Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[UKdave2002]

Saw this article in the Stag Owners Club;

"The FBHVC recently issued a warning about the dangers of using old tyres, following the death of a classic car enthusiast last year. The owner of an MGB was travelling on the M56 to display his car at a show. The car was in all other respects in very good condition, when a blow-out on a rear tyre caused the car to spin & overturn, killing the driver.

The subsequent coroners inquest determined the cause of the accident was due to the age of the tyres. The owner had bought a set of barely worn ‘original’ tyres at an autojumble the year before, which he kept on a set of wheels purely for show use.

What he probably didn’t realise was that the tyres were over 25 years old, and the sidewalls had lost their flexibility, causing the tyre to over heat and blow.

Tyre condition is not just about correct inflation pressures, good tread depth, and keeping the MoT inspector cheerful once a year. Many classic owners average less than 1000 miles annually, particularly those who compete in concours competitions, so consequently tend not to put much wear on the tread, which is usually the only bit of the tyre we look at.

This often gives a false sense of security that the tyres are still in good condition. Using the car frequently can help to prevent ‘flat’ spots forming when the car is parked for long periods, and also helps keep the sidewalls supple. The tyre’s grip also decreases with age because the rubber compounds age-harden, which has a serious impact on braking and steering performance, particularly in the wet.

The recommendation from the tyre industry is that the maximum age for a tyre to still be in service is 10 years; and that’s under ideal conditions. You can tell the age of your tyres from a coded date stamp on the sidewall, close to the wheel rim, usually preceded by the DOT code - the American Department Of Transport specification code. After 2000, tyre manufacturers were required to use a 4-digit code.

If yours has a 3-digit code followed by a small triangle, it was made in the 1990’s, again the first two digits denoting the week followed by the last number of the year in that decade, and if it doesn’t have a triangle after the 3-digits, it means it is of 1980’s vintage, and should be quickly pensioned off.
Check yours now, before you become another grim statistic."

[buzzy bee]

Hi

I know it is not quite as serious, but I had an old bicycle tyre blow out on me once, the tube must have come throught the sidewall, and in doing so it popped, one hell of a bang, luckily it was while I was insecting the tyres, which looked ok. Exploded right in my face, giving me tinitus for a few days. The moral of the story is that the tyre looked good, but obviously it wasn't!

Cheers

Dave

[Uncle Joe]

Over here, most people have two sets of tyres, summer and winter. A few years ago, the government imposed an age limit of 6 years on winter tyres, for just the reasons mentioned.

Not getting used much, winter tyres got old, and there ended up being a lot of accidents due to tyres blowing out, losing treads (new, not remoulds) and other stuff.

Just thought I'd bore you all with this reply!

UJ

[rdover]

Useful information delivered in a non scaremongery way.

4 new tyres on order very soon!

[chimpchoker]

I wonder if Richard Hammonds tyres were old then........

[Penman]

hi
It was a nail.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_6990000/newsid_6995000/6995023.stm