Tyres - Pros, Cons and experiences

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condor22

Mike
Joined
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Location
Adelaide, SA
I'm about to do a tyre replacement on 2 vehicles and thought I'd note my experience;

VEH 1 - Wife's Toyota Corolla 2012, still has the OEM tyres on it. Odo reads 27,450 (yup real kms). Car was fitted with Yokohama 195/65 R15 - 91H. The tyres still have about 3,000km on them, but the rubber is starting to crack (near 9 years old) and may not be safe at speed. I got a good deal on Bridgestone tyres, Turanza Serenity Plus, 4 for the price of 3 and wheel alignment for $499. These tyres have a 50,000km/5yr warranty. which is almost double the kms on the OEM tyres. For safety, they get done tomorrow.

VEH 2 - Colorado 7 2016 again with OEM tyres fitted - Bridgestone Dueler H/T 245/75/ R16 - 111S. However my odo reads 62,700 and the OEM tyres still have 3 to 4,000 km on them and will get done between now and my next interstate trip. I spoke to the tyre dealer and he was very happy with the ms I got out of them. I should add that the Holden dealer was asked to do a 5 wheel rotate at each service, they didn't do that. I only realised when a puncture needed me to swap it out last year. (The pain of the spare being under the rear end, out of sight out of mind.) So that mileage is from 4 tyres. About 12,000 km towing my caravan, about 10,000 km on dirt tracks around the VIC GT and about 2k more towing on the same dirt tracks. The rest on bitumen.

I've sometimes thought of swapping to a different tyre profile, but that immediately makes it a 5 tyre buy. Given the good kms I have to date, I'm sticking with the Duelers. I should note, Duelers come in several variants and prices, mine are in the higher end of the range - H/T689. I'll need 4 for around $1,000 + $50 alignment. They also have a 50,000/5yr guarantee.

However, the manager has my number and if they come on special between now and when needed, he'll phone and I'll go early. :)

The other great thing is on both vehicles, I get a rotate and balance for the life of the tyre.
 
Low profile tyres make the ride harder, plus a drop in economy and top end gear ratio.
A good tip when ever buying a new car, close the deal with a spare tyre to suit it.
Once you have worn the fronts out, make one worn the spare and fit the spare and the extra tyre on.
Matching tyres in time can be difficult.
+ its like you get 2 new tyres for free, just a refit cost
 
Don't end up with a spare tyre that will let you down when you need it most,(usually a long way from anywhere) and if it does, remember you don't have another spare. (unless you're well prepared). An 8 year old tyre becomes a dangerous 10 year old when left in the boot while you're enjoying the benefits of the new ones.

Good choice to go for the better quality ones, you want to stop before the pedestrian crossing not half way though!
 
For what its worth tyres beyond 5 years old are unroadworthy. Of course they will last beyond that, but keep in mind (warranty or not) an insurance company may decline a payout should you be in a vehicular accident.

They print the month and year on tyres if in doubt :Y:
 
turn over of tyres age, wear and tear gets back to individual circumstances.
Some do 5k a year, some do 100k a year.
I'm keen to see any insurance disclaimers RE- tyres age but.
Just for trivia!
I haven't seen such print in exact terms yet.
Cracking isnt a good thing to have in tyres when claiming but....
 
From NSW Transport:

Tyre age
It is important to know the age of tyres, especially when buying second-hand vehicles. Most tyres have date markings and those older than five years, even with little wear, may need to be replaced, as rubber materials deteriorate over time.

https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/stayingsafe/vehiclesafety/tyres.html

Nothing there that suggests that five year old tyres are automatically unroadworthy.

The criteria for unroadworthiness seems to be:

Tyre Condition
The condition of your tyres is imperative for the overall performance and safety of your vehicle. To be considered roadworthy your tyres must be free from cuts, cracks, bulges and any signs of perished rubber.

https://www.tyresandmore.com.au/news/are-your-tyres-roadworthy

If tyres have been well looked after, run at correct inflation pressure, and kept garaged or similarly protected when not in use, there is no reason why they should be automatically considered to be unroadworthy simply because they are over five years old.

