[supremeBaleno]

^^^So basically if alignment is not done properly, we are in for harm rather than benefit.

BTW how often do you do alignment ? I remember doing it last when I moved to alloys and that was like 5+ years ago.

[esteem_lover]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

^^^So basically if alignment is not done properly, we are in for harm rather than benefit.

BTW how often do you do alignment ? I remember doing it last when I moved to alloys and that was like 5+ years ago.

Alignment and balancing every 5k kms or earlier if you feel you have been on very bad roads or hit potholes at high speeds.

[VeyronSuperSprt]

The Skoda Rapid Owners Manual advises owners to change tyres every 6 years regardless of tread depth in the interests of safety. Looks like manufacturers in India have also started to advise as is being done abroad. Other manufacturers will hopefully follow suit.

As usual, safety practices come late to third world countries.

Better late than never.

[ramanan.skr]

Dear TBhpians,
Refreshing the slightly older thread. Few days back, I had a puncture in one of the tires(OE-JK tyres) which is around 5.5 years old and ran close to 28K. The tire shop has suggested to change all the tires as the rubber has started to degrade.

Please suggest if it is right to change it now.

- Ramanan

[parsh]

Originally Posted by ramanan.skr

Dear TBhpians,

No pun intended but simply and humbly raising it to the good sense. Hope you do feel like being a Team-BHPian by self as well. Make yourself comfortable at ease this being automotive home for many like us.

Originally Posted by ramanan.skr

Refreshing the slightly older thread. Few days back, I had a puncture in one of the tires(OE-JK tyres) which is around 5.5 years old and ran close to 28K. The tire shop has suggested to change all the tires as the rubber has started to degrade.

Please suggest if it is right to change it now.

- Ramanan

You may have read through most of the posts here in this thread to get the guidance for your concern.

However, since you are asking, let me try give some insights:
1. Tyres/Rubber is prone to hardening over time and there is certain life to it.

2. However, there is no way one can put an exact life statement for a rubber tyre.

3. Hence, there is a generally a conundrum on whether to change tyre after a particular age.

4. However, there is general knowledge that the rubber tyre hardens pretty well after 3-5 years of use depending upon the circumstances, usage, manufacturing etc.

5. To be safe, it is generally believed to change the tyre atmost about at the age of 5 years.

6. However, that does not mean you should necessarily change. If the usage is too low, there have been cases of people keeping their tyres for 7-8 years down the line before changing. But, if there is going to be regular usage of the vehicle, it is best to get the tyres changed.

7. For your case of 5.5 yrs with merely 28k on ODO, if the usage is going to be like this only and at slow speeds etc, you can choose to keep it for another year or so. Otherwise, go for a change, they are technically beyond the end of the life even if they may look as good as new.

Hope this helps.

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by ramanan.skr

The tire shop has suggested to change all the tires as the rubber has started to degrade.

Is there any visible indication of degradation ? Trying to understand how they identified the degradation. Are there any cracks on the sidewalls indicating degradation due to the elements.

[ramanan.skr]

One tire had cracks on the edges, so it needed replacement out of no question. Tireshop guy told that the same would be happening to other tires too as it has aged. Btw, I take only for out of city drives, thats why I have a slight degree of concern on his words.

[parsh]

Originally Posted by ramanan.skr

One tire had cracks on the edges, so it needed replacement out of no question. Tireshop guy told that the same would be happening to other tires too as it has aged. Btw, I take only for out of city drives, thats why I have a slight degree of concern on his words.

Ah, that you did not tell earlier

Change your tyres immediately as this is what is happening and since you are using it for out of city drives. No wonder your car has run so less.

[ramanan.skr]

Originally Posted by parsh

Ah, that you did not tell earlier

Change your tyres immediately as this is what is happening and since you are using it for out of city drives. No wonder your car has run so less.

Dude, thanks a lot. Since I have never used the 5th tire, Planning to replace only the 4tires.
BTW, please suggest me a right make. I have cornered my selection to Bridgestone Turanza ER60 (145/70 R13).

[parsh]

Originally Posted by ramanan.skr

Dude, thanks a lot. Since I have never used the 5th tire, Planning to replace only the 4tires.

Should not be a problem. Keep the best of the old lot only as a spare after discussion with the tyre guy, even if it is one of the used ones. Rubber usually hardens if it is only standing and the chances are the spare may have hardened more than the ones in the usage.

Originally Posted by ramanan.skr

BTW, please suggest me a right make. I have cornered my selection to Bridgestone Turanza ER60 (145/70 R13).

That is quite subjective. Lately, I have found many a people opting for Yokohama and Michelin ranges. As of now, I can only advice on tyres for Innova So sorry, can't help you much there.

[supremeBaleno]

The possibility of having a flat / tyre-blowout (in turn leading to loss of control of the car) would be higher if the tread is bad on our tyres.
But did you know that much worse could happen due to running worn-out tyres ? Like having your tyre/rim combo detatch itself from the vehicle and go it's own way ?

