Opinions on tire replacement

[Top Toy]

I feel your pain Dom! I just threw away a set of brand new looking Michelin PS2's in unobtainium sizes that were on my '95 when I bought it. 15 years old. They actually gripped reasonably well but, like you, I'm not into taking any more chances.

Sent from my SM-G975U1 using ZR-1 Net Registry mobile app

[XfireZ51]

Dennis,

Pete and I had the car up on his lift and we took a look at the tires. Frankly, there was no sign of dryrot. Rubber appeared “soft” and there is plenty of tread on the tire. U can see the wear bars w plenty of tread.

[lfalzarano]

I replace mine every 5 years, knowing the car will always exceed the posted speed limit by many MPH. It’s better to be on the conservative side and retire your tires earlier, than risk danger to yourself, a passenger or occupants of another vehicle. Lives are at stake.


Carmakers, tiremakers and rubber manufacturers differ in their opinions about the lifespan of a tire. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has no specific guidelines on tire aging and defers to the recommendations of carmakers and tire manufacturers.

“Many automakers, including Ford, Nissan and Mercedes-Benz, tell owners to replace tires six years after their production date, regardless of tread life. Tire manufacturers such as Continental and Michelin say a tire can last up to 10 years provided you get annual tire inspections after the fifth year.

The Rubber Manufacturers Association said there is no way to put a date on when a tire "expires" because such factors as heat, storage, underinflation and conditions of use can dramatically reduce the life of a tire. Here's more on each of these factors:

Heat: NHTSA research has found that tires age more quickly in warmer climates. NHTSA also found that environmental conditions, such as exposure to sunlight and coastal climates, can hasten the aging process. People who live in coastal states and other areas with warm weather should keep this in mind when deciding whether they should retire a tire.”


Sent from my iPhone using ZR-1 Net Registry

[XfireZ51]

Lou,

I’m in Chicagoland, and the car mainly sits in a dark garage unless being driven. When in the cold, I’m not trying to do donuts with it. I’ll see how it goes this spring.
And yes Michelin does say 10 years MAX.

[DRM500RUBYZR-1]

Originally Posted by XfireZ51

Lou,

I’m in Chicagoland, and the car mainly sits in a dark garage unless being driven. When in the cold, I’m not trying to do donuts with it. I’ll see how it goes this spring.
And yes Michelin does say 10 years MAX.

When you jump on it hard, it will likely go round and round, doing the donuts you did not try. While fun in a parking lot, no fun at all at 7200 going into 2nd or 3rd. I don't trust "remembering" my tires while entranced by the LT-5 song.
(Cautious Marty)

[XfireZ51]

Thx Marty. I know you mean well. I will be “testing” traction (w ASR ON) albeit at lower power levels to see if I have confidence in the grip. 40-50* weather isn’t the time to do that. Costco has the best price for Super Sports that I have found so far.

[spork2367]

Originally Posted by XfireZ51

Dennis,

Pete and I had the car up on his lift and we took a look at the tires. Frankly, there was no sign of dryrot. Rubber appeared “soft” and there is plenty of tread on the tire. U can see the wear bars w plenty of tread.

They are starting to deteriorate. You can see the cracking in the inside radius.

[XfireZ51]

Originally Posted by spork2367

They are starting to deteriorate. You can see the cracking in the inside radius.

Actually spork, thanks for pointing that out. More importantly, looking closer at that shot, I can see cracks along the side of the groove. Hmmm.

[Gunny]

If you're still "looking" ...
I ran Nitto 555's on my 90Z and was quite satisfied with handling on the mountain roads as well as on the track.
On my '02 ZO6 I ran Nitto NT05 and was even more impressed -- the tire is really a summer tire but I did the Dragon a couple years ago in Feb. - 34 degrees and light snow and the tires did OK.

[XfireZ51]

Thx George. Of course, I have Michs up front also and they are only a bit leas than 5 years old. I ran Nitto Invos for several years and liked them. But the Michs felt much smoother and appeared to have a bit more traction. Wet pavement traction also feels pretty good.