| thinking about tire safety, it is important to consider two | | | | making the rubber harder. |
| things: age and use. Vehicles driven daily are typically | | | | Nowadays, rubber in tires has oil in it that tends to |
| driven 15,000 miles a year. But there are situations | | | | migrate into the tires’ under tread/casing and |
| where cars put on even fewer miles. This includes: | | | | evaporate into the air. In the process of this, the tire |
| being driven only on the weekends, never driving in the | | | | compound releases oil and gets harder. If you |
| rain, “show” cars, and cars that are | | | | can’t quite visualize this, go into any tire store |
| stored for extended periods of time. So, some tires on | | | | and take a big whiff. You’ll smell the oil there. |
| these types of cars put on less than 100,000. But it | | | | Before curing, most tires are coated with a mold |
| doesn’t mean that they are safe tires. Tires | | | | release agent that is makes it easier to remove from |
| deteriorate over time and can “age out” | | | | their mold after curing. If it’s a little hard to |
| wear out before they wear out. | | | | visualize, think about spraying “Pam” on |
| In a statement from the British Rubber Manufacturers | | | | a fry pan before pouring on the batter for pancakes. |
| Association (BRMA) issued on June 5, 2001 regarding | | | | This increases the safety of tires because some of |
| the age of tires they state, "BRMA members strongly | | | | the mold release agent gets “cooked” |
| recommend that unused tires should not be put into | | | | onto the surface of the cured tire, which prevents all |
| service if they are over 6 years old and that all tires | | | | the oil from evaporating. |
| should be replaced 10 years from the date of their | | | | What Is The Right Tire Age? |
| manufacture." Tire age can be accelerated by a | | | | In most cases, most street tires are good for 6-8 |
| variety of environmental factors, such as sunlight | | | | years if maintained properly. Don’t forget |
| exposure and coastal climates. Poor storage and | | | | though that this includes the time the tires spent from |
| infrequent use of your vehicle are other things that can | | | | the manufacturer’s plant to the dealer to you. |
| accelerate tire age. | | | | So, keep this in mind when you are determining tire |
| If you keep your tires in ideal conditions, the tire age | | | | age. |
| can go as high as 10 years from its manufacture date. | | | | Most tires get to you anywhere between 3-6 months. |
| But ideal conditions are the exception rather than the | | | | Some stay longer with the tire manufacturer, but |
| rule. And the worst part is that you cannot tell the | | | | generally all tires that go on your car are less than a |
| safety of an old tire just by looking at it since there are | | | | year old. So, you should not get an old tire from any |
| no conclusive tests for the safety of tires without | | | | tire manufacturer. |
| destroying the tire itself! | | | | Which Tires Last Longest? |
| Due to this, some European car manufacturers of high | | | | If you want to buy a tire based on how long it will last, |
| performance sports cars, coupes and sedans have | | | | you have to consider thread compound. The more |
| hedged their bets, stating in their owners manuals that | | | | aggressive its compound … the shorter tire life. |
| the tire age should reach no higher than 6 years. | | | | Below is a list of tires from longest-lasting to |
| How Better Rubber Makes Tires That Are Safe | | | | shortest-lasting: |
| There have been a lot of changes in rubber | | | | * Max Performance |
| compounds since Charles Goodyear discovered how | | | | * Ultra High Performance tires |
| to cure rubber when he baked a combination of | | | | * DOT-legal competition tires |
| natural rubber and sulfur on his family’s kitchen | | | | Bottom line: if you want to avoid safe tire issues go |
| stove. Thus, he would convert an unappreciated raw | | | | with tires that last long and properly maintain them. |
| material into many useful products. Goodyear | | | | This article is a copyrighted work and does not come |
| cross-linked sulfur with polymers that, when exposed | | | | with reprint or resale rights and may not be altered or |
| to heat, would help make rubber durable and at the | | | | changed in any way including the resource box. The |
| same time maintain its elasticity. The main focus of | | | | site owner acknowledges that by using this article they |
| new research has been finding tire age inhibitors. Sulfur | | | | accept this condition. The only exception being to bold |
| molecules are one such tire age inhibitor that is | | | | the appropriate copy i.e. headlines and subhead text. |
| reactivated every time they are exposed to heat, | | | | |