I was working in the yard at our home in Kerala last Sunday when I heard a loud whoooosh followed by a grating sound. My first thought is that there has been an accident and I rush out to the road. I see an auto-rickshaw stopped close to our compound wall (he was lucky not to have hit it) with the rear-left tyre-rim combo missing - it had come off the hub and rolled off on its own.

Closer investigation revealed that there was not only no tread on the tyre, but the centre portion had depression at few places revealing the innards of the tyre - almost like running on just the tube. So looks like the tyre blew, transferring the load to the rim and in the few metres that the rickshaw skidded on the rim, the force/weight of the auto + 3 people on board made the rim shear off and go its own way.

The auto where it finally came to a stop. The 2 passengers and driver were lucky that they did not run into oncoming traffic or into the wall.


The runaway wheel used as a prop to keep the auto up. Notice how the rim got detatched from the hub inspite of the 4 bolts that hold it in place.


Pathetic condition of the tyre - the accident was just waiting to happen.


You can see the skid marks in this picture - the auto stopped some 10metres away from where the tyre blew.


Wondering what would have happened if it was the rear-right tyre that had blown. Possibly the auto would have veered to the right towards oncoming traffic affecting other road-users too.

[Nicky]

Just came across this.
Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2014/05/18/o...-hazard-video/

Four people were killed in Louisiana back in February, after the tread separated on a ten-year-old SUV tire.

"Aging does potentially play a role in the degradation of the internal structure of the tire." – NTSB

There are a number of questions surrounding the tire industry following an investigation by ABC News into its attempts at blocking legislation that would require tires be inspected on the basis of age. The legislation comes as the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the relationship between a tire's age and tread separation, following a crash involving a ten-year-old tire in Louisiana that killed four people.

According to ABC, the Rubber Manufacturers of America have spent $36,000 in a lobbying effort to defeat legislation in Massachusetts that would have included tire age as part of a regular vehicle inspection. Similar efforts have been made in seven other states, despite the arguments of safety consultants like Sean Kane.

"Over time, they become less elastic," Kane, who has been hired by both states and lawyers to go against tire manufacturers, told ABC News. "And once [a tire is] put into service it represents a significant hazard."

The RMA, though, disagrees on the safety of aging tires, arguing that there are other, more important factors at play. "We oppose legislation that have some sort of age limit on tires," said Dan Zielinski, executive director of Rubber Manufacturers of America. "It's more important how a tire is used, whether it's maintained and how it's stored."

As the NTSB continues its investigation, though, it's looking to side with Kane, as its lead investigator explained. "Aging does potentially play a role in the degradation of the internal structure of the tire," said Don Karol, the NTSB's lead investigator.

Automakers and even tire manufacturers have their own warnings about the age of tires. According to ABC, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler all recommend tires be replaced six years after their date of manufacture, while Michelin recommends a ten-year shelf life, even if a tire has never actually seen the road. "If we are thinking about a universal practice that inherently keeps you safe, six years is a good place to go," Kane told ABC.

According to Kane, figuring out the age of a tire has been made almost purposefully difficult. While we enthusiasts might know how to read a tire's four-digit age code – the first two digits are the week of manufacture, while the last two are the year – that vital piece of information may just be another bit of gibberish on the tire's sidewall for the average driver.

"They did not want to put a date code on tires, specifically because they did not want to give the impression that tires might actually have a service life," Kane said.

[CliffHanger]

I have this principle - Never take the vehicle out unless the following things are in order.

- Tires
- Brakes
- Headlights
- Horn

Malfunction of any of the above, could easily become fatal.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by CliffHanger

I have this principle - Never take the vehicle out unless the following things are in order.

- Tires
- Brakes
- Headlights
- Horn

Malfunction of any of the above, could easily become fatal.

That is a remarkable list. If you would ask the same to drivers around the world you would probably find the first three on everybodies' list. The horn is probably an Indian requirement. But I can see a lot of people from outside India adding indicators to the list as one of the four "must have, must work, at all times.

To put this in context; in most European/Western countries you get fined for using your horn the way it is used in India. In those countries you get even stiffer fines for not using your indicators!

But to come back to topic; very relevant being aware of aging tires. I've been away from my home country for more then six years now. I have several cars in storage and thus each and every tire on these car is now well past its six years. Whenever I get to visit my home country (The Netherlands) I usually take one of them out to use during my stay. Soon I will need to start thinking about replacing tires, even though all of them have more then 70% thread on them. On my Jaguar they are actually brand new with less then a few thousand kilometers on it.

Expensive, but still worth it. Crashing is more expensive and more dangerous.

Jeroen

Jeroen

[theMAG]

Ageing has one immediate consequence on a tread - it becomes HARD. Personally, I adopt a similar approach to tyres as to an engine's service: duration or kilometers, whichever comes first.