Tire Warning


RALPHIE

GT Owner
Mar 1, 2007
7,278
Here's an ABC clip about aging "new" tires -

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4826897
 
Ralphie,

I have been fighting this fight for almost thirty years. I was told, many years ago, by a tire expert that had worked for Dunlop for 32 years, that tires should be thrown away after they are eight years old. He believed that all tires should be manufactured with an expiration date molded right into the sidewall and that no tires should be used beyond that expiration date. He showed me testing that had been done with new looking older tires where their tread would separate under normal usage conditions.

Pretty scary stuff. I have personally investigated at least 20 serious rollover accidents where it was determined that new looking - old tires failing had caused the accident.

Richard Hille
Automotive Forensic Consultant since 1982
Hille Racing, Inc.
The GT School
 
My mustang tires are 34 years old. Guess I need new ones.
 
What is a Ford GT owner to do?? seriously. :confused

Goodyear is not manufacturing the GT tire until stock is near exhausted.

When I searched for new rears ... ha, they seem to go first for some reason,

every tire distributor in the entire Phoenix metro, both wholesaling and selling Goodyear tires was manufactured in 2005.

:bang

I have the originals on the front, within a year, I am due for the front to be replaced.

How to read the tire date stamp.
http://www.ehow.com/how_4778981_read-tire-date-stamp.html
 
My mustang tires are 34 years old. Guess I need new ones.

does your mustang go 150+ MPH? :screwy:

You really don't need new tires if all you do is dust her.
 
Right now the only real choice for GTs is to go with the Bridgestones for stock wheels or a number of other choices if you change wheels size.

Regarding the Mustang with the 34 year old tires, a short story. A gentleman from England purchased a early 60's Jaguar XKE in the United States. He had the car shipped to England and was thrilled when it showed up in good condition at the port. He checked all the fluid levels, added air to the tires to get them up to spec. and proceeded to drive the car home form the port at normal road speeds. Halfway home a twenty something year old tire came apart and he ended up totaling the car. Fortunately he was not seriously hurt, except in the bank account.....

Richard Hille
The GT School
 
...every tire distributor in the entire Phoenix metro, both wholesaling and selling Goodyear tires was manufactured in 2005.

I got new rears from the Tire Rack last August - dated November, 2006. I felt good getting those, and ran them to Rally IV and back.
 
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...every tire distributor in the entire Phoenix metro, both wholesaling and selling Goodyear tires was manufactured in 2005.
I got new rears from the Tire Rack last August - dated November, 2006. I felt good getting those, and ran them to Rally IV and back.

I just put new set of Bridgestone on last Friday. THe fronts were manufactured in July 2008, while the rears were Nov 2006, as well.

Ed
 
If you order tires from The Tire Rack, as I do, always ask for the "freshest" tires they can find for you. They DO actually look through the tires and get you newer ones. I always tell them its because the Open Road Racing people look at the date codes. (Which they do.)

Richard Hille
The GT School
 
does your mustang go 150+ MPH? :screwy:

You really don't need new tires if all you do is dust her.

Actually they are quite hard. I really need new ones even for dusting. It's geared for about 100 tops. In 6 seconds that is.