[AC792]

Hello, I found a set of Michelin PSS from a shop that closed down and is getting rid of old inventory. The tires are brand new and still have the stickers on them but the production date is 0613, meaning they are a little over 5 years old.

Price aside, are these safe? They look perfect but I am weary of the production date.

[oksymoroni]

I think the service limit on tires is 6 years. So the ones you're looking at are pushing it, even if they've never been mounted. Personally I wouldn't do it.

https://www.discounttire.com/learn/tire-aging

[rjd_F30]

I'd wouldn't. You don't want to play around with potentially dangerous tires.

[vgore]

+2
I simply do not understand why people cheap out on tires. Tires are your only point of contact with the road.

[Zanity]

In my experience, they are fine to use, the date attached to any tire is a marketing gimmick, they want to make more money off you. Make sure the tires weren't stored in extreme heat or cold, do a visual inspection for cracks, if it all checks out, its perfectly fine to use for its entire tread life. Tires these days are made to a very high standard, mainly due to something call lawsuit that forced them to be, and this isn't engine oil we're talking about that accumulates contaminants even without driving. Tires are tires. I'm an engineer, and thats my 2 cents.

[rjd_F30]

Originally Posted by Zanity

In my experience, they are fine to use, the date attached to any tire is a marketing gimmick, they want to make more money off you. Make sure the tires weren't stored in extreme heat or cold, do a visual inspection for cracks, if it all checks out, its perfectly fine to use for its entire tread life. Tires these days are made to a very high standard, mainly due to something call lawsuit that forced them to be, and this isn't engine oil we're talking about that accumulates contaminants even without driving. Tires are tires. I'm an engineer, and thats my 2 cents.

The date is not a marketing gimmick. If it were it'd be an expiration date not a production date. Tires decay just as bad if not worse than engine oil with or without use. While tire technology has improved dramatically in the past decade, that doesn't change the fact that no matter how well they're stored, if they aren't heat cycled by driving they will decay, and no matter their usage, rubber will naturally deteriorate over time. Old tires (>5 yrs.), even if they appear to be in good shape, develop bubbles and fail much more frequently than newer, fresh tires. Like someone said, tires are the sole medium by which you're connected to the road, and it's silly to take even a slight risk with them, which you'd be doing by driving on >5yr old tires.

[N420i]

As long as you know what you're wearing and drive accordingly, I don't think it should be any issue.

Every time there is tire talk it seems like unless you're short of running semi-slicks, you're gonna crash and burn. We forget the world is filled mostly with cars running 60 dollar tires. Thing is, the people buying those tires sure as heck aren't exploring the limits of grip on a daily basis.

If they're cheap enough, I'd say go for it. Lean on them slowly at the beginning and see how, when and how fast they let go.

I've never worn anything other than UHP summer tires during the 14 years i've been driving except for the last set on my last car, which were "norauto" brand, which is the spanish equivalent of buying walmart brand tires and I was surprised by how much they gripped and how well they handled. I've always adjusted my driving to the equipment I was driving and I've been fine.

The only time I've ever felt "betrayed" by a tire? Once, by a set of very, very fresh (manufactured 2 months prior and with 1500 miles on them) Michelin PS3s, which were supposed to be AMAZING in the wet and had me aquaplaning at 65mph on a very very shallow puddle...

[BMW in NE]

I run a set of 0613 PSS on my 400m wheels (225/45 square set) and I have had no issues. I only run them in the summer and they stay in my climate controlled garage the rest of the year. That being said.. I wouldn't run out and do a high speed track day on them, but they are fine for spirited street use. I say do a visual inspection, if they look good mount them up and learn the limits of them.

[AC792]

Thanks all for the feedback. I ended up passing on the set. I'm sure they are fine but decided to go with something else. Thanks again!

[enjoythemusic]

Good man, old rubber is not a good thing.

[rjd_F30]

Originally Posted by N420i

As long as you know what you're wearing and drive accordingly, I don't think it should be any issue.

