Interesting Racerboy. My last post was a small part of an article I wrote for a motoring magazine in 2011. I visited Pirelli and spoke with employees and researched tyre manufacture. I visited the test labs where they are subjected to destructive testing and I also have an old Uni friend who works in Polymer chemistry that I called upon. The 5 year age on the new chemical make up of tyres is realistic, not speculation. The 10 year limit is optimistic and only achieveable if you block the UV. Besides your Michelin report is dated 2006 and the tyre make up has also changed since then. There is an interesting investigation here which suggests a life expectancy of 6 years for some modern tyres, Including a Ford Motor Company letter to the government requesting the NHTSA government agency create a 6 year age limit on tires Your Tires May Be A Ticking Time Bomb
Given the litigious nature of modern America I'm amazed that something so crucial to the safety of so many can have so limited a life. How may people are driving on those "time bombs"? Something doesn't add up.
Thats easy Vizsla, Its called "passing the buck" Basically as they know there is a genuine chance of failure after 6 years, just put out an advice to owners to have the tyres "inspected" yearly when they reach 5 years old, as Michelin has done. It's your responsibility then!
You seem to have little experience with American courts. It would be nice to live in a land of personal responsibility. But there's far too much money at stake for there not to have been class action suits, if tires became so dangerous within what most American users consider to be normal life.
Ahhhh, yes the good olde US of A where I can be sued for not looking where you were going. Jokes aside this tyre age stuff really is old news, I'm surprised that there are still 1000's of people who still don't know about it.
It is "known" among those who know tires but I have to wonder if calling old tires time bombs isn't blatant hyperbole. They may not be as safe as new tires but I don't think that they're killing people on a regular basis. Its rare to see a car with a flat tire these days. Blowouts or other catastrophic failure are almost unheard of on passenger cars.
in the days when sustained speeds in excess of 120 were possible, I might have worried more that I do now. In most cases most drives do not even warm up the tire or the brakes to get best out of them anyway. I should think, proper inflation is even more important. It looks like a firestone tire I had on a 91 exploder. So if I was driving in areas where tar temperatures get really elevated, i would not under inflate to get a softer ride. 36psi all round. In Germany, well..... I would get new ones!
What would shipping to the US be per tire, for a set of four? Thanks. BTW, RubberGoods is invalid now.
Uro, I just checked the website at the link in the first post in this thread. A set of 4 tires is $1588 with free shipping to the US. That is less than $400 per tire. Coker is selling the tires for $440 each. To that you have to add shipping, and depending on where Purgatory is you may have to add tax.
I kind of resented this remark as i felt i had answered this question pretty well. "Michelin are constantly testing their tyres." any way in an attempt to be more thorough i chased my fine French freind inside Michelin and here is his coments on 205/70VR14 Michelin XWX :- Hi Dougal, Maybe can you answer to your client around this : As an example, please, find the "Certificat d'homologation ECE30" for size 205/70 R 14 89 W Michelin XWX As you can see, this last version has been signed in 1995. Since, obviously, many improvements have been made. With test to confirm that quality of the tyre is still able to pass the standards listed on this certificate. Let's say that at Michelin, test are always far above legal exigeances. And we don't pay +/- 3 000 people at Ladoux, our main european test center for nothing + the ones abroad. ------- Hopefuly, we don't need to homologate new tyres everytime the is a small change on 120 to 200 differents elements included on make of every tyres. Overwise, Europeans authorities will need much more pen-pushers than they already have..... If your client feel unsafe after purchase of new Michelin's tyres, maybe can you give him the example of Austin Healey 24 h record at Millbrook, with modern 6.00 R 16 Pilote X. Or this picture, taken by one of my friend last week-end at Automedon : see how 1981 Michelin XWX tyres are strong, still alive after obvious evidence of run-flat... I hope this driver of Merak went to see you to ask for new shoes, miracle shop can be closed anytime. Thank you Michelin. These words are direct from Michelin so though my freinds English is pretty good, you do have to read between the lines a bit. The point he is making about the 3,000 people in Ladoux is that Michelin are continuously testing their tyres to far higher standards than is nesesary for the legislation because they insist on keeping their quality standards at 100%. I sell all sorts of makes of tyres and i do not have problems with Michelin. i deal with all sorts of other tyre dealers suppliers and retailers and nobody questions Michelins quality. (obviously now i have stated that some smart arse will). On the subject of tyre age:- Michelin say; Tires which have been IN USE for 5 years or more should continue to be inspected by a specialist at least annually... (i don't know how to do underlining; but "in use" is the important bit)........ While most tires will need replacement before they achieve 10 years, it is recommended that any tires in service 10 years or more from the date of manufacture, including spare tires, be replaced with new tires as a simple precaution even if such tires appear serviceable and even if they have not reached the legal wear limit. tyres have a protective coating on them and after they are first used their deteriation increases dramatically. so for instance if you bought a tyre that was 5 years old but had been stored perfectly, that in theory, is almost as good as when it was first manufactured. However if you had a tyre that had been on your car for 5 years it would be about shot. Therefore a tyre that is 6 years old but has only been fitted for 1 year is probably better than a tyre that has been on a car for 3 years. (assuming the 6 year old tyre came out of perfect storage, and the 1 year of fitment it hasen't been exposed to extreme magnified sun rays. i.e. California vs Yorkshire Uk). I might point out I tend not to sell 5 year old tyres. I would be suprised if any of my Michelin tyres have been with me for more than 6 months. They are fresh from Michelins storage fascility. So if you get tyres from Longstone Tyres and they are 3 years old (unusual but possible) they will be fresh from Michelins storage fascility and in perfect condition. They will be the newest tyres available. Dougal Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Wow - Fast delivery and made in the 28th and 29th week of 2013! Thank you Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Same here! You beat me to it! 3rd week in July 2013 These tires are so fresh I had to slap 'em! These tires are so young I had to put diapers on them! These tires are so green, Al Gore is sniffing around my garage! Image Unavailable, Please Login
My tires were so new they just sent me a bucket of hot rubber and a tire mold. All kidding aside, my tires were shipped (from Longstone) on 8/6/12 and were manufactured on 4611.....well under a year old. Great price, great service. I received them in under 1 week.
I bought a correct size set from them for my 330 GTC in the proper size of 205 x 14 to replace the nearly new 205 70 x 14 XWX that I bought unknowingly in 2010 for the car. The ones coming off the car have under 3k gentle miles, no flat spots or curb rash. The car is garage kept, under cover and is driven a couple times a month. If anyone is interested in these tires, PM me.
Have a look here, free delivery Michelin XWX | Buy Vintage Tyres Online - FAST DELIVERY WORLDWIDE Fantastic service, I can't recommend these guys enough. I started buying tyres from them in 2007 using their online service and never had a problem. I've been lucky enough not to get pinged with import taxes on the way in and coupled with free delivery, cheaper than buying here in Australia
Greg this site shows a delivery fee of 95 quid. Makes total for Aust delivery Aus $1749 for set of 4 tyres. With local fittment the price is about same as using a local Oz Supplier.
Ah, ok. I see that now. I've bought 3 sets on different occasions over the years and have never been charged shipping in the past.
