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Old 02-23-2011, 06:49 PM   #1
Virginia Deacon
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Smile An Ounce of Prevention

Replaced my six-year-old Goodyear Marathon tires, today. Had high-pressure, truck tire valve stems installed, instead of regular stems. Mechanic said those stems "last forever." Also, had both tires balanced. The original spare tire had only a couple cosmetic marks, and we agree not to replace the spare.

Mechanic pointed out that both tires had six-inch tread separation; could have failed at any time, he said. He also showed me two Goodyear large, truck tires he recently replaced; one had completely lost its tread, and the other was looking pretty shabby. He said the owner asked for an adjustment, because "we have only had these for six months." Owner said they were on a trip and needed to replace their old tires. These, she was told, were just what she needed and the price was right. The mechanic checked the date the tires were made and discovered they were eight years old when she bought them as "new" tires. It's against the law to sell eight-year old tires, my mechanic said.

Lessons learned: I verified the manufacturing date on my the tires I bought today; will do this every time I buy any tire for my vehicles. I plan on having the TrailManor tires removed and inspected for flaws every year, when I have the TrailManor inspected by state law. I'll continue to check tire pressure, rim torque, and drive at 60 or less when towing the TrailManor. And, I won't wait six years until I replace these new tires.

Thanks to all on this forum who have provided money-saving, TrailManor saving, and - maybe - life-saving advice about tires!
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Old 02-23-2011, 06:54 PM   #2
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Sounds like you been living right!! Glad you were spared the aggravation and trouble of losing them on a trip.
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Old 02-23-2011, 06:58 PM   #3
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What was your justification for not replacing your spare?

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Old 02-24-2011, 06:29 AM   #4
Virginia Deacon
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Default Good Question

Thanks for your question.

We inspected the spare and it looked as good as new (no checking or dryrot). It did have a couple small indentations from the holder, but two tire specialists said they were only cosmetic, that the tire was sound. I had the mechanic replace the valve stem with a high-pressure, heavy-duty stem and balance the spare, before he put it back in the holder. After camping season this year, I will probably replace the spare.
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Old 02-24-2011, 06:52 AM   #5
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With a six year old spare in good shape, you better have road side service which will respond to RV calls. I worked for BFGoodrich for 8 years as a Product Service Manager. A six year old tire is an unreliable spare but it might get you to the next exit if road service is not available.
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Old 02-24-2011, 09:58 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Beach Boy View Post
With a six year old spare in good shape, you better have road side service which will respond to RV calls. I worked for BFGoodrich for 8 years as a Product Service Manager. A six year old tire is an unreliable spare but it might get you to the next exit if road service is not available.
This is very true.

The spare tire has not been "worked" or exposed to the Sun. It won't show UV damage on the surface but the real problem lies beneath the surface, where the tires are laminated.

Tires need to be worked once in a while to keep the vulcanized rubber "Healthy". That's why it is unwise to buy "New" tires that have been sitting on the shelf for years (just like your spare has been doing).

I rotate my tires every 3-6 months (including the spare). That way, I don't end up with a 4-year-old tire, that has never been on the ground, to rely on in the event of a flat tire.
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Old 02-24-2011, 11:16 AM   #7
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So you are saying that "age" alone will casue a tire to deteriorate even if it is not exposed to the sun etc?

and that my new "spare" at some point ? years (unless I rotate it) will be unreliable even if looks "pristine" on the outside?
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Old 02-24-2011, 11:22 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by moaboy View Post
So you are saying that "age" alone will casue a tire to deteriorate even if it is not exposed to the sun etc?

and that my new "spare" at some point ? years (unless I rotate it) will be unreliable even if looks "pristine" on the outside?
That is correct, there are times when this will pop up in the media about not trusting a 6 year old tire even though it looks now. This I think is one reason the government stepped in and mandated date codes.
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Old 02-24-2011, 11:27 AM   #9
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Quote:
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So you are saying that "age" alone will casue a tire to deteriorate even if it is not exposed to the sun etc?

and that my new "spare" at some point ? years (unless I rotate it) will be unreliable even if looks "pristine" on the outside?
Absolutely!!!

We get customers all the time come in to our shop, wanting to put their 10 year old (sometimes older than that ) spare into service.....cause in their words "it's a brand new tire".

That's when we have to burst their bubble and tell then it's an unused tire, but it's not hardly brand new. We also tell then that they are most likely going to pay a high price, when their unused spare slings a tread off.....which is a common occurence with these older tires.

One of the worse things, as others have correctly pointed out, that you can do to a tire...is not use it. It needs to flex and roll (so centrifugal force can do it's job).

EDIT: Here is a snippet from a tire article I had saved. Although it's a little more complex than this, the article will put it in layman terms about tire rubber deterioration.

Vehicles which are parked for extended periods often experience tire sidewall deterioration. Sometimes called tire dry-rot, these sidewalls literally dry, check and eventually crack and split. Each year the loss for RVers, trailer boaters and owners of classic cars adds up to millions of dollars. This article examines this problem.

Tires today commonly contain chemical ingredients which lessen damage from ozone and ultraviolet light, the main environmental enemies of tires. Ozone is an odorless gas, which some people call the electric train smell. Although it is more concentrated in cities and manufacturing centers, ozone is a normal part of the air we breathe everywhere. When combined with ultraviolet (UV) light, ozone causes rubber to dry and become brittle and results in tire sidewall deterioration.

Black Tires

To protect rubber against UV damage is why tires are black. Tire makers use a common type of UV stabilizer called a competitive absorber. Competitive absorbers capture and absorb the UV light instead of the tire's rubber. Carbon black, a very cheap ingredient, is used as a competitive absorber whereas, all other UV stabilizers are extremely expensive. This is why tires are black.

UV stabilizers are called sacrificial, meaning they are gradually used up and reach a point where they can no longer protect the tire against UV damage. As carbon black loses its ability to do this job, it turns gray, which explains why tires appear gray as the get older.

Ozone Protection

Waxes are used to protect tires against ozone. When tires are being driven they flex. This flexing causes the protective waxes to move to the surface where they form a physical barrier between the air --which contains ozone and oxygen-- and the tire polymer. This is called blooming.

When tires are not regularly used, such as a parked RV, boat trailer, classic car, spares, this blooming does not happen. Ozone then starts eating away the protective wax and before long reaches the tire polymer. Often by this time, the surface carbon black has lost its ability to protect against UV. With UV light and ozone working together, deterioration starts. The tire dries, checks, and will eventually crack.

Other Degradants

Petrochemicals and silicone oils can also remove protective waxes and increase the rate of decay. Common automotive protectants and tire dressings can contain chemicals and/or silicone oils which dissolve protective waxes and can actually attack the sidewalls. In the event of failure, one of the first things tire manufacturers look for is evidence of the use of these types of products. If it is found it may be a cause for invalidating a warrant against manufacturing defects.
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Old 02-24-2011, 06:25 PM   #10
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Smile Your comments are appreciated

Thank you for urging me to replace the spare tire on my TrailManor. I intend to take your collective advice. I'm sure others have been "wised up," to!

Camping weather is just around the corner!
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