What is the shelf life of car tires? Correct installation of asymmetric tires

Good masters of car services and tire shops know how to determine the year of manufacture of a tire at a glance. These are not tricks and not "show off" in front of a gullible client for a "wow" effect. In fact, this is determined very simply, the main thing is to know where to look. And there it all depends on arithmetic abilities or the availability of a calendar at hand.

Interesting! Tires have existed long before the advent of cars and even bicycles. The first samples were made of metal. These were the first prerequisites for the creation of analogues of modern tires. John Dunlop, when riding a bicycle on rough roads, suffered from a terrible migraine, because then there were no spring suspensions. This prompted the inventor to the first experiments with rubber.

Do car tires have an expiration date?

Rubber products, like many things in nature and in the world artificially created by man, are subject to wear and aging. Special additives added to the material during the manufacture of tires slow down aging, but long-term operation destroys rubber faster than the natural process. Microcracks form in the tread and on the sidewalls, and this, as a rule, entails the deformation of the carcass.

Experts recommend replacing tires when their expiration date is almost over. And this applies even to those tires in which the car has never even “shod shoes”. The average "life span" of most car tires is 5-6 years from the date of manufacture. Therefore, it is important to know where the year of manufacture is written on the tires.

Tire aging depends on a variety of physical and chemical processes that take place. Over time, this adversely affects the functions they perform. This applies more to those tires that just sit somewhere in the garage and wait in the wings, or those that are worn once a year for one month. The same tires that are in constant operation become brittle much later. After all, rubber softeners are catalyzed only by the rotation of automobile wheels.

Michelin gives a guarantee on its products for about ten years, when many others do not raise the bar above six. Especially if the tire does not have any of the above defects. In addition to how to determine the year of manufacture of a tire and how long it can last, an important point is to distinguish them by category. It is clear that tires with the ZR marking (over 240 km/h) are subjected to enormous loads during operation, which cannot be said about tires of category S (up to 180 km/h).

It would be logical to assume that rubber designed for high speeds should roll back no more than five to six years. What about caravans and trailers? They pass a little a year, they stand on half-flat ones longer, the tread is not worn out. They can be scrapped even after eight years. This is true when the rubber profile looks good enough. In this case, it is not difficult to determine the age of rubber, the main thing is that the date of manufacture of the tire is visible.

Interesting to know! The largest tire in the world is located in Detroit, which is also called the "city of motors". But it was designed in New York for the 1965 World's Fair by Uniroyal.

How to find out the year of manufacture of tires and why to do it

Each batch of produced car tires receives an individual serial number. But where can it be found on tires and how to determine that the year of manufacture is indicated there? The number consists of combined Latin letters and numbers. It is located on both sides of the tire. On one side it is printed entirely, on the other it is partially duplicated: only letters and initial numbers. The last three- or four-digit number indicates the production date. For convenience, the year of manufacture of the tire is encased in an oval stamp, so that it quickly prompts motorists where to look.

Today, tires with a four-digit number are more common. This means that they were made after the onset of the "millennium". Then the manufacturing companies switched to a more convenient numbering system. Two digits at the beginning indicate the week, the second pair indicates the year of production. Let's say there is a tire with the number 3412. How can you find out the year and month of manufacture of the tire from it? Everything is simple. The thirty-fourth week is August, and the twelve is 2012. This means that the tire was released at the end of the summer of 2012.

Among motorists there are very scrupulous people who do not leave the thought, but how can you find out a more accurate date of manufacture, when the year of manufacture of the tire and even the month is known. You can use a simple calendar or an online calculator to calculate the release date of automotive "shoes". It won't take much to figure them out. You just need to enter the last digits of the tire serial, and then the exact date of rubber release will be found.

If the serial number consists of three digits, then know that the tire was produced before the year 2000. The first two digits are similar to the four-digit version in their meaning, but the third means the last digit of the year. But here a dilemma arises: the tire could have been produced in the 80s and 90s. How to accurately check the year of manufacture of tires? Tires from the eighties have stars on the sides of the serial number, from the “dashing” after the numbers there is a space, then an asterisk, or also a triangle.

