Tire seller to avoid "Tires Unlimited"

[amiles]

Yesterday I received the two tires that I ordered a short time ago from a company called " Tires Unlimited" out of Dayton, Ohio. Service was quick & the price was fair.

However one of the tires has a DOT code of 3106 meaning that it was made about two years ago and has most likely sat in a warehouse growing old not better. While this is not extremely old nor terrible, I would much prefer to receive Fresh merchandise for my dollar.

As tire age has become newsworthy lately for safety purposes, I would recommend avoiding this company and their old merchandise. I know that I will.

We all live and learn, I have once again

Andy

I do know about SW moto tire, They did not have the combo that I wanted.

 

[gstom]

However one of the tires has a DOT code of 3106 meaning that it was made about two years ago and has most likely sat in a warehouse growing old not better.

While this is not extremely old nor terrible, I would much prefer to receive Fresh merchandise for my dollar.

As tire age has become newsworthy lately for safety purposes, I would recommend avoiding this company and their old merchandise. I know that I will.

What is the shelf life of tires? All of my bikes (4) have tires older than 2 years. Am I risking my life?

Are tires like tomatoes? (I prefer the riper ones!)

Seriously.. I have not seen the tire age data that has recently become available. Is this something to legitimately be concerned over? BTW, I have been known to (gasp) plug my tires and put thousands of more miles on them. Am I being foolish, an unmitigated risk taker?

 

[amiles]

The Danger Zone

I am sure that two years does not put me or anyone else in the "Danger Zone" I have heard that some people feel that tires over five years are not so good, perhaps it is six, seven or eight maybe even ten years, I really don't know. At some point I am sure that they are dried out and not safe.

If a tires life span does end at six years, My two year old tires would be one third of the way the day they were mounted, not exactly fresh methinks.

BTW Tires unlimited did have a discount on the tire that I bought (Dunlop D404) no explanation given, I would have liked to have been able to know the reason ahead of time and made my own decision much as you do about riding on repaired tires.

 

[BUDDINGGEEZER]

I spoke with a Metzler/Pirelli rep on the phone last year. He said 5 years were their shelf life. They last longer mounted.

Ralph Sims

 

[DARKCLOUD]

You want new tires from a tire discounter? Buy a new tire model that has just come out. "Z" rated tires and soft compound tires are time and temperature sensitive.

JON

 

[BobZ]

When looking at bikes at rallys and shows, I'm always a bit surprised if I see cracks in old sidewalls. Cracks I'm sure are truely not safe.

 

[BobFV1]

Yesterday I received the two tires that I ordered a short time ago from a company called " Tires Unlimited" out of Dayton, Ohio. Service was quick & the price was fair.

So let me get this straight - in your own words, service was quick and the price was fair. You note that they are 2 years old, and not knowing if that is within normal limits or not, you proceed to slag them of in the MOA forum. Did you have the decency to talk to them before you did this, maybe ask them about the production date, see what they had to say? Maybe they would say that was normal - maybe they would admit a mistake and offer to make it right.

 

[bobh41]

Rubber Manufacturers Association

I sent an email asking about tire longevity and received an answer indicating no longevity limits had been established. I don't know if this is a CYA statement or what, but I haven't seen any other authoritative statements on this subject.

http://www.rma.org/

Service Life:

STATEMENT OF RUBBER MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION

Tire Service Life for Passenger Car and Light Truck Tires
Tires are designed and built to provide many thousands of miles of excellent service but must be maintained properly. As explained below, the service life of a tire is affected by many factors that are independent of the chronological age of the tire.

