Tire milege

J

jetmek

Senior Member
Pop definitely got his money’s worth from these. Rolling since 72!
 

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Probably taking his life in his own hands each time he drove on them for the last 35 years.
 
There are different rubber compounds and rubber can be cured differently. The softer rubber tends to grip the road better but not wear as well. Tires continue to cure as they age so they get harder and wear longer. I don't think the people who manufacture tires for antique cars are concerned about how many miles they can go. Most antique cars are not daily drivers.
 
Pet peeve here. Tires are the ONLY thing standing between YOU and the road. If your tires are old and dry your brakes will not stop you and your springs and shocks will not allow your car to safely handle uneven road surfaces or curves. Any tire older than twenty years is a high risk as the hardened 'rubber' has completely lost its grip and handling characteristics. Why take that risk? We need to keep in mind the fact that the roads that our 'A' was built for where mostly dirt or gravel, and that driving speed was RARELY above 45 MPH. Fewer than 15% of US roads were paved in 1930. Given that the 'A' has zero safety technology aside from the 'safety glass' windshield it seems a fools gamble to add outdated tires and excessive speed to that mix. The claimed 104 MPH max speed was done with brand new tires on a smoothly paved dry race track that had a team of technicians do a safety walk over it before the attempt.
 
jetmek said:
Why? Theres no dry rot and they never saw wet roads. 5 yo Firestones on one of my other A’s are shot from split sidewalls
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Do you not change your oil after a recommended mileage/time period? Do you not flush and change your antifreeze every few years? Maintenance items are designed to last only so long, and it is prudent to swap them out before they are long past their designed usefulness. Those tires can be so brittle without dry rot that they could explode at any moment. It puts you and everyone on the road around you in peril.
 
I judge the serviceability of tires by the condition of their sidewalls. If the sidewalls are not cracked and the rubber is pliable, the tires are good.
 
My experience with old tires.

I bought some rims with tires for my Model T off a car that was parked sometime in the 1920's right after the tires were bought. They were Firestone tires and still had the feelies, the little rubber treads that are part of the molding process. Essentially new tires. But the rubber was coming off the sidewalls and the cord could be seen. I sold them as display tires on eBay. They could not be used on a driven car.

Another time I got a Model A running that has been sitting in a field for 15 years. When I went to blow up the tires one exploded. I put the spare on only to coast the car the few feet to the asphalt where I could work on it. I had to cut the old tires off to put new ones on so that I could drive it to my house for more work. No flexibility left.
 
Those old Garfield-Allstate tires were rayon cord. They lasted for years and years and years.

They maybe ought to make them like that again.

Better than jetmeck's FIVE year old Firestones that are trash today and I'm sure they were pree-mo bucks when bought back then. They are now.
 
Two things I never try to skimp on, brakes and tires. I like really good brakes and really good tires, both and at the same time. This approach has worked very well for me for over 50 years.
 
IMO, good tyres are essential if you want to stay alive. I like a good grip of Terra Firma - the more Firma, the less terror!
 
Will N said:
Do you not change your oil after a recommended mileage/time period? Do you not flush and change your antifreeze every few years? Maintenance items are designed to last only so long, and it is prudent to swap them out before they are long past their designed usefulness. Those tires can be so brittle without dry rot that they could explode at any moment. It puts you and everyone on the road around you in peril.
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wise words
 
I've read on various car sites also, that tires only have a 'shelf life' of 7 years, so even when buying 'new' read the date codes to make sure the tires aren't like already 3 years old. Half of their expected safe usage.
 
So if you look in the depths of the cracks and the cords aren’t fraying the tires are ok?
 

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