Tires – Manufacture Date

[Paul Mossberg]

This started in the 2011 Carlisle show thread. But deserves its own thread.

Tire experts recommend a five year life for most tires. regardless of how much tread is left. The primary concern is internal drying of the high-tech compounds used in today’s tires and the potential for de-laminating.

How do I know how old my tires are?

Each tire has a required Department of Transportation (DOT) number
imprinted on at least one of its sidewalls. That number begins with the
letters “DOT” and may contain up to 12 additional numbers and letters.

The first and last digits are the most important:

• The first two letters or numbers identify the manufacturer of the tires.
• Prior to the year 2000, the last 3 digits of a
  DOT number represented the week (2 digits) and the year (1 digit) of
  production. So if the last three digits are 439, the tire was produced
  in the 43rd week of 1999.
• Tires produced after January 1, 2000, have a
  4-digit date code at the end of the DOT number. The first 2 digits
  represent the week of production and the last 2 digits represent the
  last 2 digits of the year of production. So, 3500 indicates the tire was
  produced in the 35th week of the year 2000.

And by the way, check the codes when you buy new tires. That tire could have been sitting in a warehouse for years before it made it to your car!

PMOSSBERG40533.9233217593

Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica Roadster

If you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)

[Paul Mossberg]

Here is another good discussion on aging tires.
PMOSSBERG40531.6055902778

Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica Roadster

If you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)

[edward ericson]

Thanks for that, Paul. I’m still slapping my own forehead over this.

[Montie Henderson]

Thanks Paul,

I’ll get the tires replaced too.  I knew I was pushing my luck, just lucky nothing has happened.  

[Russell Boulanger]

thanks

Saturday I bought a set of tires for my TD just checked in 5 months they will be 2 years old

[Mark Hendrickson]

The dry rotted and nearly new tread depth tires I just removed from my 1974 Beetle were dated 1996 and 1997  I knew they were bad and decided it was too risky to leave them on there.

Working on and off in the tire arena for years, I knew about the date codes. Places that sell a high volume of tires, Sam’s Club, Costco, BJ’s, Tire Rack, etc. usually have enough turnover that you usually don’t get old tires. But it is still good to check BEFORE they are mounted. i.e. RussLB’s tires have just over 3 years left and he just bought them!

My buddy that owns a Hot Rod Shop said one of the biggest offenders of selling old tires is Coker…the “classic” tire seller. He won’t buy their stuff. At his shop I’ve seen an expensive Coker “wide-whitewall” disintegrated from tread separation and a subsequent blow out. The set was purchased within months before the failure and the date code was 14 years old! Checking the 3 others, he found them to be from 3 to 9 years old! I believe Federal Laws say these tires should not have been sold. I am not sure what the “expiration” date age is, but I think it’s no where near 14 years.

Pink MG40533.443900463

[edward ericson]

Crooks. I bet there’s no law against it either. Only solution would be a lawsuit. And the only lawsuit worth taking for a lawyer is if a person or two died ’cause of the blowout. New congress will be shooting for “tort reform” again to cut down on such profit-diminishing activities.

I put new Eagle GTs on my Nova round about 1985. Got an excellent deal on them. Those same tires were on the car when I sold her in 2003. And I drove her all over in between. Went to Ohio (from CT) in 1995. Drove all over Florida thereafter. Never occurred to me those “nearly new” tires might be dangerous. I even took her to the strip and burned a few miles off the back ones.

You bet I’ll be personally checking the dates on Bridget’s new tires.

Got the new beam back together and it’s all painted. Can you believe I managed to put one of the upper control arms on wrong? I had it so it was twisted just about 5 degrees from where its mate was. Only reason I noticed was because the grub screw on that side was sticking out a quarter inch. I pulled the screw out and, sure enough, it was not in the hole. Had to smack the arm off with a sledge hammer (should’ve got a clue last week when it took that same hammer to get it on!). Popped it off and it slid back on easy, in the right spot. How I got it jammed in the wrong way I’ll never know.

Repairs to the frame head are coming along at a glacial pace. Should be done before we head north for Christmas.

Merry Christmas, by the way, to all.

edsnova40533.4924768519

[newkitman]

Question on the tire info. I understand if the tires are five years old or older and never been drivenj. What if your car is driven minimally, say once a week. In about five years you still would have quite a bit of tread left. Would the minimal use prevent or delay breakdown of the rubber components on the inside of the tire?

 

I ask because I have a Ghia which I rebuilt from the ground up nd the tires DOT Code is 406; which if I understand correctly means mfctr date of april 2006.

 

Thanks for the clarification.

Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The Shack

[edward ericson]

Age and wear are separate. Moss tested new-in-wrapper tires mfg’d 10 or 15 years ago and they performed just like very old tires. Very dangerous. 

[newkitman]

Thanks for the reply. I guess this will be the last year for the tires on the Ghia. Tires for the Ghia and TD. Guess I’ll have to save up some. 10 tires may be a tad on the expensive side. 

Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The Shack

[edward ericson]

I know. It ain’t fair. 

[edward ericson]

Update– someone correct me if I’m wrong, but my understanding is that any 3-digit date code means the tires are at least 11 years old and are well past their expiration date. So NewKitman’s 406 example, above, would be the 40th week of 1996–15 years old, not April 2006, five years old.

Anyone? Bueller?

[Paul Mossberg]

Yup.

Like the initial post says:

The first and last digits are the most important:

• Prior to the year 2000, the last 3 digits of a DOT number represented the week (2 digits) and the year (1 digit) of production. So if the last three digits are 439, the tire was produced in the 43rd week of 1999.
• Tires produced after January 1, 2000, have a 4-digit date code at the end of the DOT number. The first 2 digits represent the week of production and the last 2 digits represent the last 2 digits of the year of production. So, 3500 indicates the tire was produced in the 35th week of the year 2000.

Any tire with a three digit code was produced BEFORE December 31 1999.

Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica Roadster

If you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)

[newkitman]

OUCH! That really sucks. I did misunderstand the DOT codes explanation. My Ghia tires (DOT Code 406) were in fact manufactured the 4oth week of 1996 and NOT 2006. Well….its definitely time for new tires. It’ll be a little costly but WAY CHEAPER than losing my life or the life of a loved one. Good catch Edsnova.

Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The Shack

[Montie Henderson]

Wow I’m really confused now.  Last 4 numbers on my dot code is 1458… Anyone got a cule how old this spare is…

[newkitman]

14th week of ’58. Geez…that’s one hell of a tire Montie!  

Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The Shack

[Paul Mossberg]

You sure you are reading that right Montie?

Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica Roadster

If you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)

[edward ericson]

Guessing you’ve got 458s, Allen. 45th week of 1998. Click the link on “discussion” on the second post above and look at the pictures. That’s how I got it.

[Montie Henderson]

I checked again, the complete code is  DOT BFJ7 AF1458.. Ed your prob right on the “98.  This is the old spare off Audrey.  Sure a shame to trash these tires, all 5 still look new, even still have the little nubbin’s on them.   Better safe than, well, most anything else when it comes to tires.   Guess they would make really good tire swings.  Montie 

[Paul Mossberg]

From Car & Driver, how to decode a tire:

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/how-to-read-a-tire-sidewall-feature

Item 14 is the DOT number, which includes week and year of manufacture.

Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica Roadster

If you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)

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