Watch this video, it could save your life.

Demiurge

Tires are safe and well made. Why do you turn a sob story into a nationwide epidemic? Overreact much?

There is no need for any additional regulations on tire companies.

If people were getting killed because ABC Tire Company was doing something causing motor vehicle deaths they would recall all of their affected tires and fix the problem on their own.

Businesses do want to make money, they also want to make sure they stay in business. They can't make money if nobody is buying their products. See, this pesky thing called competition is a wonderful means of marketplace self regulation. When company A effs up, company B, C, D, and E all clamor to siphon away all of company A's customers.

What I find so laughable the eagerness to have the government solve all of our problems (even though there isn't one in this case).

This is the same government that sues the tobacco companies you mention forcing them to run anti-smoking campaigns with their own money. You know, for those legal products they sell called cigarettes. I mean, you'd think the government so concerned with our well being would, I don't know, make this evil product illegal.

Oh no, can't do that, too much revenue.

Who are the greedy ones now?

Corporate profits, pfft....let's talk about government taxation.

brettw22

Demiurge wrote: »

If people were getting killed because ABC Tire Company was doing something causing motor vehicle deaths they would recall all of their affected tires and fix the problem on their own.

Mostly agree, but using the Firestone tires on the Explorers as an example, they weren't rushing to let the public know that they were more than willing to recall their tires........that only happened when they were nailed to the wall and forced to do it due to a pattern of deaths based on the tread issue......

I still want to know who big company's like Sears are buying 12 year old tires from..........that can't be a typical warehouse life before a tire hits the road from the manufacturing plant.....

DollarDave

disneyjoe7 wrote: »

... BTW talking about tires did you know "Proper air pressure in your tires and a tune up" could replace drilling of oil in this country?

I caught this too! Hard to believe a presidential candidate (Oboma), supposedly an educated person, would say that. This is not a politcal statement of mine, but an observation of a prominent person who is borderline dumb.

Anyone else notice in the video that they kept rounding up on the age of the tires? Like when he refered to the "4104" date-stamp as "over 4 years old". In my part of the country, we just started the 31st week of the year in 2008.

Don't get me started on the whole Firestone-Ford thing. At the time, Firestone tires actually had some of the statistically safest tires on the market. Do the research, or contact auto expert Ed Wallace in the DFW area for the details. Bottom line, this was sentationalized to the point of huge law-suites, costly recalls, etc, etc, when the facts didn't support it at all.

The articale did not point out studies showing tires sitting around with no weight on them dry-rotting or anything like that. As pointed out in other posts, improper inflation, rotation, lack of driving, cheap tires, etc, has more to do with the safety of the tires than age. School of experience and common-sense tells me that, not a study. BTW, why do we assume it was a hot warehouse they were sitting in? I was from the north, and they are mostly cold warehouses...did ABC claim that has the same affect?

ND13

The tires in question were only 4 years old at the time of sale. I've got underwear older than that, that I rely on for my sanitation safety.;):p:eek::D

exalted512

If I recall, it was proved that it was Ford's faulty design that caused the Firestones to fail, not the tires themselves as previously thought.
-Cody

ND13

I had the same Firestones(on my '98 Grand Cherokee Limited 4x4) that were in question during that clusterfuck. I preferred them to comparable Goodyears any day of the week.

You're right, 512, it wasn't, fully, the tires fault, it was the rear suspension's design, driver input error and owner negligence(lack of tire rotations and proper inflation) that caused the greater majority of the failures.

ND13

Most of you would be scared to drive, if you saw what I see on a daily basis, when I appraise trade-ins. Some of the vehicles that people put their loved-ones in are, in no way, roadworthy. Sometimes I want to contact child services, they are so bad. It's moronic.

joeparaski

Most people don't give a damn about their tires (not all, but most). I work in a garage, and we get typically about 6 to 10 flats to repair every day. On Sundays, since we're the only ones open in the area, we can get upwards of 20 flats to repair. Very often, the tire is unrepairable, and MOST customers would be happy to purchase just ONE tire, even if it was a different brand.

However, I don't give them a choice, I tell them they have to purchase 2 IDENTICAL tires, not one. They even get pissed off at me telling me that's it's "their" choice and "their" decision to purchase only one. But I don't budge, it's 2 tires or leave with your spare on.

Joe

trubluluc

I'm as reasonable a guy as you're likely to ever meet.
I check the date code on the milk I buy, and even if it's supposed to be fresh, I smell it anyway before drinking it. I don't just assume everyone has done their job correctly, insuring freshness, because I know there is a percentage of the population who doesn't do their job correctly.
You on the other hand seem to be an "after the fact" fixer....
as in let a problem demonstrate itself fully, in this case.....have many people die from a situation before accepting the fact there is a problem.
To me that is carelessness, plain and simple. To throw your hands up in the air and say "accidents happen" especially when they could have been prevented, shows a definite lack of understanding of cause and effect.
You also seem to be unable to put yourself in another's shoes. If it was Demi Jr. who had been killed do to faulty tires, I think you'd be looking at this situation from a different point of view.
Do you have kids Demi? Having kids will give you insight into how far you have to think ahead to keep them safe. The "oops I didn't think of that" philosophy doesn't cut it, if the child is being taken to the hospital because you didn't think ahead about the danger of leaving the keys in the riding lawn mower.

I don't think government can solve all our problems.
But then again I don't separate myself from the government... if it's working properly....we are the government, it's "by the people for the people" in this country. If we don't like the way it's working, get involved in making it better, rather than sitting on our asses and bitching about it.

Demiurge wrote: »

Tires are safe and well made. Why do you turn a sob story into a nationwide epidemic? Overreact much?

There is no need for any additional regulations on tire companies.

If people were getting killed because ABC Tire Company was doing something causing motor vehicle deaths they would recall all of their affected tires and fix the problem on their own.


What I find so laughable the eagerness to have the government solve all of our problems (even though there isn't one in this case).

This is the same government that sues the tobacco companies you mention forcing them to run anti-smoking campaigns with their own money. You know, for those legal products they sell called cigarettes. I mean, you'd think the government so concerned with our well being would, I don't know, make this evil product illegal.

Oh no, can't do that, too much revenue.

Who are the greedy ones now?

Corporate profits, pfft....let's talk about government taxation.

ohskigod

ND13 wrote: »

I want to know why the father, in the video, would think that, after 5 years, the tires on that SUV would still be safe anyway. Unless that SUV had been driven less than 8,000/yr., those tires COULDN'T have been in all that great of shape.

Yeah, I'm going to send my son and his friends on a trip out of the country in a SUV that has, in his mind, 5 year old rubber on it.:rolleyes:

DING DING,

I said the same thing.........I'm sure old rubber is bad, but the tires were on the car for 4 years. your gonna tell me that tire didnt have ANY signs of cracking or issues....CMON!

Truth be told, I will check dates if I buy a tire. 6 yrs sounds about right. If I buy a 4 yr old tire for a daily commuter car, I will feel pretty assured that I will replace the tire down the road for natural wear and tear long before rubber starts to dry out

Midnite Mick

I think they could have some sort of impermeable membrane around the tire to prevent them from drying out. Much in the same way that I stored golf club grips as they deteriorate over time even without use as well.

Mike

bikezappa

I belong to an old car club, 356 Porsches, and they have been warning people in the club that love to drive these cars that you should get rid of you 6 year or older tires. This has been a topic for a few years. The club has no financial interest in selling you tires. I wonder why some people try to change the topic of the video. It just says the same thing, old tires can be unsafe. You have been told. Do what you want. Just don't understand why some people reply to the thread try to make up unimportant information, maybe to change the topic???

The issue of the date code on the tires is an example of people trying to hid information from you the consumer. It's shamful that manufacturers can do do it and the law makers allow it or haven;t changed it.

suprafantx

I love stupid people. They read this thread and go out there buy them a set of tires 12 years old and enjoy them. If they die, less idiots around...Ha Ha Ha.

wizzy

Demiurge wrote: »

I'll tell you what, lets pass a law forcing companies to get rid of the old tires after 2 years on the shelf. Since they're obviously just out to kill people to line their own pockets.

You know what's next, right? That's right, higher prices.

Enjoy!

Hmmm, seems to me that implementing a close to JIT delivery method for tires would make them cheaper. Seems to work for everything else in the business world. Granted the raw materials were probably cheaper ten years ago.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just_In_Time_(business)

W

Dennis Gardner

Lets stop this truck and warn them of the dangers of old tires.............

Midnite Mick

Wouldn`t a tire manufacturer want greater turn over on their product. On one side you would have to keep a smaller inventory but I think you would sell more tires in the long run.

trubluluc

....I really didn't mean this thread to be a debate on business, government or anything else.
It was information I was unaware of and thought I'd put it in here for fellow polkaphiles to consider and go your own way on it.
Funny thing about knowledge though...once you know you can't go back to not knowing....you can only move on to caring or not caring.
I will check the date code on the next set of tires I buy, and I hope you will too.

-Luc

Dennis Gardner

I actually went out with a flashlight and checked the new tires I put on in May. They are dated 6th week of '08. I didn't expect tires too old since they are 20s...........My wifes tires purchased in '07 were only a year old when mounted too.

WilliamM2

I will check the date code on the next set of tires I buy, and I hope you will too.

I always have, the date code is not some secret. On the car I don't worry much, but on my motorcycle I never accept tires more than 1 year old.

Norm Apter

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. We just bought our first car last week. Its used (2006), but the tires look shiny, new and thus I never would have thought of this.

I just went down to look for the date code with a flashlight around the rims, but couldn't locate it. I saw a few lists of numbers but nothing that jumped out as a date. Is there a standard place where the date code is located?

bikezappa

[QUOTE=Norm
I just went down to look for the date code with a flashlight around the rims, but couldn't locate it. I saw a few lists of numbers but nothing that jumped out as a date. Is there a standard place where the date code is located?[/QUOTE]

Go look at the video. It's a convoluted date method code. They give examples of how to understand the date your tires were born.

bikezappa

trubluluc wrote: »

....I really didn't mean this thread to be a debate on business, government or anything else.
It was information I was unaware of and thought I'd put it in here for fellow polkaphiles to consider and go your own way on it.
Funny thing about knowledge though...once you know you can't go back to not knowing....you can only move on to caring or not caring.
I will check the date code on the next set of tires I buy, and I hope you will too.

-Luc

I don't understand the Red Herring issue and other topics brought up either.

Thanks for posting this information video Luc.

I just bought a set of used tires with rims. I checked the dat and saw 1208 and was happy.

Dennis Gardner

The message is a good one. The reported piece had a few misleading parts. The van that killed two people had 9 year old tires on it. 5 years by the owner, 4 by the seller, those would have still been legal for sale, so who is more at fault? The grave yard of cars in the piece were mostly Ford Explorers held over from the Firestone debacle. Look at it again and see.

Good info, just slanted reporting, IMO.

disneyjoe7

I wonder just what the percentage of tires which caused an accident, and of those the percentage which die or which hurt from that accident. I would think it was pretty low.

Slanted news is what pushed me away from TV as a whole.

SolidSqual

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9idXQMooGhw

This car could save your life!

wizzy

disneyjoe7 wrote: »

I wonder just what the percentage of tires which caused an accident, and of those the percentage which die or which hurt from that accident. I would think it was pretty low.

Slanted news is what pushed me away from TV as a whole.

Good question. I bought cheap tires for a car once (in high school) and then never again

I imagine figuring out when a tire separation causes an accident versus the accident causing the tire separation is pretty straightforward.

The separation of the tread would most likely leave marks on the road surface, as well as pieces of tread.

The analysis of where these marks and pieces are would give a fairly accurate indication of the orientation and position of the vehicle, and tell the investigator if the tread failure was a cause or result of an accident.

Probably not accurate 100% of the time, but I would guess easily 90%+ accurate.

W

ND13

suprafantx wrote: »

I love stupid people. They read this thread and go out there buy them a set of tires 12 years old and enjoy them. If they die, less idiots around...Ha Ha Ha.

Who the hell said they would go out and buy 12 year old tires???:rolleyes:

suprafantx

ND13 wrote: »

Who the hell said they would go out and buy 12 year old tires???:rolleyes:

If you read previous theads, you see there are people they do not care how old or how bad the tires are. They said all tires are safe. They have no idea that tires are safe or not depend on differrent applications. The same tire size but diffenrent speeds you drive, you have to have the right tire ratings. Two out of there of my cars are using Z rating or better to handle speed over 135 mph.
I am glad that person is not you.

suprafantx

Any one read the news on CNN that a recapped tire blown and 15 people were killed.

Deadof_knight

OK im here to tell anyboy here.... I have worked for a tire company for going on 20 years.... I cant tell you how many people drive around with low tires some are flat and the idiots cant tell. Man I can tell in any of my vehicles old and new and belive me Ive got a few.... if the tires or tire is low its called pay attention jeash ....when I see some one in front of me on the road on the highway I try to let them know, I could count 5 a day driving to work and that just straight to work an back its crazy .... how many people just think ... its ok.... Tires are not designed to run half inflated the sidewall cant take the friction that why a tire has TREAD..... thats the part thats supposed to be on the road nothing else....... If your tire blows out its because you havent looked at them in awhile in my humble opinion ! Every tire except one that gave me trouble I expected it .... go flat or come apart if I decided to drive on it. I own a 69 mach1 mustang, 72 chevy truck ,86 mazda rx7, 2003 dodge ram, 73 dodge challenger, 70 nova. All vehicles drive different but tires do feel soft no matter what you drive if you pay attention like hmmm why is my car pulling to the right today when I brake or drive down the road ......GET OUT AND CHECK IT!