Tire advice?

[AGodlyCanuck]

So I bought some lightly used 31x10.5r15 tires.
They are Cooper Discover M+S.

Apparently they are dedicated winter tires but I wanted some LT 31s for summer because shale rock terrifies me.

The thing is, these tires despite being in good condition ( still smell fresh, have lots of tread)
They are 12 years old and the rubber isn't very soft anymore and there is some very VERY light cracking between the tread blocks.

Think running them as summers would be justified? Especially since they were only $200

View attachment 169489

 

[92exp4x4]

I think you'll be fine. Tire technology is so good these days even the cheap tires are better than expensive ones 25 years ago. I have some tires a little older than yours still in service. I'm slowly replacing them now as they are close to 20 years old, but I'm not afraid to run them anywhere. Just make sure you keep them inflated and check them occasionally.

We bought a 1937 Buick special with 38000 miles on it last year. With it came an original bill of sale, receipts of service through 1961 and a receipt for tires in 1965. The tires on the car are sears all state brand. Sears quite branding tires with all state around 1973, so I venture to say those are the ones from 65 and are on the car today. They are perfect and we have driven the car quite a bit in the time we've had it. No cracks, wear, or other damage. That doesn't mean it's not getting new tires this year, but it's just an example that older stuff can be reliable.

 

[seville009]

I would not use 12 year old tires; just too risky, even if they look ok.

For $200, you should have alot better choices of younger tires. Just look on Craigslist

 

[Kesp4.0]

12 year old tires I'd be on the fence but as long as they looked great I'd use them. I've put some miles on 13 year old sunbaked tires and 35 year old garaged tires and you could tell when it was time to get rid of them- all of the signs were obvious. I've got a brand new set of BFG A/T KO 1's from 2014 that have zero miles on them and they've been garaged the entire time and I plan on using the hell out of them when the Explorer is up and running again. Just check your tires every once in a while and if they display serious integrity issues then dump them.

 

[92exp4x4]

The most common cause of failure in a tire is being run with low pressure. Look at the inner liner, if there is any deformation or scrubbing in the sidewall then discard it. If there is powdery rubber inside the tire, discard it. If there is major cracking in the shoulder of the tread, discard it. Many tires with a combination of these signs will indicate a tire run low or flat. At that point the sidewall belts are compromised and have have begun to separate.

Keep in mind, recap tires for trucks can be on 25 year old carcasses. As long as it's still serviceable, they will use them over several times. Just not on steer axles.

Other than that, I have no problem running any tire, any age. Make sure you keep an eye on the pressure. That's the most important thing you can do. Low pressure equals high heat due to friction.

 

[AGodlyCanuck]

I'd like to clarify that I am a tire technician.
I'm not so much asking about if the tires are in safe enough condition to use.

More along the lines confirming my logic that they should be decent enough for summer back bush driving.

 

[AGodlyCanuck]

I would not use 12 year old tires; just too risky, even if they look ok.

For $200, you should have alot better choices of younger tires. Just look on Craigslist

Thats a very subjective thing as what you can find can be totally different than what I can find as we are likely in totally different regions.

 

[92exp4x4]

I'd like to clarify that I am a tire technician.
I'm not so much asking about if the tires are in safe enough condition to use.

More along the lines confirming my logic that they should be decent enough for summer back bush driving.

Ah, one of wisdom for such things then! I'm sure you appreciate then; our find with the old Buick. I'll post a pic of these ancient gems.

So your opinion then... What do you think of balance beads? I've seen several types and people's opinions on the several types. I think I've narrowed down to using the stainless steel shot instead of the ceramic. What are your thoughts? My tires are balanced with weights, but I've thought about experimenting with these for a "fine tune" balance of the whole rotating mass.

 

[92exp4x4]

Here are some pics of the All States. I'm 99% positive they are from 1965. Also, some Ward-Riversides from the late 50s but we're not sure how old they really are.

 

[AGodlyCanuck]

Those do look like actual Bias Plies.

On the topic of balancing beads... I would avoid them.
Tires inside are never 100% clean, what people often report are the tires feeling like they are clumping together sometimes, othertimes theyre super smooth.

Now something i see a lot is water or moisture getting inside your wheel, Just through Temp changes. That would definitely wreak havoc with the beads.

They sound cool, seem like a good idea on paper... But unfortunately they are too varied to say if they would be a good idea or not. I personally wouldn't recommend them.

 

[92exp4x4]

Ok sounds good to me. I know some old timers would throw a couple golf balls in truck tires when mounting them up.

 

[toypaseo]

Couple things to consider...

Winter tires will wear faster due to their softer rubber. Pry less MPG, and a bit worse handling also.

 

[ks54703]

1rst Gen Explorers do not have a very good history with the right rear tire. Putting on and running 12 year old questionable tires on a 1rst gen Explorer at today's road speeds / temps is asking for a experience your not ready to handle. Have a 94 that lost it's right rear tire and can tell you from the stains in the shorts it was no fun.

 

[BKennedy]

What, exactly is the history with the right rear tire specifically? The only issue I know about tires and 1st Generation Explorers was the factory air pressure recommendations were too low, which could cause the tires to overheat and fail, and that was only with specific Firestone brand tires.

I have had right rear 35" tire blow at highway speeds and all I had to do was coast to the shoulder. I had a front tire fail on my 18,000 pound RV and all I had to do was coast to the shoulder. I had a right front tire explode in a patrol vehicle while I was on a left hand transition ramp at over 100 MPH, so that tire had a substantial weight transfer load, and all I had to do was coast to the shoulder. Rear tire failures cause much less vehicle deviation from a straight course and less pull than fronts. I'm sorry if I sound harsh, but I get tired of people blaming tires failing for their inability to control a vehicle. I have read several studies of rapid deflation tire failure, and the maximum deviation from a straight line of travel was inches. Those studies included high profile vehicles with larger tires. Its always improper driver input and/or overreaction that causes loss of control.

Canuk, just keep an eye on the tires and run them. If the cracks start to separate, then I would junk them. Rubber naturally dries out from exposure to the elements, minor surface cracking is normal on older tires. My off-road rig doesn't get a lot of miles on it, so the tires last a long time. My last set of 35" Goodyear MTR's were 12 years old when I replaced them because they were about half way down and torn up from rocks.

 

[ks54703]

Wheel base relative to higher center of gravity of the vehicle.