Tire brands Tire dating Tires Tires

[wsucougarx]

Ok, seems there are some dozen or so tire manuf (Cooper, Armstrong, Fidelity, Goodyear, Hawk, Bridgestone, Firestone, Michelins, etc) out there for the deuce. Now I have been told not to buy any MV tires that are dated over 10 years. Now, I know that tire dating is pretty much required due to the DOT standards. I looked and looked on my Fidelity Tires and was unable to find a tire date. Is there a code showing the date? What are your opinions on what not to buy as far as tire age. Obvious cracks and chunks out of the tire are a given.
Also, is there a consensus out there on what brands to AVOID? I keep hearing about Goodyear side wall failures? Also, what were the latest manuf to put out deuce tires?

I did do a search under tire and date dating

 

[papercu]

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?9138-determining-tire-age.html

 

[Jinx]

Great find papercu. Thanks!

 

[66Reo6X6]

Someone sent me this link recently - about old (stock) tires being sold as new.


Aged Tires: A Driving Hazard? - ABC News

Aged Tires: A Driving Hazard? - ABC News

 

[SCSG-G4]

Steve (our local heavy truck tire specialist) will not remount a tire over five years old, and will not sell one over three years old, even as a 'spare tire'. They will not even work on a tire over 10 years old, including our deuce tires, to break them down for us. Guess he likes us!

 

[zout]

Yrs ago I spent 2 weeks at the Texas Tire proving grounds - whatever you want to know about tires - you learn it here in above 100 degree heat.

Why - it was because I was in charge of a fleet and it is almost one of the highest costs out of pocket profit a company spends - TIRES. We were talking at that time costs to the company above $180,000 along in yearly tire costs.

Mfg date codes - tires pressures (most often neglected) tread compound for useage - U name it and they covered it.

It was the most demanding 2 weeks and the most instructional time I have ever spent.
I also spent in my history with Dunlop and Metzler for their tires - instructional insite when I was drag racing in the Nationals. This was through Harley Davidson.

Tires are just not tires and need to need to be looked at closely and examined - there is a lot of crap out there someone does not know about either and willing to pass onto you for going costs.
I am by no means a expert - but I have learned to know how to look at tires and there is a great deal of info on the web as to how each mfg date codes their tires.

 

[bikeboy]

If you want new, Maybe this will help you. Just a thought .
Military & Truck - Tire Brands

 

[NDT]

Are y'all saying the 1964 dated Gates NDCC tires on my M135 may not be any good? Seem to roll down the highway at 58 mph just fine . . .

 

[Oasis-3]

They make the new tires on the 3/4 ton trailers STA Superlug + ndt's
Military Truck Tires Specialty Tires of America

 

[emr]

Lets be in the real world here, Military tires have more than stood the test of time in reality and practice to be in perfect usable shape untill they show sun/dryrot dammage to extreme measures, these are facts, the truck tire shop by me is full of ol timers like me and are not pruds that say, OH my that tire is out of date, if some one told me that i would laugh in there face to be honest, and i have told more than one tire guy i know a heck alot more about tires than them,And can back up what i say. There are trucks from WW2 still in service in some countrys that have been in storage waiting for the big one that never came , I mean NATO countrys and some have been selling lots off in the last 20 years and still do now and again, i got a 15000 mile mint cckw352 from Norway with very perfect original rubber that is still on it and I drove that thing everywhere, Of course it is up to the owner/driver to be responcible for this, and to inspect all sides of tires and be aware they are old, but it is also true there never has been a time with all these vehicles on the road from military surplus of there being tire failures in fact the oposite, they last and last, I have always when a front set cups pull en and reverse em on the rim and get the life out of em, when needed..... Be aware of what u got , but a visual inspection will tell U what u have , there is no evidence of the opposite talked about or in print for my 20 years of runnign mil tires and 35 of all kinds of other off road tires ... my 7 cents on this one, ...

 

[Varyag]

If you have Armstrong I will just let you know that th company was bought a couple decades ago... I have one... it is chunking out.

 

[Wolf.Dose]

Ok. there is some truth in the statements above.
First: Militay tires are made to last veeeery long, so the softener (mainly wax) content is the rubber is higher than in commercial tires. If these military tires are stored in a propper environement, they live very long and are still in a useuably condition, even after 30 years. But compared with nowadays requirements these tire are bad, but they are a kid of there time (all tires of 30 years ago for nowadays understanding are bad. New tires are better.
Second: Age determination: On every tire no matter what age if made after WWII there is a factory code vulcanised into the tire. And following this code the is from 1980 onwards the week and year vulcanised in the side (This is for those members like me who can not open the address in the second statement). The first 2 digets are the week of manufacture, the third is the year. From 1990 they found, that even tire from 1980 are still in use, so they added a Triangle behind the year, so a tyre marked 129triangel is made in the 12th week 1999. From 2000 onward the code is four didgets, so 1205 means 12 week 2005. This system is good until we do not live any more.
Any tire brand not using this type of stamping is for European understanding not useable, for these tires do not confirm to TIRE AND RIM or ETRTO.
Hope this helps.
Wolf