Replace old tires or not?

[psalm66]

Been away from the group for a long time now in my 2010 2500 long and tall NCV3. Good to be back.

My original 2010 Contis lasted only about 30,000 miles and were all replaced with Michelin’s which are in good shape, lotsa tread, and now about 7 years old with 60,000 miles on them.

Question: Should I consider replacing the tires because of their age?

 

[RVBarry]

Yes, especially if they've not been garaged.

 

[Kajtek1]

Inspect, inspect, inspect.
6-7 years rule applies to car tires, who have about 3 mm sidewall.
Sprinter tires have at least double that, so even haircracks on tires will not blow right away.
It all depends how the tires were kept. Did you protect them from UV ?

 

[cbaarch]

you will want to look at the date of manufacture for the tire which is found on the sidewall. This will tell you how old they really are.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=11

 

[marklg]

Yes, dry rot from age will cause them to pop. I had considered replacing at 5 years, but now it's 4 years. This happened twice on one trip. We are in a hot climate with a heavy conversion. One gave a warning by separating and vibrating before it popped. I had hoped to get home before it finally went. The other gave no warning at all. This happened on the rear and was surprisingly controllable. You don't want this to happen on the front.



Regards,

Mark

 

[az7000']

Michelin warranties their tires for 6 years, recommends replacement at 10...

 

[Mr. Bills]

This is what Michelin says:

When Do I Need New Tires? | Michelin

When do I need new tires? Do I need new tires? Find the answers to these questions and more on our Help and Support pages. Learn more about your tires today.

www.michelinman.com

I change mine at 6 years even if there is tread left. I might go longer on an in-town only commuter car that is never far from a tire shop and that never sees high speed desert driving in hot weather or that never sees heavy loads, but not much longer.

 

[marklg]

This is what Michelin says:

When Do I Need New Tires? | Michelin

When do I need new tires? Do I need new tires? Find the answers to these questions and more on our Help and Support pages. Learn more about your tires today.

www.michelinman.com

I change mine at 6 years even if there is tread left. I might go longer on an in-town only commuter car that is never far from a tire shop and that never sees high speed desert driving in hot weather or that never sees heavy loads, but not much longer.

That is apparently our issue, high speed desert driving in 115 degree weather with heavy loads, so now 4 years replacement schedule for us.

Regards,

Mark

 

[4wheeldog]

Besides sidewall checking (And deterioration of the ply material) the rubber loses its elasticity over time, and traction is lost.
Frankly, I have never seen a 6 year old tire that I would consider leaving in service.

 

[Kajtek1]

This is what Michelin says:

When Do I Need New Tires? | Michelin

When do I need new tires? Do I need new tires? Find the answers to these questions and more on our Help and Support pages. Learn more about your tires today.

www.michelinman.com

I change mine at 6 years even if there is tread left. I might go longer on an in-town only commuter car that is never far from a tire shop and that never sees high speed desert driving in hot weather or that never sees heavy loads, but not much longer.

That applies to thin car tires.
Sprinters on 1 hand have heavier tires, but on other hand not too many owners can park them in the shade, so they get lot of UV on the wheels.
When I bought my Prevost conversion, it was sitting for 10 years and some tires were over 20 years old.
They had radial cracks the size I could stick my fingertip in, yet they hold 90 psi just fine.
Later on, I cut 1 of those 22" (semi truck size) tire out of curiosity.
The sidewall was 3/4" thick and had several layers of fabric.
Car tires have 1 of 2 layers in 1/8" mm sidewall.
When I bought new tires, just for the experiment I keep 1 of those 20 years old tires on my lifetable tag axle.
Sold the bus after 12 years, so the tire was in the range of 30 yo, still holding 90 psi for a year.

 

[psalm66]

Excellent, Excellent, Excellent responses. Thank you all. One tire checked has 5013 identifier indicating manufacture in December of 2013. Not protected from UV. 4WheelDog: see picture. I plan to replace tires shortly. No brainer for me despite how “good” they look.

