Check your tire dates!!

[Steve Shauger]

I recently purchased a 69 Z28 and had not checked all the tire dates. I had both rear tires off (checking an emergency brake issue) and they were dated 2019. The car drove like a dream, no vibrations and handles fantastic.

I was away for a couple of weeks and upon return drove it to a local cruise night, and noticed a vibration and thought I lost a wheel weight the vibration increased and stopped to check for a loose wheel. I turned around and headed home and found the belts had separated.

The drivers front was dated 2010 and the passenger tire that failed was 1995 (28 years old). It was my fault for not checking all the tires and a lesson learned. Well new sneakers have been installed and a pleasure to thrash on it again... See pic

[Lynn]

Similar situation for me about 10 years ago Steve. Sherri and I are tooling down the road in a F150 and the RF tire just comes apart. At least you got a vibration before it imploded.

[SuperNovaSS]

Whew! Dodged that bullet. I have a 62 Caddy convertible I am getting ready to sell. It had been in storage a long time and I’ve been putting a good bit of miles on it. I took it out today to take pictures to list it for sale and it started pulling hard to the right and vibrating pretty heavily. I too stopped checking for a loose wheel and found nothing. Made it home and found a bulging side wall on the passenger front and this separating tread on the drivers front. I have put a lot of mileage on old tires in the past but I’m second guessing that now. Needless to say, new shoes are on the way prior to the sale.

Jason

[MosportGreen66]

Very good PSA gents! We had a radial shift in the Radial TA’s on our 69 Z28. Replaced with a new set of four. Also, check your trailer tires and spares! Our mechanic who does a lot of drag racing and heavier trailering than we do said they’re good for a max of 5 years regardless of mileage. Can never be too safe when on the road.

[scuncio]

Radial T/As can mislead you because the tread wear is typically quite robust...but age is the real factor here.

[plumL78]

same thing happened on my car last year. Coming back from a show felt a little vibration then within a mile or two it got worse. Got out and looked but couldn't see anything. I limped back to the shop and i must say if it had got any worse I was going to have it towed. They were 22 year old TA radials and the tire looked just like Steve's tire.

[napa68]

It's a great point that cannot be reiterated enough.

In the name of safety, perhaps you should send that old turd Camaro back to Wisconsin? Who knows what other problems lurk in that car

[dustinm]

My trailer tires will start to do as Steve has shown after 5 years. Ive always known they were a maintenance item due to age partially due to outdoor storage with zero UV protection.

Now I do have darn near 30 year old BFG TAs on the front of my 68 that I better get replaced.... Its always out of the sun and are in moderate midwest summer temps (I also know the heat of the south is another tire enemy) so I hadnt worried too much about them.

[RALLY]

All great points. I did the same with my drag car racing trailer tires and my Suburban tires and went way over the limit for safe conditions. Yes 5 years on tires is spot on.

[Big Block Bill]

I am a firm believer in notifying customers of the tire dates on all vehicle inspections we do, and make it a part of EVERY oil and filter service as well. We just had a motorhome in last month with 28 year old tires. When I told the owner she needed (6) tires, she asked if she could just make it to Florida as she was going to park it in a park and not drive it from then on. I told her I would not drive it to Florida Lane in town here. Her response was " But the tread looks like they have a lot of life left in them"
People. Bill