Tire age
- Thread starter rekit
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Have you ever had a tire dealer put on tires with a brownish color to them? These are old tires that have been sitting in a warehouse for some time.
Tire degradation is affected by a whole host of things. I don't know specifics but common sense (that's not too common here sometimes) would tell you that not all environments are the same. Arizona in the sun is surely worse then Montana, stored in a garage. So it's going to be hard to know without some decent engineering studies.
Originally Posted by rekit
I always thought that to a degree tire degradation was a factor of sunlight exposure, not age. The tires on a classic car stored in the garage tires would age better than a DD. Yes or no?
Yes, sunlight is a major factor for tires cracking prematurely when mounted and pressurized. Stored in the garage out of daylight is much better, but still the fact that the tire is mounted, has air pressure and has the vehicles weight on them still puts a wear factor on them.
Tires not mounted, stored in the dark, no light at all will last along time, but rubber does change durometer over a long period of time, can't change that.
I always thought that to a degree tire degradation was a factor of sunlight exposure, not age. The tires on a classic car stored in the garage tires would age better than a DD. Yes or no?
Yes, sunlight is a major factor for tires cracking prematurely when mounted and pressurized. Stored in the garage out of daylight is much better, but still the fact that the tire is mounted, has air pressure and has the vehicles weight on them still puts a wear factor on them.
Tires not mounted, stored in the dark, no light at all will last along time, but rubber does change durometer over a long period of time, can't change that.
Ozone and heat age tires the most.
Originally Posted by rekit
I always thought that to a degree tire degradation was a factor of sunlight exposure, not age. The tires on a classic car stored in the garage tires would age better than a DD. Yes or no?
Heat, humidity, UV exposure, and chemicals can accelerate the aging process.
I always thought that to a degree tire degradation was a factor of sunlight exposure, not age. The tires on a classic car stored in the garage tires would age better than a DD. Yes or no?
Heat, humidity, UV exposure, and chemicals can accelerate the aging process.
Originally Posted by MParr
Have you ever had a tire dealer put on tires with a brownish color to them? These are old tires that have been sitting in a warehouse for some time.
Ah ….. Mmm ……. Not exactly. and it depends on what you mean by old.
That brownish color is actually antioxidants (AO's) that have done their job. When the tire is put into surface, they migrate to the surface and create this crust. The crust is a combination of the waxes and the AO's. It flakes off as the tires is used.
Some tire manufacturers use a lot of AO's, so it doesn't take very long for that crust to show up. I've seen tires as new as a year with that crust.
Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl
Originally Posted by rekit
I always thought that to a degree tire degradation was a factor of sunlight exposure, not age. The tires on a classic car stored in the garage tires would age better than a DD. Yes or no?
Heat, humidity, UV exposure, and chemicals can accelerate the aging process.
Heat is the big ticket item. Tires in Phoenix age a lot faster than tires in Minneapolis.
And to expand on this a little bit:
Tire aging is quite complex, so it is difficult to be precise as to how long it takes before the rubber has deteriorated to the point where it is unsafe to operate. When you hear someone say the limit is 6 years and another one says 10 years, it's because they are looking at different parts of the beast.
Have you ever had a tire dealer put on tires with a brownish color to them? These are old tires that have been sitting in a warehouse for some time.
Ah ….. Mmm ……. Not exactly. and it depends on what you mean by old.
That brownish color is actually antioxidants (AO's) that have done their job. When the tire is put into surface, they migrate to the surface and create this crust. The crust is a combination of the waxes and the AO's. It flakes off as the tires is used.
Some tire manufacturers use a lot of AO's, so it doesn't take very long for that crust to show up. I've seen tires as new as a year with that crust.
Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl
Originally Posted by rekit
I always thought that to a degree tire degradation was a factor of sunlight exposure, not age. The tires on a classic car stored in the garage tires would age better than a DD. Yes or no?
Heat, humidity, UV exposure, and chemicals can accelerate the aging process.
Heat is the big ticket item. Tires in Phoenix age a lot faster than tires in Minneapolis.
And to expand on this a little bit:
Tire aging is quite complex, so it is difficult to be precise as to how long it takes before the rubber has deteriorated to the point where it is unsafe to operate. When you hear someone say the limit is 6 years and another one says 10 years, it's because they are looking at different parts of the beast.
UV exposure is horrible on rubber and plastic. It's why you always see motor homes and RV's parked with those sun guards covering the tires. Leave a piece of Schedule 40 PVC pipe exposed to Arizona sunlight for a Summer. It will turn a dark purple / black on the side that faces the Sun. The other side will remain normal. It's why most all exposed PVC on swimming pools out here has to be painted, or it will deteriorate in no time.
I've wondered for a while if it wouldn't be a good idea to wipe the tires down with some 303 Aerospace protectant prior to storing them away. It's not expensive, and the stuff apparently does work quite well on rubber. I'd be worried about any oils potentially degrading the traction, though.
Originally Posted by littlehulkster
I've wondered for a while if it wouldn't be a good idea to wipe the tires down with some 303 Aerospace protectant prior to storing them away. It's not expensive, and the stuff apparently does work quite well on rubber. I'd be worried about any oils potentially degrading the traction, though.
I used to use 303 a lot as a tire "shine" and liked the natural look it imparted. I would NOT use it on anything tread related, though!
I've wondered for a while if it wouldn't be a good idea to wipe the tires down with some 303 Aerospace protectant prior to storing them away. It's not expensive, and the stuff apparently does work quite well on rubber. I'd be worried about any oils potentially degrading the traction, though.
I used to use 303 a lot as a tire "shine" and liked the natural look it imparted. I would NOT use it on anything tread related, though!
Originally Posted by buck91
Originally Posted by littlehulkster
I've wondered for a while if it wouldn't be a good idea to wipe the tires down with some 303 Aerospace protectant prior to storing them away. It's not expensive, and the stuff apparently does work quite well on rubber. I'd be worried about any oils potentially degrading the traction, though.
I used to use 303 a lot as a tire "shine" and liked the natural look it imparted. I would NOT use it on anything tread related, though!
Yeah, I think avoiding the tread would be wise, but I wonder if a good wipedown of the rest of the tire before you stow them away would help prevent dry rot and cracking.
Originally Posted by littlehulkster
I've wondered for a while if it wouldn't be a good idea to wipe the tires down with some 303 Aerospace protectant prior to storing them away. It's not expensive, and the stuff apparently does work quite well on rubber. I'd be worried about any oils potentially degrading the traction, though.
I used to use 303 a lot as a tire "shine" and liked the natural look it imparted. I would NOT use it on anything tread related, though!
Yeah, I think avoiding the tread would be wise, but I wonder if a good wipedown of the rest of the tire before you stow them away would help prevent dry rot and cracking.
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