 

[OrioN]

Excellent, Excellent, Excellent responses. Thank you all. One tire checked has 5013 identifier indicating manufacture in December of 2013. Not protected from UV. 4WheelDog: see picture. I plan to replace tires shortly. No brainer for me despite how “good” they look.

Looks like a small crack and a split, at 1-2 o'clock?

 

[psalm66]

Indeed Orion! Good eyes. Hi Ho, Hi Ho, off to the tire store we go!

 

[az7000']

My Michelin’s were five years and one month old and there’s a bunch of dry rot, I took them to discount tire and they offered me $800 credit towards the new set the Michelin factory warranty!

 

[bigb]

One thing to keep in mind while heavy duty truck tires do tend to hold up better than thinner car tires, if one lets go at highway speed it can do a lot of damage. I lost a front left Michelin E tire on the highway once and it took the running board almost completely off.

 

[marklg]

My Michelin’s were five years and one month old and there’s a bunch of dry rot, I took them to discount tire and they offered me $800 credit towards the new set the Michelin factory warranty!

What did you buy? My replacement Agilis Crossclimates LT225/75R16, four at Costco plus a spare from Pep Boys (needed a spare right away, Costco was a wait) came to $1100. The original tires on there that blew were from Discount, but unfortunately, when I needed them, I wasn't within 100 miles of a Discount tire.

Regards,
Mark

 

[az7000']

I have 6, bought the Michelin Defender LTX M/S, load range E.

 

[bigb]

What did you buy? My replacement Agilis Crossclimates LT225/75R16, four at Costco plus a spare from Pep Boys (needed a spare right away, Costco was a wait) came to $1100. The original tires on there that blew were from Discount, but unfortunately, when I needed them, I wasn't within 100 miles of a Discount tire.

Regards,
Mark

From what I understand the Agilis tire replaces the discontinued Defender line.

 

[marklg]

From what I understand the Agilis tire replaces the discontinued Defender line.

Yes, the old tires were Defender LTX MS2s, and were no longer available. I like the new Crossclimates better so far. They track better, less wander on the road. I have a TPMS system installed and the pressure rise when hot is significantly less. This may just be due to old vs new tires. The old tire pressures went up 15 psi or more when hot. The new ones so far, less than 7 psi. That might be a way to tell that tires are wearing out and that there might be more internal friction and movement of the belts.

Regards,

Mark

 

[Mr. Bills]

This is what Michelin says:

When Do I Need New Tires? | Michelin

When do I need new tires? Do I need new tires? Find the answers to these questions and more on our Help and Support pages. Learn more about your tires today.

www.michelinman.com

That applies to thin car tires.

Michelin doesn't make that distinction for the tire sizes or load range ratings used on Sprinters. Neither does any other tire manufacturer.

FYI, most vehicle manufacturers and many national tire suppliers recommend replacing tires at a maximum of six years rather than a maximum of 10 as does Michelin. Some shops won't repair or remount tires older than six years regardless of mileage or how they were stored.



Examples:

Discount Tire | Tires and Wheels for Sale | Online & In-Person

www.americastire.com

Tires 101 on Aging of Tires :: Souza's Tire Service

https://blog.tirerack.com/blog/hunters-ramblings/tire-aging-how-old-is-too-old

Time for New Tires? Know the Signs | Firestone Complete Auto Care

Tread wear, your tires exposure to the elements, and tire age may all be contributing factors to your needing new tires. Read on to learn how to tell.

blog.firestonecompleteautocare.com

How Old - and Dangerous - Are Your Tires? | Edmunds

Even if old tires pass the eye test, they can still pose a danger, leading to blowouts and tread separation. Don’t wait for a catastrophe to replace old tires.

www.edmunds.com

https://one.nhtsa.gov/nhtsa/safety1nnum3ers/june2013/9719_images/9719_S1N_Tires_Nwsltr_June13_062713_v4_tag.pdf