Clever marketers caught motorists on the hook of "fresh tires". A well crafted myth high quality rubber "straight from the oven" fuels the interest of drivers. Tires that have been in the warehouse for a year or two are already considered old, and therefore are not in demand. Is there a grain of logic and justice in such a position?
When does old age come?
The popularity of fresh rubber is on the rise amid the tire giants' secrecy about tire aging. It is rather difficult to draw the line between “youth” and “old age” of a tire, since both driving style and climatic conditions, and intensity of use. The fact plays into the hands of manufacturers that during active use, tires wear out faster than the warranty aging moment comes. Consequently, it is difficult for motorists to name the moment when exactly the rubber enters retirement age.
Scientists have verified that tires age due to the penetration of ozone gas contained in the atmosphere into the pores of the rubber. In this case, sulfur compounds are destroyed between the rubber molecules, and the tire becomes less elastic. If the rubber has been stored and not used, the product becomes brittle and hard, and the rubber mass molecules “crumble”.
Retirees on the road
It has been theoretically established and practically confirmed that wheels older than 7-8 years are potentially dangerous. Analysts of the expert company Dekra say: if tires have been in the seller’s warehouse for more than 7 years before buying, the risk of getting into an accident with them increases. An analysis of severe road accidents proved that all of them involved cars with dinosaur tires under the age of 12 years. It is impossible to operate such wheels, since the rubber dries out, and microcracks appear on the surface, threatening to turn into breaks and through side holes. Signs of aging will also affect the tire's winter suitability and performance on wet road.
It is believed that from the moment of production, the tire can be stored in the seller's warehouse for five years, and after another five years it can be safely used. Despite the fact that many manufacturers prescribe tires for up to 10 years of life, it is difficult to find such mastodons in stores: this is the lot of flea markets. Such conclusions are made by American scientists, however, to compare the quality of Ukrainian and American roads not worth it, and therefore it is better to approach such “authoritative” statements with a healthy dose of skepticism. German experts, for example, limit the shelf life of new tires to 6 years, and specialists from Continental and do advise to change the rubber after four seasons. Russian authorities certification pneumatic tires allocate five years for the tire guarantee period service from date of manufacture. It is not surprising that car service employees recommend that after the expiration date (on average 5-6 years) to change even those tires that have been used little or have lain idle.
Tires with experience
If everything is very clear with critical age wheels, then what about middle-aged tires? How efficiently can rubber produced 4-6 years ago be used? The French giant Michelin offers its guarantee of durability and reliability, claiming that its tires can last up to ten years if the tires have been ridden at normal conditions. So, constant exposure to rubber activates special softeners in it, which block the appearance of cracks and hardening. Drivers have the right to be wary of such assurances, since other manufacturers refrain from commenting on this at all. We can conclude: if a tire manufactured 4-5 years ago entered constant intensive operation, it will boldly “stretch” on the road for another five years; if a five-, six-year-old tire is used occasionally, its warranty period has expired and the tire needs to be replaced.
Experts give their own estimates of tire durability:
- - Summer tires can be used for no more than 8 years, if the maximum allowable speed on them 180 km / h (speed index S), with respect to tires with speed indices H, V and ZR, scientists are less optimistic. If the rubber can withstand high loads, it can serve 4-6 years. A year in the warehouse of a seller or manufacturer will not harm tires, and maintenance necessary conditions storage will not degrade driving performance and two years of inactivity. Among other things, some drivers note that innovative imported tires in domestic stores get only a year or two after the world "debut" or in the year of release, but in limited quantities;
- Winter tires lose their performance after 4 years of operation. Rubber compound tread becomes glassy over time. Among reputable companies, there are two diametrical opinions about the shelf life of rubber: the German auto club ADAC claims that after two years of storage winter tire should be sold cheaper, since it ceases to be considered new, Semperit - which, provided proper storage manufacturer and seller, the tire retains its novelty for the first two years.