High-quality tires can last much longer than the period declared by the manufacturer. The main thing is to observe the correct storage and operation conditions. When buying tires, do not focus only on the release date, but inspect the tires themselves. To what extent the tread height meets your requirements, whether the color is black. Over time, it turns whitish-gray, and the surface is covered with a web of small cracks.

If all these signs are present, then the tires were stored incorrectly. If you are not provided with a similar model, but fresher, then do not take them at all.

Did you know? Only a quarter of all motorists systematically check tire pressure. Of these, 18% of men and 4% of women do it on the recommendations of manufacturers - weekly. The rest are running on under-inflated tires.

Is it possible to determine the conditions for storing car tires

Sometimes, passing between the rows of car tires foreign production, marvel at the resourcefulness of market marketers. According to them, manufacturers give a guarantee on their product up to nine or even ten years. And the characteristics are so universal that they amaze with their uniqueness, as if they were alien technologies. And people are happy to fall for such tricks. And here a reasonable question arises, is it worth trusting such a product? How not to make a mistake in choosing car tire manufacturers?

First of all, promise to buy auto shoes on the market, and even more so from someone else. There is a high percentage of stumbling upon a fake that will not last long, and the characteristics of the product will be very doubtful. The second warning point will be the cost of tires, which is too low for a well-known brand. Tires whose storage conditions have been violated differ primarily in external signs:they are crumpled and their shape is deformed. Make such purchases in stores with a proven reputation, where you can return the goods within the agreed time if necessary.

Be sure to check the service life and the products themselves for visual damage and defects. World brands give a guarantee of up to two years. During this period, tires can be returned to the seller if it has not been used, but specifications dropped or completely lost. And finally, quality. Regrettably, but foreign manufacturers make better goods than domestic ones.

It is interesting! In a small Colombian town, there is a workshop for tailoring clothes and shoes from old car tires. Only soft tires are specially selected, malleable to cutting, from which you can sew a lot for everyday wardrobe.

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 quite difficult to draw the line between "youth" and "old age" of a tire, since the driving style, climatic conditions, and intensity of use affect the condition of the rubber. 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 tire performance in winter and wet performance.

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, it is not worth comparing the quality of Ukrainian and American roads, 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 even advise changing tires after four seasons. Russian certification authorities for pneumatic tires allocate a five-year warranty period for the tire, starting from the 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 are ridden under normal conditions throughout their life. 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 is 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 seller's or manufacturer's warehouse will not harm tires, and maintaining the necessary storage conditions will not impair driving performance even after 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 characteristics 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 - that, if properly stored by the 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.

Even at the dawn of the automotive industry, when car tires were made of natural rubber, which melted in the sun and hardened from frost, designers and manufacturers thought about something more perfect. After all, such tires are not far removed from the wheel on a horse-drawn cart. As a result, technologies have evolved, oil processing methods have improved, times have changed.
In 1927, among other things, the Soviet scientist Sergei Vasilievich Lebedev, synthetic rubber was obtained, which became the progenitor of the material of modern tires. But such a material did not become a panacea, in addition to the rubber itself providing high performance properties for tires, the shape and profiles of the tire were also important. Subsequently, the tire treads became flat, in order to provide a large area with the road, which means stability on the road. In addition, they have a protector. At the same time, in some cases, the tire tread required a certain installation of tires, according to their rotation. It is about these very installation cases, as well as what will happen if the tires are installed incorrectly, that we will describe in our article.

Tire rotation direction or tire tread types

If you pay attention to the treads of tires that drive around your city, then most attentive people will surely see that tires are different. In one case, the tread pattern is like a checkerboard, just squares, in the other there is a strict direction, relative to the transverse axis of the wheel, and symmetrical. And, in the end, the orientation relative to this axis is asymmetric. That is, we can say about the banal, very well-known fact that tire treads are: directional and non-directional. Moreover, the welded tire tread can be symmetrical or asymmetric.

