Tire recs for aging car?

[GenXguy]

That’s a great price for replacing TPMS sensors. I think many shops gouge customers on this item.

Yeah, and that includes tax. They were $28.88 ea. I'm not complaining. My TPMS dash light had been stuck on for a while, and they were all original from 2006. With getting new tires, this seemed like the perfect time to take care of it. They did tell me that all sensors needed replaced.

 

[Koolau]

A cautionary story, and indecision.

I have purchased tires from tirerack.com a number of times.

In November 2015, I purchased 4 Continental tires from them. When they arrived, I was dismayed that the DOT date code was 0414, meaning the tires were made January 2014.

So, the tires were already about 21 months old, though never used. After some back and forth, they discounted the tires by another $50.

As I mentioned in a previous post, the tires will be 10 years old, look great, and have loads of tread left. On the other hand, they've only been in service for about 8 years, and the car is garaged daily.

Lots of opinions on 6, 8, or 10 year replacement intervals, heat and UV effects, and whether non-mounted years count. Replacing them (with installation) with the same quality tire will be $750 using tirerack again, IF I pull the trigger before the rebates end Nov. 30th.

I guess you have to ask yourself:


1) How much will you drive on them?
2) Where will you drive (mostly urban or mostly freeway?)
3) How confident are you that you could handle a blow out?
4) Do you have a good road-side assistance program through your Ins. Co. or AAA or similar?
5) Are you feeling lucky?

 

[Music Lover]

If tires really were unsafe after 6 years we'd hear stories every day of 10 year old tires exploding.

While there might be some truth to the "recommendation", don't forget that it's coming from companies with a vested interest to sell product.

 

[Koolau]

If tires really were unsafe after 6 years we'd hear stories every day of 10 year old tires exploding.

While there might be some truth to the "recommendation", don't forget that it's coming from companies with a vested interest to sell product.

(I don't disagree with the "vested interest" comment but DW always told her empl*yees that "Selling is helping." With right motives, there are still win/win relationships with sellers.)

Not to put too fine a point on it, but today's cars are amazing in their ability to deal with a blow out. So, you really don't often hear of anyone losing control due to catastrophic failure of a tire. Power steering is a major plus and the more sophisticated suspension is important as well. So, you don't hear about tires exploding because it's not so big a deal for the most part. I think I mentioned the tires that came on my used Buick looked great but one disintegrated on the freeway. I didn't even know quite what was happening until I saw rubber flying out the back in the rear-view. I was easily able to pull over and call a tow truck. The tire was shredded. YMMV

 

[JoeWras]

Exploding tire? No problem. Lose the wheel? No problem!

 

[68bucks]

(I don't disagree with the "vested interest" comment but DW always told her empl*yees that "Selling is helping." With right motives, there are still win/win relationships with sellers.)

Not to put too fine a point on it, but today's cars are amazing in their ability to deal with a blow out. So, you really don't often hear of anyone losing control due to catastrophic failure of a tire. Power steering is a major plus and the more sophisticated suspension is important as well. So, you don't hear about tires exploding because it's not so big a deal for the most part. I think I mentioned the tires that came on my used Buick looked great but one disintegrated on the freeway. I didn't even know quite what was happening until I saw rubber flying out the back in the rear-view. I was easily able to pull over and call a tow truck. The tire was shredded. YMMV

Curious, front or rear?

 

[Andre1969]

I'm not so convinced about modern blowouts being "safer". Part of the problem is that these days blowouts are so rare, people often don't know how to deal with them, so they panic! In the old days, when they were more common, people just knew better how to handle them.

And these days, with the proliferation of trucks, suvs, crossovers, minivans, and even the few sedans that are left tend to be taller, and have a higher center of gravity than the long, low, lanky cars of yesteryear, so that might make them more likely to lose control if the driver panics. Or if you have a blowout going into a curve.

 

[68bucks]

I'm not so convinced about modern blowouts being "safer". Part of the problem is that these days blowouts are so rare, people often don't know how to deal with them, so they panic! In the old days, when they were more common, people just knew better how to handle them.

And these days, with the proliferation of trucks, suvs, crossovers, minivans, and even the few sedans that are left tend to be taller, and have a higher center of gravity than the long, low, lanky cars of yesteryear, so that might make them more likely to lose control if the driver panics. Or if you have a blowout going into a curve.

Haha and 99% of people will have to pull out the manual to have a clue where stuff is to change a tire, me included. Call AAA I guess though I'm not a member anymore.

 

[JoeWras]

I'm not so convinced about modern blowouts being "safer". Part of the problem is that these days blowouts are so rare, people often don't know how to deal with them, so they panic! In the old days, when they were more common, people just knew better how to handle them.

And these days, with the proliferation of trucks, suvs, crossovers, minivans, and even the few sedans that are left tend to be taller, and have a higher center of gravity than the long, low, lanky cars of yesteryear, so that might make them more likely to lose control if the driver panics. Or if you have a blowout going into a curve.

Of course the GIF I posted was a sarcastic joke.

Blowouts are still serious, so I agree.

I've seen enough dash cams of people simply changing lanes too quickly in their SUV where they over-correct and roll the thing.

I think people under-estimate the problem of high center of gravity.

 

[ERD50]

If tires really were unsafe after 6 years we'd hear stories every day of 10 year old tires exploding. ...

Interesting point. You'd think the NHTSA would have spotted this in their data, and issued a statement.

But.... 10 year old tires with enough tread life means those cars are driving relatively few miles, so that would tend to bury the data in the noise? Fewer blow outs due to fewer miles (and as I mentioned earlier, probably mostly low speed miles)?


Anyway, one good thing came from this - this thread did motivate me to check the pressure in the spares. Can't recall when I did that last, but probably not so very long ago, they were at 51 and 58 for the recc 60 PSI, so I pumped them to 62# to provide a little margin for bleed down over time.

OK, the spare in the 2011 CRV is the original, so quite old, but it's doubtful it will ever be used, and it would be a short drive home or to the tire shop, so I'm letting that one go.

-ERD50

 

[Koolau]

Curious, front or rear?

Front (front wheel drive car - 2000 Buick LeSabre.) It was such a "non-event" that neither I nor my passenger (a car nut) knew what was happening. It was all "noise" at first (roaring tire noise, I guess.) When I was certain it was us making all the noise, I pulled over to see the destroyed tire. We'd been doing 65 mph at least. YMMV

 

[Koolau]

Of course the GIF I posted was a sarcastic joke.

Blowouts are still serious, so I agree.

I've seen enough dash cams of people simply changing lanes too quickly in their SUV where they over-correct and roll the thing.

I think people under-estimate the problem of high center of gravity.

Yet another reason to buy an EV. Low C-O-G.