Since theoretical scientists and practitioners agree only on the danger new rubber older than 6-8 years, all tires up to this age can be considered safe. Due to the peculiarities of the market, many stores offer their customers wheels no older than 3-4 years, considering this the optimal period for storing wheels without further loss of functionality. The choice is up to the drivers.
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This is important for both the studded version and Velcro. After all, the smaller (lower) the tread, the more difficult it is to keep the spikes, they will simply fall out. But at friction tire, this is almost the main indicator - after all, she clings to the surface with it, and if it is worn out, she has nothing to cling to.
New winter tires tread height is approximately 10 mm. If at the BU it remained at the level of 7-8 mm, then this good indicator can be considered for purchase.
Storage, age cracks on cord
This is very bad indicator, sometimes it happens that the wheel seems to be not so old (let's say only a couple of years), but the cord went into small cracks! This tells us that the storage was not correct (say, in the open air), the properties of the rubber were lost and the tire began to collapse.
Moisture, salt, dirt pass through these cracks and this contributes to its rapid destruction. At speed, there is no guarantee that it will not break through, so it is better to refuse to buy.
Bumps, cuts, patches
Again, there is nothing good here, all these reasons mean only one thing - that the power structure of the cord is broken and can burst at any moment. This cannot be hidden, so the sellers are honest about it. Personally, I would refuse such a choice.
Technologies
In new tires (as I already said), more and more advanced technologies are used on top, that is, every year the industry produces an ever more perfect product. And if you take a BU, moreover, 5 years old, be prepared that it will not give out such characteristics. And it is useless to compare, say, HAKAPELIT 5 and 9, they are strikingly different.
Russia, China, Europe, Japan
Separately, I want to talk about the manufacturer. Of course, now the leaders are EUROPE (for example - Finland), Japan, well, Korea has pulled itself up (not bad - HANKUK). But it is often difficult to find rubber produced in these countries, all because now everything more manufacturers move their factories to Russia, i.e. localize production
Russia also has many various manufacturers(KAMA, AMTEL, CORDIANT, etc.), which are simply not taken seriously - IN vain!
Overall, Russian tires not bad (be it a foreign brand, but produced by us) or really domestic. Such used options - WORTH CONSIDERING, I will say this for 2 - 3 seasons, for them there is nothing.
But China is still a dark horse, I really talked with the guys from TIRE MOUNTING, they say that there is no stability yet, wheels from the same batch can weigh differently, and the weight often differs decently. There is a beating, you need to balance well. They wear out quickly, bumps appear (literally out of the blue) and the composition of the mixture is often not as high-quality as, say, from eminent manufacturers. Therefore, they cost two or even three times cheaper. If you take such wheels 4-5 years ago, then you should do it really carefully.
TOTAL
Used winter tires you can take , especially if it is from under the car of your friend (well, or found in the ad, let's say lucky), it has traveled some ridiculous kilometers (10-15000) and only a couple of seasons, eminent brand, stored CORRECTLY in the garage. Thus, you can save up to 40-50% and this is real good purchase, still ride 3 seasons - 100%.
The desire to reduce the cost of "shoes" of his " iron horse"leads to the fact that the car enthusiast chooses cheaper car tires - from fakes of unknown brands to used tires. The main thing is that the state of the protector meets traffic rules. However, car tires this is clearly not something that should be saved on, because by reducing the cost of them, we seriously risk our own health and even life.
Before you decide to buy car tires "with age", used or even brand new, but kept in stock for ten years, think about what its role is in ensuring the reliability and safety of driving.
A “new old” tire is a dangerous purchase
It's not about worn tires, namely about old tires not being used for a long time . Unfortunately, car tires are often the subject of savings, and savings are unjustified and inappropriate. But old tires on a car are no less dangerous for the life of the driver and passengers than “bald” tires on ice.
As you know, car tires are made of rubber. Automobile rubber is a rather complex combination of chemical elements that are very stable, but by no means protected from exposure. external factors. The sun's rays, air, temperature changes slowly but surely decompose rubber into chemical elements, weakening the bonds between them.
