I have a 2002 GMC Sonoma with the original tires. The truck has 50 K miles on it and the tread is still quite good. I’ve heard of tires failing because they are old. Any truth to this? Should I replace my factory tires? Or not?
Age alone isn’t usually enough reason to replace tires. Some tires, like the ones on cars that get garaged, last longer than others, like those that get extended everyday exposure to sunlight.
Your tires have a date code that tells you when they were manufactured. Personally, I inspect my tires routinely to look for flaws and cracks that indicate age. As long as they look good, I don’t worry about it. However, I don’t drive an SUV with a high center of gravity.
I think every five years is a good time to replace tires if they haven’t worn out in that time.
I would go with underpressure,overloaded,overspeed and old causing a “failure” are you feeling lucky?
A hot topic. While it’s true that older tires fail more often than newer tires, there are many reasons for this:
1-Older tires have seen more use, more chance to be damaged from hitting curbs or by being run at low pressures
2-Sunlight and ozone damage adds up over time, but this is very situation-dependent
3-Tire rubber hardens over time. This results in less traction, happens gradually, and is difficult to notice
So it’s not a simple question, some 8-year-old tires are bad, some aren’t.
You might check the tire code to see how old your tires are (google "tire decoder’). Me, if they’re 10 years I’d say yes, if there’s any cracking I’d say yes, if the tread’s less than the ‘coin test’ using a quarter (not a penny) I’d say yes. Beyond that it’s up to you.
You shoulda been there.
Stiring the spaghetti sauce I heard ,‘BAM’ from the back driveway where three trucks are parked.
gun shot ?
break in ?
Went to investigate. No broken windows, no bullet holes,
But a flat left front tire on the 79.
been there , done that, old tires will give up on you.
The differences in longevity will be reletive to conditions.
Climate, temp, sun UV exposure etc can make yours different from mine.
Look at your tires, sidewalls especially, for numerous mini surface cracks. Much like a dried up lake bed but the surface can still be smooth.
Even still, old rubber loses its flexabilty too, much like those old shoes that still fit and still have tread but the just don’t feel like they used to.
8 year old tires are senior citizens and you should, in fact, be saving up for new ones at least.