Pilot sports, how old before they deteriorate ?.
Pilot sports, how old before they deteriorate ?.
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Discussion

blade7

Original Poster:

11,311 posts

246 months

Saturday 6th April 2013
quotequote all
I have pilot sports on the front of my 944, not sure how old but I'd guess at least 7 years plus, when I had the geo set up at CG 3 years ago Chris commented they were a little hard so is it time to bin the tyres despite having 3 or 4mm on them still ?.

6C4GTS

5,186 posts

208 months

Saturday 6th April 2013
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The week and year of manufacture should be marked on the tyre ie 10/08 - I have heard about 5 years is the limit before they deteriorate to the extent you would change them.

blade7

Original Poster:

11,311 posts

246 months

Saturday 6th April 2013
quotequote all
They're well past 5 years old so time to bin them I guess.

diver944

1,855 posts

306 months

Saturday 6th April 2013
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Get some new rubber you tight get wink and drive it more so they wear out before getting too old

Martian O

2,734 posts

192 months

Saturday 6th April 2013
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Tyre manufacturers recommend changing at around 6 years old.

Saying that, a friend of mine had 10 year old rubber on his 944 'ring tool for a while! eek

blade7

Original Poster:

11,311 posts

246 months

Sunday 7th April 2013
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diver944 said:
Get some new rubber you tight get wink and drive it more so they wear out before getting too old
laugh Only doing 2-3k a year means they go off with loads of tread left frown.

Ozzie Osmond

21,189 posts

276 months

Sunday 7th April 2013
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I've run Pilot Sports to about 7 years without the slightest problem either in terms of physical condition or apparent grip.

This idea you'll crash on any tyre more than a few years old is laughable. What's more, Pilot Sports are a particularly high quality tyre in the first place.

blade7

Original Poster:

11,311 posts

246 months

Sunday 7th April 2013
quotequote all
Ozzie Osmond said:
I've run Pilot Sports to about 7 years without the slightest problem either in terms of physical condition or apparent grip.
Me too, that doesn't mean they wont deteriorate at 8,9 or 10 years old though does it ?.

anonymous-user

84 months

Sunday 7th April 2013
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Ozzie Osmond said:
I've run Pilot Sports to about 7 years without the slightest problem either in terms of physical condition or apparent grip.

This idea you'll crash on any tyre more than a few years old is laughable. What's more, Pilot Sports are a particularly high quality tyre in the first place.
How wrong can you be? There are well publicised cases of multi million dollar/£ claims made due to fatalities caused by fitting old tyres that subsequently failed. Just last year, one such involved a Michelin tyre. Not for the first time.

Only a real idiot would use a tyre more than 6/7 years old, especially on a performance car, and a close eye should be kept on any more than 3 or 4 years old. Preferably a trained eye.

PGM

2,168 posts

279 months

Sunday 7th April 2013
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Crazy to think a tyre can perish before it's worn out and there's several in this thread that it happens to. Surely the answer is just use the car, it's what it's for and does it the power of good in many ways.

If you can't do this then I'd suggest getting Pirelli p-zero rosso if they come in your size, they are very good but wear out much quicker, slightly better than the pilot sport overall I'd say but I can't use them as they wear out too quickly so prefer the MPS biggrin

RDMcG

20,865 posts

237 months

Sunday 7th April 2013
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I generally wear out tires long before the age limit,especially on the Porsches. However,my personal idiot light came on with my wife's 2003 SL 500,which was bought new and lightly used (18000 miles,all easy). I was driving it in Arizona at about 70 mph when the rear tire blew completely. Luckily no car damage. However, the tire store did raise an eyebrow at the age of the rubber.
I had earlier said to my wife we should change the visually perfect tires for age reasons. Will not repeat my mistake.

Keggers

102 posts

268 months

Sunday 7th April 2013
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Ozzie Osmond said:
I've run Pilot Sports to about 7 years without the slightest problem either in terms of physical condition or apparent grip.

This idea you'll crash on any tyre more than a few years old is laughable. What's more, Pilot Sports are a particularly high quality tyre in the first place.
As I understand it one of the key issues is that they can deteriorate internally and result in them delaminating, with the outside tread section separating from the inner portion of the tyre while you are driving at speed, resulting in a blowout. Because the issue is internal, you won't necessarily see any problem or experience a reduction in grip before it happens. As mentioned above, 6 years seems to be the generally accepted age limit.

blade7

Original Poster:

11,311 posts

246 months

Sunday 7th April 2013
quotequote all
PGM said:
Crazy to think a tyre can perish before it's worn out and there's several in this thread that it happens to. Surely the answer is just use the car, it's what it's for and does it the power of good in many ways.

