Tired tires

patrick66

Old Man with a Hat
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Central Oklahoma
I've had my Imperial just over seven years now. The tires that were on it then and now are Hankook whitewall 235-75R15, and they ride and handle very well. This means those tires have about eight years and maybe 5K miles on them. They look brand-new, if you didn't look at the date code. There is zero weather-checking or ozone damage, as the car is stored inside my shop with no sunlight hitting it at anytime during daylight. Part of me wants to run new tires, and part says they'll last ten years, just keep an eye out for odd wear patterns or other tire problem evidence.

So, if I go new in the near future, what tires are people running on the big cars these days? I know the Hankook tires on the car now are no longer available. I've thought about Diamondback radials, as they can be ordered with nearly any width of white wall. I just don't want to end up spending a grand on new tires!

Ideas?
 
Tires "aging" out just pains me because of how expensive they are! I've got about 10k on my 6 year old tires. I understand the safety aspect of it, but like your car when not being driven mine is inside almost all the time. They don't even loose measurable pressure during the off season in an unheated garage. I'm probably going to continue to run mine for awhile longer. If it were a motorcycle that would be a different story.
 
Nexen AH5 tires have been good on my Imperial. Not costly, correct weight class, nice white wall size. I think my cost was $500. CDN. installed balanced on wheels. I install wheels, as I don't trust the tire shop monkeys.


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Look for cracks on the side walls. I think what you're doing is fine. If belts start to sperate you'll feel that right away. Just my two cents.
 
Where did you get your Nexens? I can't get anyone here in Ontario to guarantee they have the white stripe...
Yes it was confusing for my guys at first. I contacted Nexen directly. Nexen Canada insisted all the 15" tires have white wall. 235/75r15 certainly does and it is correct.
They also were able to tell me how many tires on next ship and that my tire guy should pre order before all sent to distributors around Canada.
Steelcase tire is my supplier, my guy is Dave. Great service, but as I said I don't bring car, just wheels and take home .
 
I had the BFG Radial T/As on my Coronet for close to twenty years, and that car also is stored inside my windowless shop unless I'm out chasing around in it. They looked brand-new when I sold the Magnum 500s I had them mounted on. Age, to me, is only one component of keeping tires from getting "tired". Sunlight/ozone exposure, proper inflation, and moving the car around so they don't flat-spot help, too. Gotta use them to keep them.

Those Nexen tires sound like an affordable solution to me. The Diamondbacks with the thick/thin whitewalls are just over a grand, shipped to me.
 
Although most other companies claim "six years" (for warranty purposes, as BFG notes), I believe that the Hankook onine catalog stages "10 years" on their tires?

When I bought my '67 Newport used in 1981, it had some Montgomery Wards whitewalls on it. Not really surprising, as to the brand, althings considered back then. They looked good and held air nicely. One night, on the way home, I had to make an evasive maneuver to miss a dog. Hit the brakes and turned the front wheels quickly. About 7 miles later, I was having a flat, so I pulled over to the side of the road and began the tire changing procedures. Luckily, a customer came by (on his way home from his nearby shop) and finished the job for me. LUCKILY, the orig Goodyear Super Power Cushion spare had enough air in it! So I drove easily the remaining 8 miles to the house. Then sat about searching for some radials to replace the MW tires. That was well before we knew what "tire age" was. Back when you could run tires until the cord showed without any problems, no matter how old.

A few years later, I came across the issue of "iinternal dry rot" with tires. Which would be an age deal, I suspect. Whether for new, uninstalled tires or mounted and barely-used tires. Which could ALSO be related to the rubber tread de-laminating/separating from the tire carcass' cords due to age, resulting in flats or worse. Although "tread separation" can happen for other reasons, too, AND happened "back then" on very hot days with under-inflated-for-load situations, by observation.

As much as I might like the Radial TAs on my '77 Camaro, I almost choked when I checked the price on Tire Rack for them a while back. Headed toward $200.00/tire for P225/70R-15s. So I looked at some 17" alternative sizes (same revs/mile) and found some BFGs which were less expensive. But then I'd need to spend another $500.00+ for wheels to save $100.00 on tires. Oh well . . .

Enjoy!
CBODY67
 
The Toyo Extensa A/S WW that I prefer has been discontinued in 235-75-R15, unfortunately. However, my local tire guy said he found six of them and is awaiting delivery. Depending on the DOT date, I might purchase those tires and intern them in an inert gas-filled sarcophagus until the current set I have wears out....
 
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