Thread: Tire Date Codes/Age

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I went to get my '33 Coupe roller package in late 2009, so the rear Coker BFG P285R15's are going on 15 years. The roadster project came to me in 2015, so the tires on that one are 9 years old. Both cars have been kept inside, so exposure to UV is minimal. All still have great tread, and my only concern is age, but I'm having trouble justifying spending the $$$$ on new tires. Wondering what others are doing relative to date codes on hot rods that don't see a lot of miles?

The tires on the Vette are about 5 years old and Ian doesn't plan on changing them once he has it back together.They have somewhere around 2 or 3 thousand miles on them.
I'd have to check, but the tires on the 04 Dakota are around 6 years old and still have plenty of tread left. I put very little miles on it now and don't plan a lot in the near future.

My v8 Miata sits a lot and I had a set of tires that still had a lot of tread but had no traction because they had gotten really hard. One of them got a little bulge in it too. I would put a limit at most 10 years. Trailer tires are recommended to change after 5 or 6.

Originally Posted by v8nutz

My v8 Miata sits a lot and I had a set of tires that still had a lot of tread but had no traction because they had gotten really hard. One of them got a little bulge in it too. I would put a limit at most 10 years. Trailer tires are recommended to change after 5 or 6.

I think the date code rule is seven years and the tire places aren't supposed to repair a flat. More of a concern is hearing about someone cruising on the highway ane an old tire blowing the sidewall or just coming apart, and them totaling the car. I haven't driven them much lately, and when I do it's local but local in KC means 65mph on the I35/I435 and feeder roads. To compound the problem I have three sets for the two cars, two on Cragars and one on steelies. I was just checking other's experiences, trying to feel better about buying 12 tires!!

The really scary part is the date they are made! NOT the date you bought installed them! The local Firestone store sold a set to a fella who was savvy enough to verify the date codes and 3 of the 4 tires they installed were already expired! He called them on it and they tried to weasel out of replacing then saying they were brand new. I haven't heard yet if it's going to court.