Tire Age Poll: Data Needed. Please respond!

[JohnG]

hi everyone,

This is a followup of the thread on tire age and possible related issues.

What we would like to do here is collect information from as many members as possible on how old their tires were when they purchased them.

So would all of you please do the following:

* get the date of manufacture off of your tires. If you don't want to decode it, just put the numbers you find in your Reply post.
* estimate when you bought them
* include anything you can about the manufacturer and dealer of your tires.

The basic idea is to find out in general how old the tires are that we are buying and if some manufacturers or dealers are better than others.

Please help out here! Everyone benefits with more data.

thanks!
John

[Dan Leavens]

John I will get the information off both the 58 & 60HT'S as they are currently in storage and should be over next week.

[JohnG]

OK...least I can do is set an example. So I got mine fired up and backed it out where I could get a jack under it.

1) I only checked the front two tires and found on the back side:

DOT HYHB D5A 4203 of each one

which I think means they were made in the 42nd week of 2003 (please correct me if this is wrong)

2) I purchased them in Feb or March of 2004 (I bought the car in May of 2003 and spent that summer riding on the concrete bias plies that came with it... an unforgettable experience)

3) I got them directly from Diamondback Classics. They have the 2 1/2" whitewall and are P215/75 R14. Who made them for Diamondback I do not know (there is an M+S on the back side...does that mean anything?)

[YellowRose]

Tire Age Poll: Data Needed. Please respond!

The M+S probably stands for Mud + Snow....

[Howard Prout]

I have Sears Michelins on Old Betsy with a date code of "188". Since this is a three digit date code, they were made prior to th year 2000. In fact, I know they were made prior to 1998 so they were probably made in the 18th week of 1988! I can't remember when I bought them and I can't find a receipt.They are obviouslly well past the safe "remove from service time" so I will be replacing them this spring even though there is significant tread on the tires and no indication of sidewall cracks.

[Penelope]

My '60 has American Classics with a date code of 2406 and I bought them in January 2007 over here in OZ. The '59's I bought in May 2009 and they are dated 2707, again imported American Classics.
As you would expect, no sidewall cracking evident on either set.

[JohnG]

Thanks, Bill. So those would be from Coker ??

[Penelope]

Thanks, Bill. So those would be from Coker ??

You are on the money John, Coker they are. Excellent ride too.

[Anders]

You are on the money John, Coker they are. Excellent ride too.

Any chance you can provide us with the right identification numbers for these tires? So I know what to order when that day comes

[partsetal]

Tire Age Poll

I have 4-Goodyear Custom Super Cushions dated 1609 which I purchased from Kelsey Tire in August 2009.
Carl

[Penelope]

Any chance you can provide us with the right identification numbers for these tires? So I know what to order when that day comes

Hi Anders, they are P215/70R16 they also have 996 M + S stamped on the side just before the date stamp. I have never looked so closely at tyre numbers etc but the also have the ply information :

Tread - 2 polyester, 2 steel and 1 nylon
Sidewall - 2 Polyester

Not a lot of rubber there eh?

As you can tell, I run 16 inch wheels.

Hope that helps!

[dball]

I searched my tires last night and could not find a DOT stamp. They are Broadway Classics P205 75 R14. I have had the car for 6 years and these are the same tires that came on it when I bought it. From the paperwork I have I would say they were put on in 1999 or 2000.

[Anders]

Thanks Bill!
I missed that you use 16 inch. I will still look for 14.

[Dutchbird]

Thanks Bill!
I missed that you use 16 inch. I will still look for 14.

Hi Anders,

For what I know as a non-expert you should look for P215/75/R14 Whitewalls if you stil have your stock rims. Like you I'm looking forward also to that same day to come.............

[JohnG]

Interesting note on 14" whitewalls for anyone looking into purchasing them and concerned over cost:

there is a huge amount of cost due to the width of the whitewall. If you look at Coker's American Classic line, all things equal, the difference in cost between something like a 1" whitewall and a 2 1/2" whitewall is about $78 per tire!

Given that the life of a tire is limited no matter how little mileage I put on, $312 is worth pondering on the next set I get.