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Tires ..... Scary!

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AngliaGT

AngliaGT

Great Pumpkin
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Well,I'm going to finally replace the tires on the
'74-1/2 TR6.I've been pushing my luck for too long.
Anyway,I checked the tire codes - the spare has
never been on the ground (still has the Michelin stickers).
The date codes on the tires are:

2 Rears & the spare = 424

2 fronts (Coker replacements) = 045

What do these mean (year wise)?

I'm really afraid that the first ones mean that
the tires were made in 1974.I bought the car in11/95,
& put 2 new Coker tires on in 1/96 (Redlines=$427.08).
I'm getting new Yokohamas tommorrow.How scared
should I be?

- Doug
 
Dave - you'll love this ...

According to several sources I checked, including Consumer Reports, if the tire's DOT number has three digits at the end *followed by a small triangle*, the date is from the 1990s.

If there is no triangle, it's from the 1980s.

So let's hope you have a triangle on each tire! If not:

424 = 42nd week of 1984
045 = 4th week of 1985

Maybe better hold it under 90mph now?

Tom
 
Tom,

I changed my name to Doug (at least that's what my Mom-
calls me).
I had to go look - the two fronts have a triangle after
the numbers.......but the rears & the spare don't.
The sad part is that the spare was never used.

- Doug
 
AngliaGT said:
Tom,

I changed my name to Doug (at least that's what my Mom-
calls me).
I had to go look - the two fronts have a triangle after
the numbers.......but the rears & the spare don't.
The sad part is that the spare was never used.
Click to expand...

Doug - sorry 'bout that. I was never very good remembering names. I'm scheduled for another brain transplant later this afternoon; previous efforts have failed.

Anyway, now you know more about the age of the tires. My 1958 Mercedes has an old but unused spare tire also. But probably still OK as a spare.

Fred
 
Does that make it a "space waster" spare, <span style="font-style: italic">Fred</span>? :jester:
 
AngliaGT said:
Tom,

I always get "Tom" & "Fred" mixed up!

- Doug
Click to expand...

So did my former wife. But only once ....
 
AngliaGT said:
...the two fronts have a triangle after
the numbers.......but the rears & the spare don't.
The sad part is that the spare was never used.
Click to expand...
Odds are there's a TR6 owner who might like those three tires for display-only purposes, especially the unused spare!
 
The new Yokohamas are here!I'll have them put on
tommorrow.
If anyone's interested - speak now or forever hold
your peace.Where have I heard that before?

- Doug
 
I may want to buy your spare tire if you still have it. I may not be able to get to a computer for a few days though. Send me a PM if you would.Thanks
 
Keith - you have a PM.

Got the tires on,& drove home.Steering is a LOT lighter.
They pulled & left out the inner tubes.Was that the right thing
to do?

- Doug
 
I never used inner tubes on my Goodyear P205/70/15 tires, so why should you? You should be fine.
 
Doug - one thing I learned from my 1958 Mercedes (which was originally fitted with tube tires):

Tubes keep the air in even if the tire itself doesn't form a tight seal with the wheel.

If you're not using tubes, be sure the inside of the rims (where the tire and wheel meet) are smooth and clean, so the tubeless tires don't leak air.

Tom
 
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