I recently re-read a 9/22/03 Wall Street Journal article this week and
since a record number of people plan on driving our little cars to
Solvang this year, I figured I would share it with all of you. I have
the full article scanned to PDF so if any of you would like to read the
whole thing, please let me know and I will e-mail it to you. Here are
some quotes:
Sean Kane of Strategic Safety, LLC contends. ".rubber compounds degrade
over time and cause tires to become prone to sudden failures. Even an
unused, pristine looking spare tire, he says, should not be used if more
then six years old."
"New tires often sit in warehouses or on store shelves for two years or
more" (before being sold)
NHTSA is considering establishing guidelines. (on this matter)
".the Tyre Industry Council, a British nonprofit organization funded by
tire makers and dealers issued a warning that drivers should replace
tires if they are more than 10 years old. .(and) tires more than six
years old that haven't been used should be discarded."
".Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes warn drivers. .about using tires older
than six years."
Joe Cartus "..pampered his 1965 Sunbeam Tiger. .taking the tires off in
winter to avoid having them develop flat spots, which the tire industry
recommends in such cases. In 1999, Mr. Cartus drove the car back from a
car convention in Montana when the tread separated on the left rear
tire, allegedly causing the car to roll over. He suffered slight
injuries, but his girlfriend was left disfigured and brain damaged.
.the tire was 11 years old but had only 4,000 miles."
Be safe!
Best regards,
Eric Hankinson
1969 2000
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