Tires and safety

[john.mancini]

About seven years ago I purchased a set of Continental WW tires for my 69 280SL. According to my data card, Conti's were the original equipment. These tires are no longer available and look like they belong on a W113. I have since put only 1500 miles on those tires. (I know, I need to drive my car more!). These tires still have full tread and look factory fresh. The car is kept in a climate controlled garage. Here's the question, and I know what the experts would answer. Are these tires still safe? What's the longest (timewise) you have had tires on your classic car?
John

[mdsalemi]

John, if you search around you'll find plenty to read about tire aging.

Our cars, for the most part, are a special case.  They often are not driven like "daily drivers" meaning, high speed commutes all year round.  The cars and thus the tires are "babied" so to speak.  Not always the case, but certainly for most we are fair weather drivers.

Take your actual tire condition (look for age-related distress--such as cracks and other heat related things like bulges) into account, as well as where you are going.  Planning a cross country jaunt on the highway?  That would give you a different conclusion than yet another 1,500 mile summer of driving around on nice days, and back home to the garage at an average speed of 38.5 MPH...

My own tires are at least that old but show, last time time I looked, no age related issues...yet...

[thelews]

I got rid of beautiful looking Michelin Energy tires on my 250 that were delivered with the car.  They were twelve years old.  The ONLY reason I changed them is because of all the type spilled about the dangers of driving on 10+ year old tires.  I drive the car at speeds up to 90 mph, so thought it was cheap insurance.

I don't know whether Michael is kidding himself that if they look good and live a pampered life and will continue to, they're OK.  My understanding is that rubber deteriorates no matter what environment it sits in.  That said, I've driven on 40 year old tires that seem fine and drive smoothly.  Go figure.

[mdsalemi]

I don't know whether Michael is kidding himself that if they look good and live a pampered life and will continue to, they're OK.  My understanding is that rubber deteriorates no matter what environment it sits in.

No I'm not delusional nor kidding myself.  If you live in Phoenix and your tires get a lot of UV (as in sunlight), and you keep the car outside while you have driven it to work, your tires will absolutely, positively age quicker than mine.  While you can't see ALL aging, you can see some.  Cracking on the sidewalls, tread separation, belt separation--all of these can be visible.  Use common sense; heat is the worst aging agent for tires, and you get that heat from speed; from environment, and from using the proper tire and inflation to keep running heat down.

A 12 year old tire on my Pagoda (I'm not there yet) would be in better overall condition than a 12 year old tire living in the hot sun, or one that's driven at 90 MPH consistently, or isn't the right load range or inflated properly, or on a car not garaged.