Time to replace tires!

[quadfins]

Disaster, waiting to happen.

Serves as a reminder for us all to thoroughly check all aspects on a regular basis.

Jim

[Mike Josephic CLC #3877]

Hi Jim -- glad you noticed that!

Out of curiosity, how old are those tires?

Mike

[quadfins]

About ten years, maybe a little more.

Driven regularly. I feel like I did get my money's worth out of them.

Jim

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

From the marks that I can see on the outer tread of the tyre, the rubber looks like it has perish cracks in it.

I can see that it is a radial ply, but the tread and sidewall looks like it is a cross ply tyre.

When did you first notice the missing bit?

Bruce.

[Bob Hoffmann CLC#96]

Guys,
I think Jim's "funning" us. That looks like some POS tire that was a spare in a 54 Cadillac. If you guys want to see an REALLY old tire please ask.
LOL, Bob

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

This tyre was on my '72 when it went.   Had a full load of passengers, and going for a drive.

I heard the tread hitting the inner fender well, and luckily wasn't going fast.

Three Months later, another one went.   The third picture

Bruce.

PS.   The silly part was that I purchased the car in 2007, picked it up in 2008 in Detroit, and by the time I was about to depart Connecticut, after departing the Cherry Hill GN,  the first tyre problem reared its' ugly head.   Steel Belt separation.   These tyres were virtually brand new in condition, but a few years old.   Last picture   These tyres were Coopers

[quadfins]

From the marks that I can see on the outer tread of the tyre, the rubber looks like it has perish cracks in it.

I can see that it is a radial ply, but the tread and sidewall looks like it is a cross ply tyre.

When did you first notice the missing bit?

Bruce.

A couple of months ago, I started noticing a harmonic vibration and noise. I thought it was driveline-related.

I didn't drive much in winter, so about a month ago, I crawled under to inspect and investigate. That's when I saw a crack along the edge of the tread, near the sidewall. The separated chunk was hidden, because it was at the very bottom, against the floor. I moved the car out of the garage, into the driveway to put the spare tire on, and that's when I saw the missing chunks.

I was surprised that it still held air, with the loss of so much rubber, and the cords exposed.

When I drove it to the Wisconsin Grand National, some years ago, I ran over a nail, which created a slow leak. I did not notice that until the next morning. I think that my search for a repair place, on low pressure, might have caused the beginnings of the tread separation. The first few places would not repair a bias-ply tire, so it took some distance to get it fixed.

And now, it finally went.

I ordered a new set of tires, which arrived yesterday, so the car is in dry dock today. I'll post pics of the "new shoes" when they are installed.

Jim

[Dan LeBlanc]

Looking at the tread wear, I think you were due for a new set anyway!   

[quadfins]

Yes, you are correct. The tread separation served as the motivator.

Jim

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

Make sure to post some pictures with the new sneakers on.

How many miles did you get out of them Jim?

[Greg Powers]

This is probably the most neglected feature on all collector cars. Tires no matter what they look like have a shelf life. All of our modern manufactured tires have a date code stamped into the rubber near the bead. Unless you have a "trailer queen" you should consider discarding perfectly good looking tires that have aged before they blow out. (Even "trailer queens" need new shoes from time to time) I had this discussion with a member once regarding a set of Uniroyal Royal Seal tires that were on his Cadillac. To show the car, they are in fact the original factory tire but to drive on them could prove deadly. If a tire tread pulls away from the carcass it can do tremendous damage to your car before you can safely stop. When I first bought my 1958 I had it parked in the garage and one day noticed a flat tire. When I went to inflate the tire I found a portion of the tread as big as my hand that had  blow out of the tire. Just the weight of the Cadillac had caused this to happen, thankfully the car was parked and no further damage. I know this forum always debates  bias vs radial but perhaps an even greater concern should be age. Many modern tire manufacturers take no responsibility for tires that are over seven years old.

[Dan LeBlanc]

Tires are the first thing I replace on any old car when I buy it.

Case in point, when I picked up my 77, the tread on the tires seemed brand new. Still had the nubs on them. I knew the car covered approximately 200 miles in the last 5 years so it seemed plausible that the tires could have been fairly recent. Checked the date code and found they were manufactured in 2005. I ordered 4 new tires and haven't driven the car much yet as the new tires are still in the wrapper. I've driven around the block a few times and to the gas station, but that's it.

I figured it was close enough to winter that I might as well leave the old tires on. If I'm going to flat spot a set from sitting all winter, it might as well be those. Once the balancer at work gets recalibrated, the new ones are going on.

[bcroe]

My rule for tires is 6 years.  I often take the frequently driven tires off
(in much less than 6 years) and put them on less frequently driven cars,
so I am regularly refreshing them all but only buying for one.  Bruce Roe

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

There must be a conspiracy these days as I have been using tyres for many years that were 20 plus years old with no problems.

When money was tight, as it usually is, I would even fit retreads, or go to the wreckers and get what I could find that would fit.

Bruce.

[quadfins]

Here are the new "shoes".

Diamondback 8.20 bias-look radials, with 2 1/4 WW. Since I am moving to Display Only, they are a good compromise between authenticity and drivability. I hope I will recover the 2 mpg that I lost when I switched to the bias plies 11 years ago.

Smooth, quiet ride. Tread width on the old bias was 5 1/2, these are 6 inches. so the extra footprint should provide better grip on slippery surfaces. If plans work out, I will get a long road test driving from Virginia to the GN in Louisville in June.