Is it Safe ?? (1 Viewer)

[ScottMac]

I need to replace tires on my 80 series. I'm currently running 35" Toyo Open Country M/Ts that were purchased in 2011. The spare has NEVER been on the ground and appears to be in very good shape, not dried out and no cracks. So i'm thinking of buying just 3 of these pricey tires, putting the current unused spare on the ground and using my best worn out tire as a spare, as a way to save some bucks. The question is ...will the old tire be OK? Do tires get weak with age?

Thanks

 

[Tapage]

I have a non mounted Toyo laying around me for a couple of years ( 5 ) never mounted, never exposed to sun or water or anything really .. time to mount on my stock 80 series wheels, tire was looking good, and I decide to give it a try on the rear .. ( I bout other 4 brand new coz I like 5 tire rotations ) ..

It has been on the rear for 2K miles now and it's doing great ..

but each case it's different more if your tire was exposed to the elements ..

 

[half k cruiser]

Ask the guy selling you the tires and see what he says. Otherwise, if it looks and feels good, its probably good. Lots of people doing this when it comes time to replace tires.

 

[Devils Paw 80]

Ask the guy selling you the tires and see what he says.

He'll probably say, "buy another new tire". ScottMac, I would not hesitate implementing your plan. 6 years is nothing. Around here, people are commonly running tires for at least 2 to 3 times that long, because we just don't put many miles on. Not only will you save money, you won't be wasting rubber.

 

[ScottMac]

He'll probably say, "buy another new tire". ScottMac, I would not hesitate implementing your plan. 6 years is nothing. Around here, people are commonly running tires for at least 2 to 3 times that long, because we just don't put many miles on. Not only will you save money, you won't be wasting rubber.

Funny you should say that...cause "buy another one" is exactly what he did say. First he said that it wouldn't pass inspection which is BS. In Texas they only inspect for wear and defects, not age. Then he said that due to it's age the tire is more likely to "seperate"... which planted a little seed of doubt in my feeble brain. So that's why I'm checking here. The shop is a big locally owned store and I think their work is good, they just like to sell tires.

 

[John McVicker]

I'd run it.

 

[cartercd]

Tires are made mostly of rubber, and rubber degrades with age due due to oxidation. An unused rubber band that's been sitting in your desk drawer for years will become brittle. Some of that oxidation occurs within the inner layers of the tire, which you cannot see with a visual inspection. Tire manufacturers usually recommend replacing tires after 6 - 10 years. The Texas heat has not helped your cause. Although the tire was purchased in 2011, I'd check the date code to see when it was manufactured. Although it probably has a few more years left in it, it will need to be thrown away - regardless of tread depth - before the 3 new tires. I would bite the bullet and buy 4 new tires, then put the unused 2011 tire in as a spare. I would only do a 4 tire rotation after that.

 

[JohnVee]

Yes, tires get weak and can suffer from unseen damage (no matter how many of your redneck friends have been running 15 year old tires with no problems). Tires are cheap, in the grand scheme of things. If you wanna save some money, just keep the unused spare under the truck and replace the 4 that you've been using. This puts your oldest, weakest tire as the 'oh s***!' contingency and off your mind for daily use but still saves you some money.

 

[cruiserpilot]

IF you only buy 3, then what are you going to use for a spare? I keep older tires for spares and
run new ones. That bit me on the a** once when the original spare on the Nissan lasted all of
1/2 the distance from Vegas to Reno and I had to buy a tire from some wrecking yard half way
that was wrong size. So it's good to sometimes replace that spare too. Middle of the boonies isn't
a place for an old spare either
That being said, I have more faith in my Toyo MT's than I've ever had in any other
tire in my life. Not having a spare sometimes has never been less of a concern.