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swift6
Yoda
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The subject has come up in the Triumph Forum a few times but I thought it might be best to start a thread in the pub to inform as many people as possible.
The subject of driving on old tires because they still look good and show no signs of cracking. Tire don't always show their condition honestly. Rubber continues to alter its molecular structure throughout its 'life'.
There is an honest and valid reason that Automotive and Tire manufacturers suggest new tires every five to seven years regardless of mileage and its not just to sell more tires. The tires can easily become unsafe.
You might have done so in the past without suffering any problems but on something as inexpensive as tires why take the chance.
To illustrate my point. Some local club members found a 'time capsule' TR7 two years ago. This car had 2000 miles on it when purchased. EVERYTHING on the car was original from the factory and the car had been properly stored and cared for in its 'time capsule'. It was very amazing to look at and crawl around because of it's perfect, practically showroom condition. The tires LOOKED perfect, they still had all the rubber whiskers and everything. Looked brand new and by mileage traveled they were. Here was the odometer reading at the time of catastrophic tire failure.
The first tire (a rear tire failed at 70mph on one of our local Interstates (smooth road, not driving excessively fast etc...). A light car with a rear blowout can be handful.
While the driver was attempting to safely get the car to the side of the road, another tire failed again catastrophically. The car finally came to a stop after rolling four times.
The driver was hospitalized for observation overnight. His wife, in the passenger seat, spent four days in serious condition with a broken neck and had to wear a neck and head brace for six months. Though both are now fine. Which actually says something for the strength of the car and its restraint systems (yes they were both wearing their seatbelts).
The real kicker is that for less than two hundred dollars (TR7's have small tires and even cheap tires today are better than good tires 35 years ago) they could have installed four brand new tires and still have an incredibly preserved TR7. Here is what is left of the car.
Sobering isn't it.
The subject of driving on old tires because they still look good and show no signs of cracking. Tire don't always show their condition honestly. Rubber continues to alter its molecular structure throughout its 'life'.
There is an honest and valid reason that Automotive and Tire manufacturers suggest new tires every five to seven years regardless of mileage and its not just to sell more tires. The tires can easily become unsafe.
You might have done so in the past without suffering any problems but on something as inexpensive as tires why take the chance.
To illustrate my point. Some local club members found a 'time capsule' TR7 two years ago. This car had 2000 miles on it when purchased. EVERYTHING on the car was original from the factory and the car had been properly stored and cared for in its 'time capsule'. It was very amazing to look at and crawl around because of it's perfect, practically showroom condition. The tires LOOKED perfect, they still had all the rubber whiskers and everything. Looked brand new and by mileage traveled they were. Here was the odometer reading at the time of catastrophic tire failure.
The first tire (a rear tire failed at 70mph on one of our local Interstates (smooth road, not driving excessively fast etc...). A light car with a rear blowout can be handful.
While the driver was attempting to safely get the car to the side of the road, another tire failed again catastrophically. The car finally came to a stop after rolling four times.
The driver was hospitalized for observation overnight. His wife, in the passenger seat, spent four days in serious condition with a broken neck and had to wear a neck and head brace for six months. Though both are now fine. Which actually says something for the strength of the car and its restraint systems (yes they were both wearing their seatbelts).
The real kicker is that for less than two hundred dollars (TR7's have small tires and even cheap tires today are better than good tires 35 years ago) they could have installed four brand new tires and still have an incredibly preserved TR7. Here is what is left of the car.
Sobering isn't it.
