Tire reassurance.

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So giving the 'burb a once over before the big summer road trip and this is what the inside of the tires looks like. Only around the raised lettering. Tires are older but have fair tread still. They are "D" load so 8 plys of security.

So, problem? Or no problem?

It just did a thousand mile trip towing a 3,500 lb trailer without a hiccup so I'd think all was good but......

Eh, what's the worst that can happen?

It says injury may result from under/over inflation. Cracked sidewalls should be fine.

How old is older?

You'll die in a fiery crash

10 years. They were in storage for a couple of those though.

It's just that new tires would be something like $600 and funds are never quite there. I could put it on the credit card of course but that's a road to ruin.

I quit buying Michelin truck tires because two sets cracked along the raised white letters. I filed a complaint and the answer was they were fine. No more michelins for me. Later tire dealers could not understand why I didn't want white letter tired. I don't care that you can turn them in. Now I'm lucky to find anything in the right size.

I would proceed with caution. Don't over load, pay attention to temps and pay special attention to any vibrations while on the road. I've driven on worse.

KyAllroad wrote: <img src="" /> So giving the 'burb a once over before the big summer road trip and this is what the inside of the tires looks like. Only around the raised lettering. Tires are older but have fair tread still. They are "D" load so 8 plys of security. So, problem? Or no problem? It just did a thousand mile trip towing a 3,500 lb trailer without a hiccup so I'd think all was good but......

Throw 'em out.

If they are that dry, they have got to be scary-bad in the wet.

KyAllroad wrote: 10 years. They were in storage for a couple of those though.

Throw 'em out.

Tires are noticeably worse after a couple years and by the time they are four years old, they're little better than Big Wheel tires, and for the same reason. They don't grip the road anymore.

Why would you even consider jeopardizing you and other ppl on the road?!?!? Have some damn common sense! If you can't afford it, Don't do it. I want a Lamborghini but you don't see me taking a job as a coke mule to gain the funds...

Trackmouse wrote: Why would you even consider jeopardizing you and other ppl on the road?!?!? Have some damn common sense! If you can't afford it, Don't do it. I want a Lamborghini but you don't see me taking a job as a coke mule to gain the funds...

Ease up dude.

In reply to EastCoastMojo:

It's the internet. Someone has to be overdramatic.

With tires like that, everything is fine until it isn't, and then it will go sideways fast (no pun intended).

Easy mode is to check out any used tire places (learn how to read the dates on tires) or ask around some local junkyards to see if you can buy tires from them. The ones around me will take a standing order for a particular size and call you if they get them. You can get some pretty new tires for pennies on the dollar either way.

I've looked into local junkyards, they suck and are less than helpful. Take-offs seem to be as much as new so no love on CL.

A buddy of mine can get them wholesale so any recommendations? I had great luck with Michelin LTX M/S on my Explorer but it sounds like their quality is slipping lately.

Oh and Trackmouse: bite me dude

I bought a used van that had sat a while. The tires looked fine from the outside, and had good tread. I was under the van with a flashlight, and a glint caught my eye. The tires were so dry and cracked that I was looking at the steel belts, showing in the cracks between the tread.

Blow a rear tire: PITA with some danger.

Blow a front tire: real danger of loss of control and rollover. Rollover, particularly in trucks/SUVs, can lead to ejection. Ejection during rollover can lead to, well, getting rolled over by your own SUV.

Blow a tire while a towing a trailer: This is not something I willingly even contemplate. When I realized my tow vehicle tires were five years old and the second one delaminated I bought new tires, screw the 10/32 inch of tread remaining.

I can't recommend running a set of tires more than six years, and the sixth year is pushing it. I'm close to replacing some otherwise-good tires for this very reason. And that's on a car, not a tow vehicle.

But, if you do drove on those old tires and blow one, please please do it somewhere far from me and my family. If you injure someone else and it is determined that your vehicle was in an unsafe condition, I would expect it to get litigated.

If you run them go easy, see if they get worse. Remember that "8 ply rated" still only have 2 or rarely 3 plies.

Put me strongly and firmly in the "do not trust" category. One blowout is enough for a lifetime. I've already had mine, and I'm still weary of wobbles and vibrations 4 years later.

Brett_Murphy wrote: With tires like that, everything is fine until it isn't, and then it will go sideways fast

Yep.

Any time I've had a tire rip itself apart going down the road, the carcass looked like yours before I started rolling.

Odds are, you'll be fine. But if it fails, it will do so rather spectacularly.

If it fails and you are in a wreck because of it, even the police will be able to connect the dots.

Don't run those on the highway. I know we are grassroots here, but this is is serious. Those horrible cracks will allow water or whatever to get in and attack the tire structure while the truck is parked. For trucks, you can find a lot of lightly used "takeoff" tires available cheap, as owners change their tire/wheel size or tread type. I found some nice Firestones for my F150 on Craigslist that were almost new but priced less than one new tire.

Ahh you will be good just be sure to give it a nice dual coat of rhino-liner at each stop

For real though try and dig around for a good replacement.

KyAllroad wrote: 10 years. They were in storage for a couple of those though.

you can do whatever you want … me ? I wouldn't even drive those to the tire store

Replace them. Alot of manufacturers say 10 yrs is max service life for tires and some say 8. I wouldn't consider it for a long road trip.

Michelin M/S2 is a good Truck tire all Michelin I've seen will develop some "blooming" (small cracks) and is considered cosmetic. Some manufacturers used a chemical jn the rubber to slow it or prevent it. Big stuff like that is a reason for replacement.