears (>1" of snow covering the road), and they stayed the course for me. And, in major rainstorms travelling across the country, they've been a great rain tire, especially when the car starts hydroplaning a bit. As a general daily tire,, I'll take the Goodyears. For the track, they are slippery and don't have the grip of other tires available. Thus, on the track, I hae been running Michelin Pilot Sport Cups, which can still be driven on the highways.

Ralphie is a man of reason!
 
So what model, size and aspect ratio are you guys recommending in the the Bridgestones?

Rears: Bridgestone RE050A Potenza Scuderia 345/35R19

Fronts: Bridgestone RE050A Potenza (Porsche N1) 265/40R18
 
As a general daily tire,, I'll take the Goodyears.

+1. I'd keep buying them, but the cost of the rears is outrageous. $1,200+ a pair for 4k-5k miles? Yikes.

Tire Rack has a good article on aging. A couple of relevant quotes:

"The NHTSA tire aging field study also indicated a strong correlation of the speed rating with tire durability, with higher speed-rated tires losing the least capability with increasing calendar age."

"Our experience has been that when properly stored and cared for, most street tires have a useful life in service of between six to ten years."


The full article: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=183

Remember, Mark McGowan drove the Goodyears at 200+ mph for hours. (It would be interesting to know what they looked like after testing).
 
Last edited:
Now that was an interesting article. Thanks for the link.
 
Hoosier are fun too ;)
 
Having said I am a proponent of new , not aged tires I have to admit I have one car with 21 year old Michelins.

As many already know, several years ago I bought the second production Viper made (VIN 00002) from Chrylser President Bob Lutz. I have kept the tires, which were mounted at the factory in late 1991 on the car for posterity. I take it around the block once a month and for that purpose they are fine.

By contrast, I am getting ready to change out the rear B--stones on my GT after 8000 miles even though they look pretty good.
 
Last edited: