Tyre Cracking

[Spilsy Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Spilsy]

Looking at my tyres after our last 4x4 trip, I've notice that on at least 1 tyre, there is slight cracking in the tread. Is this normal? Or is my rubber perishing before its time?
The tyres are Dueler 697s, are about 50,000km old, and have always been under the car. None of them have spent any real time on the back as a spare.

[JimmyC Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close JimmyC]

After lots of dirt I've found cracks in the tread lugs. They look exactly like a Stanley knife has halved it. Mine are coopers at 35,000km

[krypto Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close krypto]

Had a bad blow out on my camper due to a tyre that looked fine but was 7 years old. Anything over 6 years old should be thrown out, manufacture date/year is stamped on all tyres.

I don't think that 697s have been around for 6 years.

[Turbo Piston Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Turbo Piston]

Isn't it 5 years?

[Spilsy Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Spilsy]

I'll have to go check the manufacture date.
My cracks are in the "valley" of the tread.
Some cracks look like stanley knife marks, others look more like gouges.

[krypto Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close krypto]

Isn't it 5 years?

Tyre place told me 6 years and I also found it somewhere on the net. It's a bit of an arbitrary figure, bottom line old tyres can be dangerous.

[Spilsy Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Spilsy]

From Bridgestone's website:

How old is too old?
This is a subject of much debate within the tyre industry and no tyre expert can tell exactly how long a tyre will last. However, on the results of experience many tyre companies, including Bridgestone, warrant their tyres against manufacturing and material defects for five years from the date of manufacture. Based on their understanding a number of vehicle manufacturers are now advising against the use of tyres that are more than six years old due to the effects of ageing.

[Spilsy Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Spilsy]

The date marking on my tyres, which of course was on the inside, was 2014. So they arent all that old.

[Bushbasher Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Bushbasher]

My bro-in-law ran a set of Mitchies on his LR Disco for about 10 years and finally replaced them after over 130,000km prior to our trip to Cape York. They were practically bald when I saw them at 100K. His were city miles. I reckon it has a lot to do with how much punishment you give them but realistically I don't see much more than about 4 years averaging 20k per year. That's 80K from my BFGs which I am more than happy with.

[Bushbasher Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Bushbasher]

I read an article some years ago that concerned radial cracks on caravan tyres. The tyres sat idle for long periods, radial cracks would develop in the sidewalls and result in the wall blowing out under load. Many people don't realize how old the tyres on their caravan, CT or other trailer are until it lets them down. Reminds me, must look at replacing my CT tyres soon before next big adventure.

[mik31vs Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close mik31vs]

Not sure if that's an old tyre, are they some serious tyre cracks or just some small ones? Do you see cracks on sidewalls also?

[Spilsy Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Spilsy]

Not sure if that's an old tyre, are they some serious tyre cracks or just some small ones? Do you see cracks on sidewalls also?

Not huge, only in the treads. I'd get a photo, but thats not permitted where I work, so I'll get something up tonight.

[yowie Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close yowie]

I have had a few small cracks inside the treads before, the tyres kept on going and holding pressure, until it was time for a new set.

The cracks appeared around the half tread life. Was on the previous D694's, and have seen it on other off road tyres before, only very small cracks that you would not see until the sun shone onto the tread section.

[Bushbasher Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Bushbasher]

My BFGs have hundreds of similar fine cracks, a bit like creases in a well-weathered old face.

[krypto Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close krypto]

When my 7 year old new looking tyre blew it really let go and did serious damage It really just disintegrated at 100km/h