If your five+ year old tyres meet the criteria for roadworthiness at the time of an accident, an insurance company would have little chance of denying your claim on that basis.

A bit of info here on the date marking system:

Now you know the age of your tyre how old is too old? Thats an impossible question to answer precisely as it depends on so many factors, not least how the tyre has been cared for and stored, so nobody will give you a definitive answer. As an analogy, would you eat food one day past its use-buy date? Probably. What if that food had been stored in the hot sun? You wouldnt want to touch it even before the use-by date.

The same sort of logic applies to tyres, except theres no use-by date, and a bit like food, tyre resistance to aging varies. Delicate race tyres lose performance at the slightest mishandling, offroad tyres are tougherbut all tyres will be damaged through neglect and age. Tyres that have been on a trailer with minimal weight on it, stored in a covered garage will last longer than tyres which are stored outside supporting a heavy trailer, open to the elements.

https://practicalmotoring.com.au/car-advice/check-age-of-tyres-vital/

Note the penultimate paragraph:

In general, any tyre which is more than five years old is suspect. Some manufacturers like Bridgestone warranty some of their tyres to five years, but that assumes correct care and use, a bit like the use-by date on food assuming youre put the food in the fridge when youre meant to. Michelin suggest an annual inspection every year after five years.
 
When I was chatting with the Bridgestone guy, I asked him re the 5 year thing. His reply was that it was subjective as with many outdoor items, it depends on the environment it is used in, where it is stored when not used. i.e. excessive heat or cold can affect the rubber, but UV is the biggest concern. So when parked in a garage most of the time, they get less UV than on a driveway. Carports are somewhere in between.

He commented that 5 years is the minimum a tyre should last in most environments, after that it pays to get them checked a couple of times a year for rubber deterioration. My wife's tyres are 3 months short of 9 years old and starting to show signs of cracking, but as mentioned it lives in an enclosed garage and the mileage tells a lot more. :)

Mine however, will likely never need the 5 year consideration due to the annual mileage I do.

Sorry for using the term mileage, I don't think kilometerage is in wide use, lol. :) :) :)

I've changed my opinion on rotating tyres as I did ask for a 5 tyre rotate which means each tyre's life is extended by approx 20%, which is fine for a new car. Then replace the worst 4 and keep the best as a spare. I say this as it is usually my practice to fix the puncture or buggered tyre then put it back on the car anyway. And, of course where you don't get a full size spare, you have no choice, lol. So from now on and on this car, I'll only do a 4 wheel rotate, which as mentioned is free with balancing every 5k and that also keeps an eagle eye on alignment.

My wife's spare is in the boot under the mat, it's never been on the car or in the sun, lol. But I'll get him to check it anyway due to it's age.
 
On my 2011 D-Max I replaced the original Bridgestone dueller's (I think 693's) after 40,000 with Bridgestone D697 A/T light truck tyres. They have an aggressive tread and provided great service both in highway and off road applications. I got around 100,000 off them, and the wear indicators suggested possibly another 10K, and am on track to do the same with the next set.
 
Got back from doing the Corolla tyres. Tyre bloke looked at the spare, never been on the car and good to go as a spare for quite some time even tho it's near 9 years old.
 
condor22 said:
Got back from doing the Corolla tyres. Tyre bloke looked at the spare, never been on the car and good to go as a spare for quite some time even tho it's near 9 years old.

If it's never been on the road or in the sun: good as a spare for a while yet.
 
During 2 recent inspections for Roadworthy I was informed both times (and protested) that tyres over 5 years would not pass inspection, but as you guys rightly point out this is actually untrue, so I did indeed state this incorrectly after searching a bit further through the regulations.

Bloody embarrassing, but more so costly :argh: to find this out.

Apologies for stating this earlier, I humbly stand corrected and didnt intend to misinform anyone gents. :Y:
 
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