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I knew about this. The last time I bought tires I demanded that I see the code numbers. They showed me tires that were 1 year old. I watched them put those tires on my car. I wonder what tires I would have gotten had I not asked to see the codes?
ABC did nor provide, nor even refer to, a scintilla of laboratory or scientific evidence that old tires are subject to breakdown more so than new ones.
I'm not saying they're not dangerous. But if they are, where are the results of fairly simple laboratory tests that would indicate that? Even the presenter, at the beginning, only said "Some experts say . . . ignoring that could kill you". No more evidence was presented.
And the way he cut off the tire industry rep, and edited the tape to make it look like he was a sputtering idiot---that is something I never did to an interview subject in all my years as a news editor, and I'd be ashamed of myself if I ever had. I'm disgusted by what I'm seeing nowadays, disguised as journalism and reportage.
I'm calling BS on this story just from my own personal experiences. On my mail vehicle, I run nothing but used tires. And some are so old when I put them on, they are brown with dust from sitting on the shelf. I also run the tires until they are damn near smooth, meaning no tread at all. Dangerous? Probably, but I don't buy the news story stating there could be a tire failure even with tires with full tread. Wanna know the truth? A tire failure could happen ANY time. New, old, doesn't matter. EVERYTHING fails eventually. Why do you think we have lemon laws?
BTW, since I started working at the USPS in 97', I have had ONE tire failure, not including a nail in the tire or low on air pressure.
Yeah but rubber does dry out due to age, exposure to the elements, etc. And pretty much all car tires are tubeless. Plus the sidewall, which seems to be the most prone to dry rotting, is also the weakest part of the tire.
I'm sure a dried out tubeless tire could crack and blow out. I don't find the story to be bogus at all.
Yeah but rubber does dry out due to age, exposure to the elements, etc. And pretty much all car tires are tubeless. Plus the sidewall, which seems to be the most prone to dry rotting, is also the weakest part of the tire.
I'm sure a dried out tubeless tire could crack and blow out. I don't find the story to be bogus at all.
Who's the moron who is buying a set of tires that are dry-rotted, cracked, etc? This is why you don't go to a big tire store/national chain store. Go to a local mom and pop. They will be happy to show you the tires you are about to purchase. Plus they will let you (usually) sit there and watch them put them on.
Not to mention those tires had been on the van for five years. Yes, they do age sitting in a warehouse. And yes, they age a lot more when exposed to the elements.
Who's the moron who is buying a set of tires that are dry-rotted, cracked, etc? This is why you don't go to a big tire store/national chain store. Go to a local mom and pop. They will be happy to show you the tires you are about to purchase. Plus they will let you (usually) sit there and watch them put them on.
The problem is, you may not see any dry rot or cracks in the tire as it's been sitting on a shelf for many years, in it's original shape after leaving the mold, awaiting mounting on a rim. But if the tires are dried out, and you go to set the vehicle on the ground on the old tires, and if the rubber is indeed dried out, the weight of the vehicle on the tires can cause the side walls to crack.
Also while I agree on the mom and pop shops, you have to admit they're now a dying breed, especially when places like "China Mart" have pretty much put them out of a job.
I'm calling BS on this story just from my own personal experiences. On my mail vehicle, I run nothing but used tires. And some are so old when I put them on, they are brown with dust from sitting on the shelf. I also run the tires until they are damn near smooth, meaning no tread at all. Dangerous? Probably, but I don't buy the news story stating there could be a tire failure even with tires with full tread. Wanna know the truth? A tire failure could happen ANY time. New, old, doesn't matter. EVERYTHING fails eventually. Why do you think we have lemon laws?
BTW, since I started working at the USPS in 97', I have had ONE tire failure, not including a nail in the tire or low on air pressure.
I concur. BS.
Probably 99.9999% of all tire failures on cars are from road hazards, not tire failure on a tire with tread. And, very, very few tire failures result in anything but a unhappy driver on the side of the road. If a person is dumb enough to buy a set of tires from a garage sale or the liquidation of a auto shop, then too bad. For my part, I have 10 cars, average age 15 years, been driving 50 years and never had a blowout, not once.
One could use a wooden umbrella to avoid being killed by lightning hitting the umbrella and do more for their personal safety than scouring the codes on a car tire.
The worst enemy of natural rubber is sunlight. If the tire is wrapped in paper for ten years, it has probably suffered very little degradation, but if it is unwrapped exposed to daylight, then yes, old tires can be deteriorated.
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