Tire Age Replacement +

[why]

I just came across a comment on my years ago post about tire age and replacement. My '65 AH was owned by me 30 years and still had same tires, plenty of tread left, a bit hard but also finger nail dent soft, outer sidewall plenty of seeming surface cracks. Car used about 500-750- miles per year with each use having a few mile run at 60-70 mph, otherwise around town speeds. I replaced them with the Wall Mart matching size as recommended here and elsewhere, just fine. '67Etype same story on ownership and use, but these sidewalls no cracks inside or outside (discovered that inside had thin red band on sidewall), still on car and do just fine. My 2006 Sti has 35K miles and original ten yr. tires with plenty of tread, occasional 200 mi. highway trip with bursts to 110 or so but usual 70-80. Caterham 7, 10 yrs, tire fine but tread worn so replaced. Not to inflame passions but brake fluid original in Sti and '02 Outback 80K miles and not a drop added, brakes same as new (new pads Sti), On Jag, AH, 7, rare wheel cylinder or caliper rebuild cause for just local bleed. Jag all stainless caliper and piston rebuild complete bleed 20 yrs ago and AH reservoir replace complete bleed 10 years ago. So I am not sure I understand all this tire change and bleed talk. For those with usage patterns, distance and speed, like mine and even more have never heard of a tire failure due to age, same for brake fluid replacement. I have no interest in putting myself in danger but believing very much in the old "if it ain't broke don't fix-it" I thought I would query board to make sure I am not missing something, do any of you have stories of experiences that suggest I am following dangerous path? TV pundits and mag articles except for data based don't count.
Thanks all, Jay '65 3000, '67Etype, '95 Cater 7, '02 Outback, '06 Sti, and as soon as hit showroom floor, now 7 month late 70th bday present, '16 NSX or AMG GT--Sti will go sadly (highly recommend).

 

[Keoke]

Hmmmmm

I think your car is unsafe and you just been one lucky fella.:highly_amused:

 

[Bob_Spidell]

re: "My '65 AH was owned by me 30 years and still had same tires, plenty of tread left, a bit hard but also finger nail dent soft, outer sidewall plenty of seeming surface cracks."

Your car is unsafe and I wouldn't want it on any road I'm driving on. Even if you're not worried about safety, you are not getting the handling and braking performance a well-maintained Austin-Healey is capable of.

 

[DerekJ]

You are missing another point. Even if they don't crack or explode they have much less grip as they will be rock hard. I had a set of 8 year old Avon ZZs on my car when I bought it. They are probably the best tyres around for grip yet when I replaced them with a new set last year the difference was amazing.

 

[GregW]

Here is a recent tire failure I had on one that was 6 years old. Actually a slow leak, if you can believe it. I have been known to take the corners fairly hard in the Santa Monica mountains.

 

[Michael Oritt]

Derek--

Do you use your car for competition/rallye work? I ask because the Avon CR6ZZ is sold over here only by Sasco Sports as a (DOT legal) competition tire.

Michael Salter had a set mounted on his 100 when we did the Targa Newfoundland and thought they were a great tire, esp. in the wet though they wore out fast. I did not do any driving on the Targa stages but from the passenger seat they seemed extremely grippy and predictable in the wonderful way that bias-ply tires perform.

 

[DerekJ]

Michael,

I do use them for competition, but also on the road. They are marketed as a road/race tyre over here. They have an exemption from certain EU regulations and can only be fitted to road cars that were first registered before 1990. They are fantastic tyres, they come in hard and soft compounds and even the hard compound has great grip. They are used extensively in classic racing when there is no App K requirement to run Dunlop racing tyres.

The tyres on my car had done about 10,000 miles but still had a lot of tread left although they had of course hardened up a lot. On starts I was getting wheelspin at around 2500 revs, with the new set I still have grip when I drop the clutch at 3500 or more. As you say they are they are excellent in the wet as well. Just a shame they cost so much!

Avon brought out a new version of the 185/70/15 about two years ago, which I have on my car now. The old tyres were also marketed as 185/70/15 but in reality they only had a 65 profile and Avon had to correct this. The result is that the new type suit the Healey even better. They also have a Z pattern down the centre of the tyre whereas the older version had a straight groove in the middle.

Some of our guys run modern Kuomo tyres which have better outright grip in the dry but are useless in the wet, plus they let go suddenly unlike the Avons which have the progressive feel that you mention.

 

[TimK]

After 30 years of ownership 50 years total life, my 1960 BN7 had a left front caliper stick and wear the pads down. I took off the calipers and found the pistons had rusted from the water that accumulated over those years. That convinced me that changing the fluid was a necessity. I also changed the rubber brake lines which were badly deteriorated.

PS, regarding the tires, it is Russian Roulette, not everybody dies who plays--but some do. I have 25 year old Michelins (175x15) and drive same as you. I know I should replace them, but I haven't, they look like new and the size is no longer available.

 

[John Turney]

I had an 11 year-old- inner rear Michelin tire on my motorhome explode at ~60 mph a couple of years ago. Since this was an inner tire of a dual pair, it never saw the sun and was less loaded than the outer one. Fortunately, it only destroyed a storage locker.