If you can't do this then I'd suggest getting Pirelli p-zero rosso if they come in your size, they are very good but wear out much quicker, slightly better than the pilot sport overall I'd say but I can't use them as they wear out too quickly so prefer the MPS biggrin
It's a fair weather car so 3k annually is as much as it does, bearing that in mind something that lasts 15k would make sense. I wish my bike tyres lasted that long, 3k and they're worn out frown. In the future I'll be checking manufacturing dates before I have tyres fitted.

Edited by blade7 on Sunday 7th April 17:22

Harris_I

3,359 posts

289 months

Sunday 7th April 2013
quotequote all
Ozzie Osmond said:
I've run Pilot Sports to about 7 years without the slightest problem either in terms of physical condition or apparent grip.

This idea you'll crash on any tyre more than a few years old is laughable. What's more, Pilot Sports are a particularly high quality tyre in the first place.
I've run a GT3 on PS approx 6 years old. The car was a death trap.

Admittedly this was in a hot climate in which the tyres would have been subject to extreme conditions. Nevertheless it was a clear demonstration that rubber has a finite life.


Ozzie Osmond

21,189 posts

276 months

Sunday 7th April 2013
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REALIST123 said:
Only a real idiot would use a tyre more than 6/7 years old.
In which case I've got £50 says there are millions of tyres over that age in regular use which haven't thrown their owners into a ditch. This is just twaddle put about by the "holier than thou" fraternity of motoring pub bores. A tyre in a cool, dark garage isn't going to come to much harm.

By the way, have you checked the life expectancy of your air bags recently? wink

blade7

Original Poster:

11,311 posts

246 months

Monday 8th April 2013
quotequote all
Ozzie Osmond said:
In which case I've got £50 says there are millions of tyres over that age in regular use which haven't thrown their owners into a ditch. This is just twaddle put about by the "holier than thou" fraternity of motoring pub bores. A tyre in a cool, dark garage isn't going to come to much harm.
Wanna buy a couple of 10 year old part worn Pilot Sports for your Boxster, spent a lot of time in a cool, dark garage.

Slaav

4,370 posts

240 months

Monday 8th April 2013
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Without any band wagons nearby, I find mine 'go off' within 12m or so smile (My mileage is not that high....)

Or is that not what you meant?

beer

Matt Seabrook

563 posts

281 months

Monday 8th April 2013
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Unfortunately over the last 25ish years I have had to change blow out tyres that have delaminated due to age. With no sign of other issues that could be seen by the owner these tyres have let go. I'm not saying its a daily occurrence but its also not unheard of either. Only the owner of the car can asses what they think their safety is worth.

Geneve

4,018 posts

249 months

Monday 8th April 2013
quotequote all
Ozzie Osmond said:
I've run Pilot Sports to about 7 years without the slightest problem either in terms of physical condition or apparent grip.

This idea you'll crash on any tyre more than a few years old is laughable. What's more, Pilot Sports are a particularly high quality tyre in the first place.
Anyone involved in racing will tell you how short the optimum tyre life can be. In road use, the tyres progressively degrade, so it may not be that noticable, but on a performance car, 5 years would see them getting to their 'use by' date. Tread depth is only one factor.

anonymous-user

84 months

Monday 8th April 2013
quotequote all
Ozzie Osmond said:
REALIST123 said:
Only a real idiot would use a tyre more than 6/7 years old.
In which case I've got £50 says there are millions of tyres over that age in regular use which haven't thrown their owners into a ditch. This is just twaddle put about by the "holier than thou" fraternity of motoring pub bores. A tyre in a cool, dark garage isn't going to come to much harm.

By the way, have you checked the life expectancy of your air bags recently? wink
I will take that bet and pay up when you have identified and listed at least two million of those tyres.

And you're right, a tyre kept for years in a cool, dark garage isn't going to come to too much harm. The problem comes when you put it on a car and use it.

As for the fraternity of motoring pub bores, after 25 years in the more technical end of the tyre business, I would not class myself as such, but if you think you know better, carry on.