Every time there is tire talk it seems like unless you're short of running semi-slicks, you're gonna crash and burn. We forget the world is filled mostly with cars running 60 dollar tires. Thing is, the people buying those tires sure as heck aren't exploring the limits of grip on a daily basis.

If they're cheap enough, I'd say go for it. Lean on them slowly at the beginning and see how, when and how fast they let go.

I've never worn anything other than UHP summer tires during the 14 years i've been driving except for the last set on my last car, which were "norauto" brand, which is the spanish equivalent of buying walmart brand tires and I was surprised by how much they gripped and how well they handled. I've always adjusted my driving to the equipment I was driving and I've been fine.

The only time I've ever felt "betrayed" by a tire? Once, by a set of very, very fresh (manufactured 2 months prior and with 1500 miles on them) Michelin PS3s, which were supposed to be AMAZING in the wet and had me aquaplaning at 65mph on a very very shallow puddle...

Nothing wrong with slicks if roads are dry.

I don't mean to say it like this but I don't know how else to: just because you can't feel the degradation of grip with age doesn't mean it's not there. I'm no Matt Farah either, and it's no fault of yours, but tires do grip less and perform worse with age. The rubber gets harder and dryer with age, and it will inevitably start to function worse than a same model newer tire (just talking about age not treadwear). The CGT that Paul Walker was in when he died had 9 y/o tires on it, and they were probably a major catalyst to the crash. 9 years old is pretty damn old, but the same effect can start to happen with 6-7 year old tires. It's also about the fact that old rubber and structural elements of the tires are prone to failure at old age, aka blowouts and tread separation. It's rare, but it's certainly possible and something to avoid. Bottom line: old tires are unsafe. If you want to gamble with them so be it, but I wouldn't advocate that others do the same.

[Vinboyblue]

I've seen tire flower pots, that are over 15 years old lol no sign of this so called decay everyone is speaking of lol. There is also an old man in my neighborhood with a 99 Camry, with about 87,000kms mint condition with OEM tires (he does have winters)!! I dunno how those OEM tries still function, SMH, word on the street he is changing them this year lol.

[N420i]

Originally Posted by rjdnyy224

Nothing wrong with slicks if roads are dry.

I don't mean to say it like this but I don't know how else to: just because you can't feel the degradation of grip with age doesn't mean it's not there. I'm no Matt Farah either, and it's no fault of yours, but tires do grip less and perform worse with age. The rubber gets harder and dryer with age, and it will inevitably start to function worse than a same model newer tire (just talking about age not treadwear). The CGT that Paul Walker was in when he died had 9 y/o tires on it, and they were probably a major catalyst to the crash. 9 years old is pretty damn old, but the same effect can start to happen with 6-7 year old tires. It's also about the fact that old rubber and structural elements of the tires are prone to failure at old age, aka blowouts and tread separation. It's rare, but it's certainly possible and something to avoid. Bottom line: old tires are unsafe. If you want to gamble with them so be it, but I wouldn't advocate that others do the same.

Sure they are gonna be degraded, but does that mean they're gonna grip worse in the wet or dry than a standard set of Pilot Primacys or Turanzas?

[rjd_F30]

Originally Posted by N420i

Sure they are gonna be degraded, but does that mean they're gonna grip worse in the wet or dry than a standard set of Pilot Primacys or Turanzas?

Depending on how old of a tire, probably. A rock hard 8 y/o HPS tire will be less dynamically reliable than a brand new budget basement tire. And more prone to sudden failure.

[NormanConquest]

Old tirer have a higher chance of blow outs and are more susceptible to getting puncher. My sister just recently made this mistake and I warn her, she being cheap ignored me and two of the four tirer blow out 5 month after mounting

[kern417]

Stop referencing anomalies like they prove the rule of thumb wrong. There's scientific evidence that tires degrade with age just like everything else has a shelf life. Just because you heard somebody has 20 year old tires and somehow gets by doesn't make it right, or safe. It only takes 1 day for that luck to catch up to you.