Service Life is Not Determined by Chronological Age

Tires are composed of various materials, including rubber, having performance properties essential to the proper functioning of the tire. These component properties evolve over a combination of time, service and storage conditions. For each individual tire, this change is affected by many elements such as temperature, storage conditions, and conditions of use (e.g., load, speed, inflation pressure, impacts and road hazard injury) to which a tire is subjected throughout its life. Since service and storage conditions vary widely, accurately predicting the serviceable life of any specific tire based on simple calendar age is not possible. RMA is not aware of scientific or technical data that establishes or identifies a specific minimum or maximum service life for passenger and light truck tires. However, in some cases a tire or vehicle manufacturer may make a specific tire replacement recommendation regarding its products. If so, the consumer should consult the manufacturer with any questions with regard to following the recommendation. Further, any such recommendation should not be considered a minimum serviceable life for the tire.

The Consumer Plays A Primary Role in Tire Maintenance

The tire industry has long emphasized the consumersÔÇÖ role in the regular care and maintenance of their tires. (Tire care and service manuals are available from RMA on its website, www.rma.org.) Tires should be removed from service for several reasons, including tread worn down to minimum depth, signs of damage (cuts, cracks, bulges, vibration, etc.) or signs of abuse (underinflation, overloading, etc). That is why it is recommended to have tires, including spares, inspected regularly. A monthly maintenance inspection, for which the consumer must be primarily responsible, should focus on proper inflation pressure, tread wear and tire damage. This monthly inspection should be supplemented by recurring rotation, balancing and alignment services. This inspection should occur whether or not the vehicle is equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system. Additionally, the condition of a tire should be assessed regularly to determine if there are any tactile or visual signs of damage that make replacement necessary.

Storage, Rotation, and Other Conditions That May Affect Tire Service Life

Tires should always be stored in a dry, cool, well-ventilated place. Avoid storing tires in areas that are exposed to wetness, petroleum or petroleum-based products, extreme temperatures, direct sunlight, and/or other sources of ozone, such as electric motors. Storage areas should also be clean and free of grease, gasoline or any corrosive chemicals which can deteriorate the rubber.
If a vehicle is fitted with a matching full-size spare tire (same size and type as other in-service tires) the consumer should follow the vehicle manufacturerÔÇÖs recommendation for rotating the spare tire. When any spare tire is placed into service, its inflation pressure must be checked immediately.
Consumers are strongly encouraged to be aware not only of their tiresÔÇÖ visual condition but also of any change in dynamic performance such as increased air loss, noise or vibration. Such a change in performance could be an indication of an internal condition that might dictate removing the tires from service immediately to prevent a tire failure. In these cases, RMA recommends that consumers consult a tire service professional.
Adopted March 2006

 

[88bmwjeff]

I have to agree somewhat with what Bobh41 posted; however, the information seems to be limited to passenger cars and light truck tires. I'm curious if their response would be different for motorcycle tires.

I'm not an expert, nor do I suggest that what I'm posting is absolute fact. But, I am reiterating what I believe to be from knowledgeable individuals. I have heard that how a tire is stored plays a big part on it's shelf life. Unfortunately, most consumers do not know how their tires were stored, and even if we did, I'm not sure we'd know if the method used was acceptable.

In my experience, most conservative riders tend to replace their tires after three years from manufacture, some within three years of service (assuming the tire was properly stored to begin with). Others, however, wait until the tread wears down regardless of age and tire condition.

With regards to Amiles two year old new tires, they could be good or they could be bad, but I have to agree that there's insufficient information to know one way or another.

 

[flgoff]

If I recieved tires that were two years old I wouldn't give it a second thought . . . the reason being that I use them up at about 12 to 13 thousand miles anyway, and that only spans about 6 to 7 months. Ride more, worry less.

Floyd

 

[daddyal]

A-man Flgoff

 

[BigAdv]

The day that I note the best before date on my tires has expired or that there is weather checks in the tires is obviously the day that quite riding. I cant seem to keep a set of tires for more than 6months. must be something wrong with this bike, tires, gas, oil & filters. It keeps using them up. Seriously, just put them on, wear them out in the rest of the riding season, and repeat.

