What happens to the rubber of a tire when it gets old?

Burning old rubber tires releases dangerous toxins and pollutes the air. Since old tires don’t biodegrade, throwing them away in a landfill simply means they’ll keep stacking up over time, taking up tremendous amounts of space. They also become havens for rats and mosquitoes to breed.

How can the age of a tire affect vehicle safety?

Tires deteriorate with age, even when not in use. Aged tires have reduced traction, are more prone to cracking and may fail unexpectedly while in use. Tires should not be older than 10 years. Vehicles that weigh more than 4,500 kilograms must replace their front tires when tread is less than three millimetres deep.

How do old tires fail?

Because research indicates that tires more than six years old should be retired, regardless of their tread depth or their miles on the road. As tires age and are exposed to heat, the rubber deteriorates. That’s because rubber absorbs oxygen, which causes what is called thermo-oxidative aging.

Do tires get harder with age?

When tires get old, the rubber loses is elasticity (gets hard) and then when the tire heats up, the tread tends to blow right off. The industry standard useable age limit for tires is 6 years, and we know of no manufacturer that will warranty any tire older than that.

Are 20 year old tires safe?

Old tires are dangerous, regardless of tread depth. While there’s no federally sanctioned safety guidance on when a tire is too old to be safe, many carmakers recommend replacement at six years from the date of manufacture. Old tires have been the culprit in fatal accidents.

Do tires get old if not used?

If not used, tires last for 6-10 years, depending on the storage and environmental conditions. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and official manufacturers suggest a tire is only 100% safe to use until it turns 5-6 years old.

Can you drive on a 10 year old tire?

Old tires are dangerous, regardless of tread depth. While there’s no federally sanctioned safety guidance on when a tire is too old to be safe, many carmakers recommend replacement at six years from the date of manufacture. An analysis of the used tire revealed that it was nearly 10 years old.

Can tires last 10 years?

There is a general consensus that most tires should be inspected, if not replaced, at about six years and should be absolutely be swapped out after 10 years, regardless of how much tread they have left. …

Do tires expire if not used?

Should you replace all tires at once?

Type of Vehicle If so, most vehicle manufacturers and the Tire Industry Association (TIA) recommend that you always replace all four tires at the same time. That’s because the reduced diameter of the lower-tread tires causes them to spin faster than the new one.

What happens to rubber as it ages in a tire?

As rubber is exposed to oxygen, it dries out and becomes stiffer, leading to cracking. The issue is primarily about how the inner, “wedge” layers of rubber oxidize. The stiffening and cracking of aged rubber can lead to the inner layers of the tire delaminating from the steel belts rather than flexing with the steel as the tire rolls underweight.

What causes a tire to degrade over time?

Composed of steel belts, fabric plies and rubber compounds, the structural integrity of tires can degrade over an extended period of time as the result of chemical reaction within the rubber components, cyclic fatigue, abuse and road hazards. Tire aging isn’t typically an issue with vehicles driven frequently.

How is auto oxidation of rubber related to aging?

“The auto- oxidation of rubber has been known for a long time, and for a long time, too, it has been known that it plays an important part in spontaneous deterioration or aging, and it has been the object of numerous studies of much interest.” – Journal article from 1931 There’s been quite a bit of controversy over the issue of tire aging lately.

How long does it take for a tire to wear out?

The rubber compounds in a tire deteriorate with time, regardless of the condition of the tread. For some people, old tires might never be an issue. If you drive a typical number of miles, somewhere around 12,000-15,000 miles annually, a tire’s tread will wear out in three to four years, long before the rubber compound does.

What happens to rubber tires as they age?

However, the aging of rubber may speed up the use and shorten the service life. The rubber products will lose the elasticity and become hard, which is not good for the usage.

What happens to a tire when it expires?

Over time, the tire will simply fall apart under normal stress, just like an old rubber band. Because this process occurs naturally, it does not matter if a tire is being used, stored as a spare, or simply waiting on a store shelf for an unsuspecting consumer.

How are tires made and what makes them perishable?

Nothing Lasts Forever… and Tires Are No Exception. Tires are manufactured by bonding rubber to fabric plies and steel cords. Despite the anti-aging ingredients mixed into the rubber compounds, there is a realization that tires are perishable, as well as a growing awareness that some tires will actually age out before their treads will wear out.