Those “new” tires of yours could be six-years old and ready to disintegrate on the highway. Tire rubber dries out after six years, but unlike in Europe and Asia, American companies are allowed to sell expired tires long after they turn into death donuts. A 20/20 investigation found that the “new” tires on sale at Sears and Walmart can be up to 12-years-old. Inside, how to tell when your tires were born…
All tires bear a Department of Transportation number hidden on the inner wheel wall. At the end of the number is a four-digit sequence that shows the week and year the tire was made. Tires with the notation 3502 were made in the 35th week of 2002. If you only see three digits, get new tires immediately; your tires are from the 90′s and are way past their effective lifespan.
Listen as the mustachioed John Stossel explains:
Check Your Tires [The Kim Komando Show]
Aged Tires: A Driving Hazard? [YouTube]
(Photo: zorilla)
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What about the compact spare? I have a 1990 Olds and have never replaced the spare. I replaced the full-size tires last year and asked one online retailer if they offered compact spare tires and they said no.
@Hyman Decent:
Don’t bother with the compact spare. Throw away the compact spare and get a full size wheel and used tire. You should have no problem with a ’90 Olds with wheels, etc being in a junkyard.
I have always tried to ditch the compact spare upon the first replacement set of tires on a car. I keep the best old tire and hunt for a full sized spare wheel- bonus points if I can get a matched alloy wheel (if the car is equipped with them) but I am satisfied with a same sized steel wheel. I usually use my own old tire since I know its mileage / history but have purchased a decent used tire in the past.
Another tactic for vehicles with full sized spares on cheap wheels is to use the full size spare with the first new set of tires. This is so that you only have to purchase 3 new tires at that time and not let the virgin unused tire degrade (usually underneath the vehicle bed, etc).
And spend the money for better tires plus rotations, checking air. I have a set of Michelins on my truck that are about 9 years old and have over 100,000 (mostly highway) miles on them.
And like nataku83 said, just because the tires are over 10 years old doesn’t mean that you cannot drive/ride on them. Just be aware that the tires will not perform like brand new tires.
@econobiker: Thanks for the advice. I don’t think a full-size wheel and tire will fit in the well for the spare in my car, though. If you can look it up and feel like doing so, my Olds is a Toronado Trofeo. But replacing the spare in my car isn’t a big concern of mine since I drive only about 300 miles a year (I live in New York City, near a subway station) and I almost always stay close to home.
@Hyman Decent: “What about the compact spare?”
The compact spare is designed to be used only for emergencies, and only to get you off the side of the road and to a place to repair/replace your flat tire. I don’t think the “aging rubber” problem would be a big issue for the very short-term and low-speed use of your donut tire.
I’ll have to check mine tonight. I just had a new set installed. I ordered them from tirerack.com, which I highly recommend – lots of great info and reviews, plus good prices, and they ship either to your home or an installer of your choice. Installers are rated by customers and their mounting/balancing rate is clearly posted so it’s easy to shop around.
I know this sounds like a total shill, but I was just really pleased with the whole process.