Remember that rubber "dubs" over time, its consumer properties deteriorate. Moreover, this rule is equally true, even if the tires are stored in a warehouse and are not in use. Unworn, but with a long production time, car tires increase the risk of a motorist to fill up the sad statistics of accidents caused by a suddenly bursting tire.
Again, service life car tires calculated from the date of manufacture, and not from the date of commencement of operation.
If you buy new and acceptable quality car tires, then the speed and moment of the beginning of the active flow of these processes are significantly delayed in time.
Tires with mileage are aging by leaps and bounds
During the operation of the tire, its aging processes are accelerated many times over. The reason, again, is in temperature changes, humidity, chemicals that abound on our streets, as well as in driving style. By the way, driving style is not in vain named among the negative factors that cause rapid wear rubber. Car tires suffer from high speed, hard braking, overloading the vehicle, non-compliance with the recommended tire pressure, untimely use seasonal tires and other features that motorists sin.
Buying car tires with mileage, which has already begun to lose elasticity and elasticity, means getting less grip. pavement, enlarged braking distances, worse handling and a tendency to skid with all the ensuing consequences. That is why used car tires are always of poor quality.
What is the lifespan of car tires
Tire life limits vary from country to country. For car tires Russian production — up to 5 years. In the developed countries of Asia and Europe, the limit is considered 3 years from the date of manufacture of the tire.
Note that we are talking again not about the service life, but about the "age" of the tire. According to experts from Germany, the tire is older than 3 years, even without mileage, i.e. just stored in a warehouse can no longer be considered new.
Where do you think "old" unsold tires usually go? That's right, they are fused by enterprising businessmen at reduced prices to the markets of third countries, where the quality of the products sold is overlooked. Why? Yes, because exporting tires is much cheaper and more profitable than recycling them. And in third countries there will always be those who want to buy these “new old” tires.
How to find out the age (date of manufacture) of a tire?
The date of manufacture of the tire is applied in relief.
The date of manufacture of the tire is shown 4 numbers circled in an oval. The first two digits are the week, the second two digits are the year of the "birth" of tires. For example, if the tire says "2501", then the date of manufacture of the tire is July (25th week) 2001.
So, now you know how to determine its age by marking a tire, as well as about the dangers that old tires are fraught with. To avoid trouble, usually beginning with the words “deployed”, “suffered”, etc. and ending with a mean line in the police report "lost control", do not save on automotive rubber. Buy for your "swallow" really NEW TIRES and … Good luck on the road!
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Tire marking - what do the letters, numbers and color marks on tires mean
Magazine "Wheels" and Internet portal K olesa.ru, together with the trading network "Shina.ru", conducted a small study on what car owners most often ask sellers when they come to buy new tires.
Without pretending to the laurels of Gallup or VTsIOM, we simply compiled a small list of the most popular questions and tried to briefly answer them.
How noisy?
The topic of acoustic comfort is of concern to many car owners. The theory of the question looks like this. Ceteris paribus (manufacturer, price segment), tires with a directional, V-shaped (aka “rain”) tread pattern will be noisier.
The laws of physics apply here: when the grooves and tread blocks are arranged in a herringbone pattern, resonance inevitably arises in the shoulder area, which causes increased noise. Therefore, if acoustic comfort is in the first place, rather than higher high-speed stability on wet roads, it is better to look at tires with a non-directional tread pattern.
How soft?
For Russian roads the question is very relevant. The general principle here is this: the lower the profile (simplified - the height) of the tire, the more rigid it is and will absorb road bumps worse.
If the tires have the same profile, but one sidewall is stiffer than the other, then the one that is softer will be more comfortable when driving. But at the same time, it will be easier to damage it or even “break through” to the disk, running at speed on a bump or tram rails.
What year of release?
Recently, this question has been asked quite often: many are looking for tires released either this year or, at the earliest, last year.
Theoretically, such searches are a waste of time and effort, since tires can be stored for more than 3 years without losing their properties. However, they must be stored correctly, and here the buyer's concern is quite justified, since he is not able to control the storage conditions. On the other hand, tires that have been stored incorrectly for a long time can be immediately distinguished by their appearance: usually these are crumpled, reshaped, tires.
