A few years back I pulled a set of cop rims I had been running and stuck them in my gargae. The tires on them only had about 20,000 miles on them and were in good shape. Now I would like to put the tires on a car and I don't know if they are still good. Two of the tires have had air in them and have been sitting under the back of my 66 cuda project car. These tires have doen nothing but support the car. The other two tires were deflated and rolled under a workbench on the rims.

So would it be safe to put these tires on my car? I have read that tires can dry rot or the rubber can harden making the tires unusable. What should I look to to see if the tires are still roadworthy?

Thanks!

Reed
66 Cuda Formula "S" 225/999
81 Cordoba 225/904 (lock-up)

Tires do dry rot. The rubber has some oils in it that "escape" into the air causing the rubber to dry out and become brittle. Weathering accelerates the process as does exposure to direct sunlight (UV breaks the rubber down on the surface). This takes years and years to happen though.

If they've been stored in-doors you may be OK. pressurize the tires and look for cracking in the rubber, particularly around the sidewalls. Put the tires on the car; and, with the car's weight supported by the tires, check them over again for cracking. If you see any, then you might want to look for new tires.

To be honest, I'm driving on tires right now that really should be replaced because they're showing signs of dry rotting as I've described.

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My truck is a Frankenstein creation
Built from the dead carcasses of others
And brought BACK TO LIFE!

Okay, thanks! I had to drive in the rain last night and the tires that are on my car have absolutely no traction (I have a 2.24 or 2.76 rear gear ratio and I was spinning out trying to accelerate on flat ground, thats how bad my tires are).

Reed

I've had a dry rotted tire expode at freeway speeds before, leaving several inch-long gashes in the sidewall. It's a bit scary, and I don't intend to repeat that mistake. The most common symptom of a dry-rotted tire seems to be a network of things that look like little cracks with no depth to them. I'd be somewhat wary of old tires.

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"Mad Scientist" Matt Cramer
'66 Dart - turbocharged 225
My blog - Mad Scientist Matt's Lair

i ran some old tyres that were on an old camaro that sat for quite some time. they were some sam's club specials and were like new. the only problem i had with them is they were egg shaped from sitting and the car shook like a bastard.

-james

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Me too - pretty fun going around a bend at 60MPH and having a tire explode... what was even more fun was having to change a tire on that bend.

They have a bunch of the "4 for a $100" tire shops around my house... it's worth it to get the new ones if you need cheap.

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My 63 Valiant
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