The danger of old tyres
Discussion
A tragic tale and my condolences to all concerned. Thanks to lowdrag for highlighting this important issue.
Another aspect to consider is that many classic cars have tyres fitted with inner tubes, and neglect in this area could be just as dangerous.
I also recall that some companies supply a "universal" size of inner tube. Unknown to me I had these fitted to one of my cars with new tyres and could never get the wheels to balance correctly.
Only after reading an article somewhere did I realise that the tubes were causing the balance problem. After fitting correct sized items the wheels balanced perfectly. The article did allege that these ill fitting tubes had led to catastophic failure due to sudden deflation.
Another aspect to consider is that many classic cars have tyres fitted with inner tubes, and neglect in this area could be just as dangerous.
I also recall that some companies supply a "universal" size of inner tube. Unknown to me I had these fitted to one of my cars with new tyres and could never get the wheels to balance correctly.
Only after reading an article somewhere did I realise that the tubes were causing the balance problem. After fitting correct sized items the wheels balanced perfectly. The article did allege that these ill fitting tubes had led to catastophic failure due to sudden deflation.
Tony this is just awful and my thoughts are with you. Tyres are an extremely important part of the car that as said is often ignored. My business partner / brother in law bought a 10,000 kn Lamborghini Countach LP400S 1981 back in 1998. It still was still shod with its original Pirelli P7's with the sidewalls cracked to hell. After a lot of badgering he did change them. I have often wondered if tyres will degrade whilst sitting on the shelf. Taking the vintage tyre company for example do tyres manufactured say 10 years ago degrade even whilst not fitted. I know that my local tyre good guy, Marcus at Wembley Tyres will not stock the Michelin Pilot Cup Sports because their shelf life is apparently only one year. Just very interested to know what other more informed peoples thoughts are.
7 years is reckoned to be the "safe" life of a tyre. Yes they do deteriorate on the shelf so I always check the date code (harder to do if bought off ebay or internet)
I always budget for a new set of rubber when buying a classic. My last acquisition had tyres older than the the fitter that replaced them.
I often do seat belts as well if they look original.
I always budget for a new set of rubber when buying a classic. My last acquisition had tyres older than the the fitter that replaced them.
I often do seat belts as well if they look original.
I checked my Scimitar ones last night thanks to you, none of them have any markings relevent to what you said (except one which has a 4 digit code ending in 63, Pirelli P4, surely not?....) All look nearly new, the fronts look brand new but have no markings and scarily the sidewalls have crazing, car was restored in the 90's and not really used. So am ordering a set of Yokohama A-Drives, thanks for highlighting this.
I have just come back from Yorkshire, inspecting two cars for prospective clients. Both cars were in the £20K plus bracket. The first had tyres dated 1988, the second , at £50k were dated 1996.The 88 tyres had the walls disintegrating and bulging. On a 3.8 Mk2 aswell.
The most alarming point here,of the 30 plus contributors to this topic, only 2 have changed their tyres as a result. That`s a pretty poor ratio of responsibility and safety, so don`t hide behind the garage when if it happens to you.
In view of Tony`s honest warnings I would have expected a much greater , positive response.I suppose that is the great British disease, Apathy.
I would appreciate any other tyre/ wheel related incidents printed in the papers. Hopefully the law will eventually be changed.Dating and wheel condition needs to be part of the MOT. Tyres do degenerate with time and you tight arse owners need to buy tyres that are safe, for your passengers and other road users.
The most alarming point here,of the 30 plus contributors to this topic, only 2 have changed their tyres as a result. That`s a pretty poor ratio of responsibility and safety, so don`t hide behind the garage when if it happens to you.
In view of Tony`s honest warnings I would have expected a much greater , positive response.I suppose that is the great British disease, Apathy.
I would appreciate any other tyre/ wheel related incidents printed in the papers. Hopefully the law will eventually be changed.Dating and wheel condition needs to be part of the MOT. Tyres do degenerate with time and you tight arse owners need to buy tyres that are safe, for your passengers and other road users.
My thanks to you all for your kind messages.
One further point I would like to make here concerns inner tubes. I changed recently from Dunlop R5 to Blockleys on the D-type and was strongly advised to buy new inner tubes since the profile is slightly different and the old tubes were I guess about 10 years old anyway. Not a great expense but yet another example of "out of sight, out of mind".
