Age of tyres

[Dave Newell]

Well maybe but then there is no compulsion on the tester to give such a report and this is where the MOT test has always fallen down, the human element. I've found over the years that different testers have their own hobby horses and while one may give an advisory for rusty brake discs when they are only slightly rusted another will give an advisory for a rusty exhaust even though it is not holed or blowing. I've even known one to give an advisory on surface rust on road springs. I've had a car fail because the front tyres were wider than the rear and the tester felt it should be the other way round (I'm talking 165 on front and 155 on rear not a huge differential). As it didn't involve more than ten minutes work to swap front to rear I did so and got the ticket but I did argue the point and finally got him to concede that it shouldn't have failed.

 

D.

 

P.S. apologies for the digression.

[Brian Kirby]

Dave Newell - 2010-11-18 8:38 PM ................. but I did argue the point and finally got him to concede that it shouldn't have failed. 

How many pints did it take, or did you just keep hitting him?  :-D  Further apologies!

[Derek Uzzell]

This is a link to a more in-depth explanation about the tyre-inspection part of our MOT test:

 

http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual_410.htm

 

The web-page contains some interesting, perhaps surprising, information. For example:

 

"Note: A Class 3 or 4 vehicle tyre which appears to be of inadequate size, ply or speed rating for the vehicle or its use is not a reason for rejection. However, the vehicle presenter should be informed."

 

But it should be noted that the age of a tyre is irrelevant as far as the MOT test is concerned.

 

Although some vehicle manufacturers have begun to include in their handbooks advice regarding the age of a tyre after which it should be discarded, there's nothing about this in my 2005 Ford Transit manual, and I'm sure that would also be true for earlier-model Transits such as cyclops2's Duetto.

 

I don't know what the tyre industry currently advises regarding maximum tyre-age. Historically, the recommended period has varied significantly - from 10 years for a tyre in use (and 6 years if not), to no specified limit, and then back to 10 years. (I'd be grateful if anyone could point me to a tyre manufacturer's website that carries the current advice.)

 

Leisure-vehicle organisations will naturally recommend a tyre-age well on the side of safety (and who can blame them?) None of the age-related recommendations (past or present) have, however, passed into UK law or even become an agreed 'standard'.

 

As paulmold has emphasised, it's the rules of our MOT test that will ultimately be used to govern whether or not a vehicle's tyres are 'roadworthy' and those rules don't set any maximum tyre-age.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rayjsj]

Also, Am I the only one who finds it hard to find the 'Age data' on vehicle tyres ? If it is so important, and 'Our' fault if an aged tyre causes an accident. Why isn't the age of the tyre more obviously displayed ? AND on both sides of the tyre ? on one vehicle i drove ALL of the age 'Section' on ALL the tyres was on the inside (under) the vehicle and impossible to see.

This is ESPECIALLY important for 'camping tyres' which do very low mileage, hence excellant tread pattern (AND pass the MOT) but are potentially life threatening , well 'over-age' . How does the 'average' driver know ? PS I have all the links to tyre 'Codes' BUT that is not enough.

Ray *-)

[Brambles]

Derek Uzzell - 2010-11-19 8:17 AM

 

.....

I don't know what the tyre industry currently advises regarding maximum tyre-age. Historically, the recommended period has varied significantly - from 10 years for a tyre in use (and 6 years if not), to no specified limit, and then back to 10 years. (I'd be grateful if anyone could point me to a tyre manufacturer's website that carries the current advice.)

.......

 

Hi Derek,

Michelin recommend from 5 years from 1st use the tyres should be inspected by a professional, and 10 years from date of manufacture advise they are replaced. Don't think I have changed the meaning of what is written.

 

http://www.michelin.co.uk/content/pdf/TC_Safety_Guide.pdf near end of document you will find it .

[Keithl]

And Continental also recommend changing their tyres at 10 years from date of manufacture regardless of mileage and condition so this seems to be the norm.

There is a lot of info out there on tyres but at the end of the day the responsibility for the condition of the tyres on your vehicle remains well and truly with you, the driver.

 

Keith.

[Brambles]

ignore this - just posting to make thread roll over and see Kieth's post.

[Keithl]

And here's me waiting for my post to appear :'( :'( :'(

 

Keith.

[Brian Kirby]

The problem may be that all tyre information is, perhaps not surprisingly, aimed at the average user. 

Cars, last time I looked, had an average annual mileage of 12,000 (unless you were selling, when for some reason it fell to 10,000!  :-))  So, if the tyre would last 10 years, your average user would have clocked up 120,000 miles, which seems a bit improbable on one set of tyres. 

I think somewhere around 40,000 miles would be pretty good average mileage from car tyres, so they would only last, on average, about 3-4 years.  For commercial vehicles, the average annual mileage is substantially higher, so the tyres are probably shot after 2 years or less.

Motorhomes tend to do ridiculously low mileages, and caravans, where the issue of aged tyres seems to have originated, even less.  So, at 3,000 miles per year, if 40,000 miles is a fair average to (sensibly) wear out the tread, the tyres would still be in service after 13 years!

The answer, surely, since the tyres will have to be changed in any case, is take the van out and drive it so that it hits the 40,000 mile mark after about 7 years, which is still only an average mileage of about 6,000 per annum. 

Personal view, I know, but sticking several tens of thousands of pounds worth of van on your drive for weeks and months on end, or parking it for weeks on some site somewhere, plus taxing it, insuring it, and having it serviced, should, IMO, provoke a re-appraisal of whether it is really worth owning.

So go on, get out and drive the bloomin' thing, and use up its tyres - don't just let them decompose from old age.  :-)

[Derek Uzzell]

Brambles & Keithl

 

Thanks for the links.

[Derek Uzzell]

Brian Kirby - 2010-11-19 5:59 PM

 

...Personal view, I know, but sticking several tens of thousands of pounds worth of van on your drive for weeks and months on end, or parking it for weeks on some site somewhere, plus taxing it, insuring it, and having it serviced, should, IMO, provoke a re-appraisal of whether it is really worth owning....

 

If we began to worry whether our Hobby motorhome was really worth owning, then we'd immediately get shot of it. It's just another amusing toy, like my Ducati Streetfighter and my wife's TVR Sagaris. Anyway "...tens of thousands of pounds worth of van..." - just pin-money as far as we are concerned. ;-)

[Corky 8]

Thanks Keithl,   for the continental link, my  06 M/H is on continental,s so its nice to know the Manufacturer air,s on the ten year side of Caution, But I do check my tyres regularly,as with us all thats where our Money is riding .  (the tyres)