I looked at my Michelin LTX M & S tires that now have 55k+ on them &
they were made in 03/03 & 04/03. I had replaced the previous
Michelins at 60k which were still good to go because of the dreaded
"thermo-oxidative degradation", & now it appears that I need to do it
again before a trip to Reno this week as I can see sidewall cracking
on 2 of the tires!

Bring on the Haaakas if I can find them.

Pax,

Mr. BZ-have tires will roll

On Sep 2, 2008, at 5:54 PM, Michael Diehr wrote:

> Interesting -- of the 4 tires I just bought two are dated "3006" and
> two "0208".  The 3006 ones were then just under 2 years old when they
> sold them to me.   Given that I only drive the van about 5k miles/
> year, I suspect the tires are going to spoil before they wear out.  In
> which case 2 years is a big chunk of their life.
>
>
> On Sep 1, 2008, at 6:10 PM, Larry Chase wrote:
>
>> Volks,
>>
>> There is a growing amount of data about "TIRE AGING" that suggests we
>> should not use tires
>> more than 6 years old.
>>
>> The problem is called "thermo-oxidative degradation".
>>
>> In fact the data on tire aging is so compelling that most car
>> manufacturers now include a
>> statement in their owners manuals.
>>
>> In fact VW was one of the first to do this.
>>
>> Example from 2000-2001 Volkswagon Golf Owner's Manual:
>>
>> "WARNING -Tires age even if they are not being used. Tires which are
>> more
>> than 6 years old should be used only in an emergency and then with
>> caution."
>> "WARNING - Old tires can fail in use, causing loss of vehicle control
>> and
>> personal injury. Replace tires after six years regardless of tread
>> wear. Always
>> reduce speed and drive cautiously if you must use an old tire in an
>> emergency.
>> Replace the tire as soon as possible."
>>
>> But how do we tell the age of our tires?
>>
>> Here's how:
>>
>> http://www.roadhaus.com/tires/tire_age.html
>>
>> Knowing how to read the date code on your tire may not only keep you
>> safer on the road, it might
>> also keep you from buying a new set of tires that could be several
>> years old before you put them on
>> your Bus.
>>
>> In the link above you will see a few examples of stores selling tires
>> several years old as new.
>>
>> Maggie & I cruised the local Sears Auto Center this morning. We found
>> new tires on the sales floor
>> ranging from 2004 to 2008.
>>
>> Something to think about  ... be an informed consumer.
>>
>> If you are interested in other info about choosing a proper tire
>> for a
>> Vanagon, here's a
>> perspective.
>>
>> http://www.roadhaus.com/tires/guideline.html
>>
>> Note ... if you go to the above link it will be our secret .
>>
>> I will not out you to the rest of our community as an "Informed tire
>> consumer".
>>
>> larry
>> roadhaus.com