One further point I would like to make here concerns inner tubes. I changed recently from Dunlop R5 to Blockleys on the D-type and was strongly advised to buy new inner tubes since the profile is slightly different and the old tubes were I guess about 10 years old anyway. Not a great expense but yet another example of "out of sight, out of mind".
Just heard this morning of a very low mileage V12 E still being used on its` ORIGINAL tyres, so it goes on.No they had a habit of tyre blow out form the factory!
I have heard of a Euro directive, to be introduced to outlaw 5 year and older tyres, but the industry through it out!. That was the only useful thing to ever emerge from Brussels and we dismissed it.
I have heard of a Euro directive, to be introduced to outlaw 5 year and older tyres, but the industry through it out!. That was the only useful thing to ever emerge from Brussels and we dismissed it.
RW774. I think (and hope) its more a case that we have just sorted the problem, for example I had a set of never used or even fitted on a rim A008 tyres for a Mini Countryman project that I have been putting off. After reading this I checked them and found them to be from 1999, so they will now go in the bin.
On an interesting note on dealers I recently bought a 1993 Range Rover with 40K on the clock, a dealer that came to see it before me complained that it was NOT on its original tyres. !
Paw
On an interesting note on dealers I recently bought a 1993 Range Rover with 40K on the clock, a dealer that came to see it before me complained that it was NOT on its original tyres. !
Paw
Actually, when judging concours myself, we were more concerned that they were the right type of tyre rather than that they were original. For example, an E-type 3.8 on radial tyres lost points but if on Dunlop cross-plies didn't. My own car, in 1952, wore Dunlop Stabila tyres which haven't been made since 1955 and if we go further I had a great deal of difficulty to find the 1952 air to pump up the tyres.
But to come back to the point; if I saw a car at a concours on "original tyres", that is 30 years old and sidewalls all cracked, I'd deduct points like mad. After all, the definition of concours is "as it left the factory" and it certainly didn't leave the factory with lethal tyres.
But to come back to the point; if I saw a car at a concours on "original tyres", that is 30 years old and sidewalls all cracked, I'd deduct points like mad. After all, the definition of concours is "as it left the factory" and it certainly didn't leave the factory with lethal tyres.
lowdrag said:
But to come back to the point; if I saw a car at a concours on "original tyres", that is 30 years old and sidewalls all cracked, I'd deduct points like mad. After all, the definition of concours is "as it left the factory" and it certainly didn't leave the factory with lethal tyres.
More to the point, concours is more about being clean and perfect - often far exceeding the standards set by the factory sometimes original, sometimes modified. This accentuates your point even more.I have a set of concours wheels for the Sierra fitted with the original and long since discontinued Dunlop D40 tyres. I wouldn't drive on them if you paid me a million pounds. They are rock hard and shiny as if they are made from Bakelite. Probably about as malleable and grippy as Bakelite tyres too...
I read recently a magazine article where the tester was driving different variations of the Peugeot 205. He had a go in Peugeots museum 205 T16 Homologation Special, he drove it hard and did mention it had its original tyres on..... 1985??? That could have left a big hole in their museum collection.
lowdrag said:
My own car, in 1952, wore Dunlop Stabila tyres which haven't been made since 1955 and if we go further I had a great deal of difficulty to find the 1952 air to pump up the tyres.
just sold a car that left the factory fitted with Englebert tyres, NLA since the late 50's (early 90's Michelin revival excluded 
)It's now destined for the US show circuit with Dunlops on it
Having checked my tyres as a result of this thread I shall be changing my tyres next year , the age is hard to determine on the sidewall markings but I reckon they must be around the 6 year mark now , I am on India tyres in the interests of using the original brand but I understand these are no longer available so my question is what current type looks right for a 60s era car ? are Michelin Classics any good/still available ? I'm on Ford 5 1/2 J wheels 165 X 13 orig size tyre.
RW774 said:
Andrew, do you have any information on the Dunlop Duraband ?
Sorry no, only stuff I have are few pics of cars fitted with them in period and somewhere an article on them being fitted by Hawthorn when cars came into the TT garage for repair / service (think it was in a back issue of Bugantics, before the FOC was formed by Ferrari owning BOC members)RW774 said:
Andrew, that is exactly what I need if it is a period article
Paul, my collection of Bugantics / owners club newsletters goes back to around 62/63 so the article will be from then, until the late 60's, if its any use I'll bump them up the list to be scanned into our EDRMS solution.Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff