You’ve just bought a used car. And you wonder if your tires have expired? You also understand that it greatly affects your wallet. Myth or reality? Here are some elements to give you an idea of this thorny issue. Most products have an expiration date. Food, of course. Not to mention the “organized” obsolescence of various everyday appliances, we also understand that certain mechanical parts cannot retain their original properties indefinitely.
Have you checked your tires?
When you bought your new used car, of course you checked the wheels. First the pressure, then you checked if the tires have an acceptable wear thanks to the wear indicator. Shocks or hernias have not escaped you. The tread and its wear were your concern. It reveals a lot about transmission and suspension problems. For a better understanding, we need to briefly discuss the manufacturing method of your tires. It’s a metal carcass and, more importantly, rubber. It is made from a mixture of several materials: Rubber, silica (the black of the rubber and its durability), resins (as a binder).
Tires are important components for your vehicle. They provide grip for your machine on the road. They provide braking, speed and stability of the car. To neglect them is to put yourself in danger. They require regular inspection and maintenance. Sometimes you have to decide to change them, without forgetting that you only change them in pairs to maintain the same structure on a chassis. So, should I also change expired tires?
Do car tires have an expiration date?
To find out, you need to look at the markings on the sidewall band. Here you will find size, season, speed and load indicators. All the important elements for choosing the right tire. To the left of the letters and numbers on the tire, did you notice another row starting with the three letters: DOT ? The acronym means “Department of Transportation”. The standard has become international. In addition to the place and the manufacturer, it also indicates the date of manufacture. For us, the last four digits are interesting, for example 0219: 02 means that the tire was manufactured in the second week of 19, 2019.
You have found one of the information. By the way, it is recommended to maintain your tires. If they have not been replaced within 10 years from the date of manufacture, it is recommended to replace them as a precaution, even if they appear to be in good condition. The tire manufacturer Nokian Tyres confirms this fact, adding that after 10 years it is advisable to replace them for safety reasons. We can then understand that these products have a kind of “expiration date. ” So, you’ve just figured out how to sort old tires and are largely reassured about which tires fit your vehicle.
