Tyres, when to change them

[SS1_122]

there,

I got a car in November 2019 after taking just over a years break from driving. All is good with it, however I am a little worried/paranoid about my tyres.

A few weeks after getting the car I got a garage to do a little check on my tyres just to see if they were okay. They said the treads were absolutely fine but he was concerned about the age of them as they said 2011/2012 and also there was a slight mark on one of them. He said they were fine though and this was nothing to worry about, just that the garage would recommend as a company to change tyres every 5 years. He said I didn't need anything done as of yet.

I can't help but worry about this and am not sure what to do to be honest.

 

[Bear]

So long as the tread is good and the sidewalls aren’t all cracked as they are so old I wouldn’t worry about it

 

[ShiWarrior]

as bear said, if they have started cracking (due to age) replace them asap

 

[sideways14a]

Well its a little more than just tread and damage to them, old tyres tend to loose there grip as well.
I change tyres about yearly and get circa 8k out of them which for me is doing good, always seems to be the rears for some reason... dunno why lol

 

[IAmATeaf]

Well its a little more than just tread and damage to them, old tyres tend to loose there grip as well.
I change tyres about yearly and get circa 8k out of them which for me is doing good, always seems to be the rears for some reason... dunno why lol

You change them even if there is plenty of tread left?

 

[azibux1]

You change them even if there is plenty of tread left?

Going by his username, I imagine there is no tread left lol

 

[Twinz]

If they aren't cracking or showing other signs of distress, just be mindful of reduced grip.

 

[BUDFORCE]

Great excuse to put your foot down and get some slide action in, wear them our as fast as you can getting both enjoyment and full use of the tyre.

I'm not joking either. Enjoy

 

[Iamzod]

Not sure about this one, I have a set of alloys that have been sat for 10 years away from sunlight and although they have nearly 7mm of tread on the tyres & no cracking they will not be getting used if the car ever gets back on the road.

 

[hohum]

For me personally I'd be putting some fresh tyres on there just for peace of mind, but you could always take it somewhere else for a second visual inspection perhaps.

My current cheap runabout that I bought in 2017 had four decent brand tyres fitted within a couple of days of purchase. The originals had plenty of tread as the car has low miles, but the front two weren't a matched pair and the rears were the ones that came with the car when it rolled off the production line... at the end of 1998! So nearly two decades old, wasn't risking it.

 

[sideways14a]

You change them even if there is plenty of tread left?

Tread?
Nope.

 

[Joe T]

Change them at five years old, or before.

 

[kinetic747]

Change them, they're the only things connecting your car to the road lol.

 

[tom_e]

As some others have said bin them, for a couple of hundred quid I wouldn't be rolling around on decade old tyres.

 

[DarrenM343]

Five years is the rule but definitely by seven or maybe ten absolute max I'd say for something like a weekend garaged car, but keep a close eye on them over 5 years old. It's surprisingly not that easy to find this recommendation. Everyone assumes tyres will be worn out before they age too far.
The Toyota dealer I took my dads car to for servicing never picked up that the rear tyres were original and very old (2004) when I took it in during 2017. Later had a puncture and it was kwikfit that recommended replacing the tyres. I should have checked this myself as I had done some H&S stuff years ago and this was in the training (check tyre age).
Blowouts of old tyres can happen - something I'd not want to risk especially motorway driving I do.

 

[jpaul]

maybe it's a misnomer, but I thought regular usage was key to them having a long life, allowing oils added in manufacture to re-distribute and help pliability;
not unlike the rubberr hoses/boots etc elsewhere on a car.

quick google says eu banned the most efficient ones in 2010
https://echa.europa.eu/documents/10...a_en.pdf/d64d1794-f70a-4cb8-b376-666966a30a0b
so it's just like the paint story, is the environmental impact offset by the reduced lifespan.

Extender oils used in tyre production, are derived from refining in the petrochemical industry. Their function is to facilitate the processing of the rubber compounds from which tyres are made. Extender oils significantly affect the technical performance of the tyre, in particular for its road adherence (or grip) and wear properties. • Switching from PAH-rich extender oils to cleaner oils required significant R&D efforts, leading to the reformulation of the various rubber mixes in the tyre in order to maintain the crucial adherence and wear properties of the tyre (anticipating the more stringent rolling resistance and wet grip requirements of 661/2009 & 1222/2009)

Switching from PAH-rich extender oils to cleaner oils required significant R&D efforts, leading to the reformulation of the various rubber mixes in the tyre in order to maintain the crucial adherence and wear properties of the tyre (anticipating the more stringent rolling resistance and wet grip requirements of 661/2009 & 1222/2009)

... sounds like the demise of tippex thinner trike RIP

I always forget to check manufacture date when I get new tyres

 

[Terminal_Boy]

Put a new set of decent tyres on it and relax.

Change again when tread gets low or tyres are 5 years old.

 

[vanpeebles]

What a wasteful world to change tyres at 5 years old lol.

 

[mjt]

What a wasteful world to change tyres at 5 years old lol.

Remember Paul Walker?

 

[Semple]

What a wasteful world to change tyres at 5 years old lol.

For most daily runners, tyres shouldn't even reach 5 years old before running out of tread, OR running over something sharp and having an irreparable puncture.

But i agree, changing them every year or two if there's plenty of grip available is just wasteful.