The first, after restoration, tires on my Healey were also over their age limit with very little wear, just "hard". New ones improved the handling by an amazing amount.

You're overdue, way overdue.

 

[AUSMHLY]

I was running 11 year old Michelin X tires. Maybe 8000 miles on them. Looked new, driven so no flat spots from sitting a long time in the garage, always used Aerospace 303 as tire dressing.
I replaced them about 6 months ago, because of the... tires are date stamped and should be replaced after 6 years vs don't need to if garaged, look good, driven etc etc.
For those on the fence about if you should replace them, wow do new tires make a positive driving experience. So glad I did.
When living with tires they get harder but we don't notice it because it's so gradual. Put a new set of tires on and you'll say I should have done that a long time ago. Driving is so much fun again, well more fun...funner...lol

 

[DerekJ]

Its actually crazy that we are even having this discussion. Old tyres have far less grip and are potentially dangerous. The rubber starts to oxidise and harden from the moment the tyre is produced. You should check the actual production date when buying. The tyres are the only thing that is keeping you on the road, to economise in this area whilst spending money on chrome plated bells and whistles and pristine interiors, is madness.

 

[AUSMHLY]

Its actually crazy that we are even having this discussion. Old tyres have far less grip and are potentially dangerous. The rubber starts to oxidise and harden from the moment the tyre is produced. You should check the actual production date when buying. The tyres are the only thing that is keeping you on the road, to economise in this area whilst spending money on chrome plated bells and whistles and pristine interiors, is madness.

To summerize...it's crazy madness

 

[Ed_K]

For what it's worth,

I had a complete tread separation on a jet ski trailer tire at 65 MPH. The tires looked like brand new tread
and no signs of any cracks. I checked the data code of the remaining tire and it was 10 years old. The trailer
was never used for the first 6 years . The tires had very little actual use but that did not prevent a catastrophic
failure. Checking the date code on those tires was not on my radar as we hardly ever used the jet ski.
I am thankful that I never had that happen on my Healey at 70-80 MPH.
... I learned my leason and have already replaced the tires on
our newer jet ski / trailer just because they reached 6 years of age. I do the same with the Healey tires for the
same reason when they hit 6 years of age.

Ed

 

[busybrit]

I just fixed the brakes to stop them pulling to the left, changed both front shocks, sway bar bushings, and top trunnion bushes on a customers BJ8.

He was very pleased with the way the car drove.

I then told him his tires were 18 years old, so he changed them. He called me up and said the tires made the biggest difference in the ride.

Guys, new tires are $70 each, when one of your ole tires finally gives up, let me know how much it cost to fix your Healey !

 

[petnatcar]

You can find out how old your tires are by looking on the backside of every tire for the DOT number.
In my case the "198" means they were made in January of 1998.
These have since been replaced, they had plenty of good tread but were very hard and slippery (see photo).
I wanted to send them away to get trued, shaved and balanced but the guy said he wouldn't do it because they were 10 years old.
He told me I better hope the Lord isn't mad at me...so I bought new ones.
A word to the wise was all it took.
Bouna fortuna,
Peter

 

[twas_brillig]

Tires and brake fluid: I was up in Banff, way back in my youth, on a hot day in heavy stop/go traffic, and the brakes just .... went away. The car had a foot operated 'hand brake' and I stomped it - we were moving slowly, so no collision. The air around here has about as much vapour in it as you'd find in Death Valley, but - somehow - the brake fluid had become contaminated with water and it boiled with the heat, and I was trying to stop by pushing on a balloon full of water vapour. I'm not religious about changing fluids, but do so. Regards tires: I start thinking at 8 years and definitely have them changed at ten. If I had a vehicle that never got over 50 km/30 mph, then I'd extend that time line as heat is the real enemy. But 'I only go on the highway occasionally'? Sorry - the tires get hot in a hurry at speed.
We have two regular cars and a dually, and they pretty much all age out (14 tires there). Then we have several 'toy' vehicles (Meyers Manx clone; the BJ7 and - touch wood - our BE again next year), so another dozen tires. Also two sets of snow tires (another 8) so I'm probably averaging about 4 tyres per year for age replacement. But it's cheap, compared to the 'what ifs'.
One of the shops that worked on our BJ7 mentioned having a chap with a BN4 who decided his elderly tires were still 'good enough'. Left rear came apart, and badly damaged the fender. 4 new tyres would have been cheaper. Having your right front tire come apart in a curve - particularly in our open topped/lap belt only cars .... Well, I'd like to be able to 'live!' for a long time, and that includes avoiding spinal injuries as well as death. I really want to be able to walk and crap and scratch where it itches right up until I close my eyes for the final time. Doug

 

[petnatcar]

Hi Doug,
Have you considered Silicone Brake Fluid... it doesn't absorb moisture ?

I had my calipers sleeved in stainless steel by the Stainless Steel Brake Company 30 years ago.
They recommended the Silicone Fluid at the time so I followed their lead and I'm glad I did.
In all that time I have never had a hydraulic fluid leak and never had to fill the Brake Fluid Reservoir (which I converted to aluminum).
And my Brake Pedal continues to be firm year after year with no brake fade what so ever...Go figure.

Bouna fortuna,
Peter