I drive only 5k miles per year, I’m looking for new tires to last as long as I own car (avg-7-10 years) will tires last that long, forget mileage, before they become safety problem-dry rot, side cracking, etc.
It depends on the climate. I’d rather plan on replacing them about 7 years.
Join COSTCO, put a set of Michelin’s on it and drive on…
If it sits inside a garage, yes. If it sits out in the sun, probably not.
If you only drive 5K miles a year, you really don’t need to own a car…
Yeah guys thanks for the replies, oh CADDYMAN, I only drive 5K a year because I DON’T GET LOST.
I agree with everyone else. Tires have come a long way. If you are lucky enough to keep car in a garage or under a carport, I see no reason you could not get up To 10 good years or longer our of them. My concern would only be if you put 5k miles on in very short order and it habitually sat the rest of the year. If your mileage is pretty consistent week by week your car and tires could last much longer then ten. Go for it. Do what you can to keep the car rust free and it will be a real find for the next owner.
I think after 5-6 years they become subject to environmental wear and tear. I would not rely on them for freeway speeds. So my solution is to drive more than 5K per year.
The tire companies also make a roofing material called EPDM rubber membrane that is used on flat roofs…It lasts 30 years or more exposed to the full sun and weather…You would think they could make tires that lasted longer than 6 years…I have two old trucks down in Mexico, Sonora Desert, They are equipped with 20 year-old 8-ply nylon tires which are doing fine…
If you can’t keep it in a garage, or at least out of the sun, you might consider a rubber preservative. I see some products in the parts store or car isle at wallyworld that claim to clean, shine and preserve tires, but I don’t use them so I really don’t know if, or how good they work or which is the best.
Military tires are made with a chemical to protect from ozone damage and each tire is wrapped, as were most tires 50 years ago. There is no specified shelf life that I am aware of but sunlight and temperature extremes seem to eventually cause the rubber to crumble.
“The tire companies also make a roofing material…”
That stuff doesn’t have to undergo the rapid flexing a tire undergoes when rolling down the road.
Some years ago a World War II military truck was found half buried in the North African desert. This British truck still had its tires fully inflated and without any cracks in them. The wheels were buried, but the cab was still above the sand and badly pittted by the desert winds and sand storms.
My '99 Ranger only has 50,000 miles on it. In 2000 or 2001, due to a tire recall, Ford gave me 4 new Michelins. I changed them this year, even though they had plenty of tread. On close inspection, you could see small cracks in the sidewalls, so, yes, I’d say 10 years on an outdoor-stored vehicle is a fair estimate, but of course it would also depend on the quality of tire.