Earl

 

[scqtt]

If the "born on" date of a tire is important to you I would suggest you buy it in person so you can check the date yourself.

 

[R184]

I remember a recent article (sorry I place the source) that indicated that 7 years should be the max. for a stored tired. Sounds like your well within the safety margin.

And when you buy a new car, truck, motorcycle, etc., the tires aren't new. The people who built your new vehicle buy tires in bulk, and store them till needed. Not to mention, the new vehicle sits waiting to be transported to a dealer. Then that "new" vehicle sits on the lot waiting to be sold. So those tires on that "new" vehicle already have some time on them.

Professional cyclist (the pedal kind) have been know to "age" their bicycle tires prior to use. Of course the storage is under controlled conditions. And those tires are a lot thinner and run a lot higher PSI that we do.

 

[nortonrt]

Points of view...

OK with the "burn 'em up fast" and "I don't worry about nothin'" guys, but amiles point, offered only as a recommendation, was: Given the choice, would you buy a tire made a few months ago, or one made two years ago? Add the discount benefit, and you may have a different perspective. He expressed his opinion, and my guess is he meant to be helpful to others in our community. The old addage still holds: You pays your money, and you takes your choice.

 

[gstom]

More Questions than Answers

would you buy a tire made a few months ago, or one made two years ago?

Within "real world parameters" is there a measurable difference in the quality of the two?
Is a tire freshy out of the mold superior to a two week old tire?
A two week old tire superior to a two month old tire?
Or perhaps is there an "aging curve" that the tire is subject to whereby it improves in quality over a period of time(a ripening effect) and then begins to deteriorate? If so, what is the optimum tire age?
Does it depend on the tire compound? I would think a softer compound would "age" faster than a harder compound, but I admit I do not know.
Does anyone out there have the answer to these questions?

I would take the discount and ignore the difference in tire age.
BTW, I always buy my tires from the vendor that was maligned here, and I am a very satisfied customer of theirs.
I also note from his profile, that the original poster of this thread is riding a 32 year old bike and worried about 2 year old tires!

 

[RJM2096]

I used to sell and service automotive tires. While the popular sizes went fast it was not uncommon for the slower lines/sizes to sit for months if not years. I never felt that age was a factor unless they were stored in bad environment. A few years of seasoning does not seem to hurt a tire at all.

While I respect your opinion, it sounds like to me that you might want to consider modifying the disparaging remarks about Tires Unlimited.

 

[amiles]

After reading the interesting comments by the other posters I will retract my suggestion that Tires unlimited be avoided.

The tires being replaced were four years old/and in service with approximately 20,000 miles on them. Each of us rides differently and has different needs and perceptions of them. I would like to feel that my tires are fresh and in their prime to provide me with a safe ride.

I still think that fresher merchandise is better merchandise, apparently we seem to have no standard that we can agree upon for tires. Not all of us live within a reasonable distance of a dealer that stocks a variety of tires that can be previewed prior to purchase.

Apparently having a 32 year old airhead puts me in a lower class of BMW owners in the eyes of some , so be it, I like the machine and intend to keep it.

 

[RJM2096]

Apparently having a 32 year old airhead puts me in a lower class of BMW owners in the eyes of some , so be it, I like the machine and intend to keep it.

Having a 32 year old BMW airhead is cool! How about a picture of it?

 

[bobh41]

Amiles said:

Apparently having a 32 year old airhead puts me in a lower class of BMW owners in the eyes of some , so be it, I like the machine and intend to keep it.

I suspect your comment was made "ironically" so I won't get all fired up about it; just to let you know that IMO your 32-year-old ride puts you in a definite superior class of BMW motorcyclist. Some may disparage the fact that it shifts like an old Allis Chalmer, runs skinny tires, and the speedo is overly optimistic, but never fear, it's a prized classic. And in keeping it your intelligence, wisdom and sophistication is clearly proven.

Nobody in my community doesn't like my 34-year-old BMW.