In any case, when buying tires, it is worth examining them: there should be no dents on the sidewalls, radial ("oval") and axial ("eight") curvature, no scuffs and cracks; the edges and circumference of the rim must be even.
Where are made?
The country of the tire manufacturer is constantly interested. Here, first of all, buyers are afraid of Chinese production, and secondly, Russia. To this, world tire manufacturers unanimously declare that the quality of tires produced under their brand will always be the same, no matter where in the world they are made.
In the production of tires, the human factor is minimized, and the main thing here is the components and equipment used, which are used in all factories - whether in China, Russia, Europe, America - are the same.
This is confirmed by sellers, saying that tires from world brands that have defects are equally rare among tires made in Europe and in China.
What do the colored dots on the sidewall of the tire and the longitudinal stripes around the circumference of the tread mean?
The question is not asked very often, but regularly. Car owners are afraid of any marks on the tires, considering them to be markers of downgrading, culling. Such information roams the Internet or is distributed by all sorts of yard "experts".
In fact, the dots on the sidewall of the tire are a marker for balancing: for example, a red dot indicates the heaviest place on the tire, and yellow the lightest. Note, by the way, that when working on a modern balancing machine there is no need for points, and the installers do not even look at them. For this reason, there are no dots on some tires; other manufacturers put them simply "the old fashioned way".
As for the longitudinal lines encircling the tire along the tread, this can either be a trace from the testing machine on which the factory checks radial runout tires, or internal production markers that are applied to facilitate manipulation with different models and tire sizes in stock.
What speed are they for?
This is also asked all the time. The answer to the question is contained in the tire marking: the speed index is indicated by a capital letter of the Latin alphabet (for example, T, H, Z, V), which is after the size. It is clear that it is difficult to see something on the shelves - that's why they ask a specialist consultant.
You just have to keep in mind that top speed, at which the tire retains its grip properties and characteristics, the manufacturer gives for ideal track conditions, which domestic roads clearly do not match. Therefore, despite what is written on the tire, main guarantee safety will be compliance with traffic rules.
Does the car hold up well on wet roads?
Quite a popular question. In response to it, we can recommend tires with a directional tread pattern, one of the names of which is just “rain”.
However, if you do not pursue extreme speed driving, then for tires of high price segment, having the usual non-directional pattern tread, road grip and water drainage are also at a good level.
How long will they serve?
Usually this, as well as a number of subsequent questions, are asked, asking the price of some specific model. This question can be called one of the most popular, since tires, especially the “A” (i.e. high) segment are not cheap; Of course, I want them to go as long as possible.
There is no single criterion here - manufacturers are constantly trying to increase the mileage of their tires. But general principle is: than softer rubber tires, the faster it wears out. A softer composition of the mixture is usually available for sport class models, in which such tread rubber is designed to provide better grip (so-called "sticking") to the road on high speeds. back side this sports medal - faster wear of such a tire.
Is there a guarantee and what is it?
The question arises as a reaction to advertising in the media and the "guarantee" stickers on the tires themselves in the store. Here, the tire warranty is the same as any other: the manufacturer, or its representative in the form of a store, will replace the product in which a factory defect is found.
Definitely, if the new tire turns out to be impossible to balance, or when it is inflated, it does not compact, swellings appear on it - “hernias”, the store will replace such a tire without talking. But when the car owner has already been driving for some time, and then makes a claim, it will be problematic to change the tire.
What tires are best for my car?
Popular question. So simple and vital. In short, it is important to match technical capacity car and tires. Here typical example: it makes no sense to bet on budget foreign car expensive high-speed tires - simpler tires from the “B” segment are quite suitable here, since the dynamic capabilities of the car themselves will not be able to realize the capabilities of tires.
And vice versa: do not save and buy on powerful car with a sporty character budget tires, because it will not allow to reveal the full potential of such a car.
Consultant Dmitry Vulbrun (Shina.ru).