(Classification of tire type based on tread type)

So why do manufacturers bother to perform this pattern, what role does it play when using tires? After all, all this is clearly not only for the sake of beauty.

Installing tires relative to the tread on the tire

We will start with the case when the protector is non-directional. In this case, there is no need to talk about the correct installation of the tire, regarding where it should rotate. One way or the other, it doesn't matter. Another thing is when the protector is directional.
For a car enthusiast - an average person who does not want to delve into the essence of the matter, everything is simple. Look at the marking on the rim "ROTATION", which translates from English as rotation, and put the tire on the car in accordance with the rotation of the wheel in the direction of the car moving forward.

Or marking "outside" (outer side) ...

For those who want to know why the tire should be stopped in this way and not otherwise, and what may be affected by incorrect installation of the tire, we will tell the following.
The direction of the tread on the tire is designed to remove liquid, dirt, snow porridge from under it, that is, everything that has a low viscosity. At the same time, this withdrawal is necessary in order to avoid the so-called hydroplaning effect. That is, to prevent the loss of contact between the road and the rubber. Why this very contact is needed, we will not explain. Let's talk about how the directional tread removes all this from under the contact patch of the tire with the road.

How a Properly Installed Directional Tire Reduces Hydroplaning

Here you can talk and explain for a long time. But it is better, as they say, to see once. We made a gif especially for you. Take a look.

Essentially, the tread works like the vanes on a centrifugal pump when it pumps water, except that the driving force here is not centrifugal force, but the force from squeezing water into the grooves of the tread. The force is generated each time the tire hits the fluid it is supposed to expel. So water, dirt, wet snow is squeezed out into the groove and discharged out. The wheel rotates further, and new water is again squeezed out into the groove in the direction of the car. Due to the removal of this "grease", the contact between the tire and the road is improved, which entails a safer ride. It's all so simple and logical. Here I want to talk about the direction of the drawing. As we have already said, you can pay attention to the ROTATION marking, or you can look at the picture.

(tire installed correctly)

So, the tread grooves should always move away from the contact patch of the tire with the road towards the back of the car, if you look at the wheels from above on the left. And the opposite situation for the wheels on the right. In this case, you can not look for the markings on the rim. I looked at the tread pattern and put a tire on the car according to the pattern.

What happens if the directional tire is installed in the wrong direction

Here everything is according to the logic of what is happening, but in reverse order. If everything under our wheels (dirt, sleet, water) is more difficult to squeeze out, since the grooves will be directed to the intake of all this environment, then in fact it will turn out that excess pressure will form in the center of the tire, in the contact patch. It will try to raise the tire, which contributes to the deterioration of rubber grip. By itself, this is not safe.

However, if we talk about a dry road, when there is no water on the street, or it is frosty and just snowing, then the presence of such grooves that drain water, slurry, in fact, does not oblige to anything. Also, such grooves will not affect the situation with limited speed, about 5-20 km/h.

Summing up about the correct and incorrect installation of directional tires on the machine

So, the direction of the tread grooves on the tire was invented not just for beauty. If they are, then it is better to use them. The directional grooves of the tread contribute to the removal of the liquid medium from under the wheel and thereby improve the contact between the rubber and the road. Therefore, pay attention to the correct installation of the tire. When installing a tire, you need to pay attention to its tread. At the same time, such a statement applies not only to the one who puts an already wrapped wheel on the car, but also to the mechanics who install the tire on the rim. After all, the car must have two wheels on the left side and two on the right. Nothing else!
Well, about the case when everything is being operated incorrectly installed tires. If it's dry outside, it won't make any difference. If it’s not slushy outside, it’s raining, then be extremely careful. It will be very difficult to get the car out of hydroplaning, and you can not talk about the sad results. You yourself know all about it without us.

Recently, we have noticed that buyers have become more and more interested in the year of manufacture of the tire.

Is this parameter really important?

Let's try to figure it out.

Tire release date - is it worth looking for the "freshest" ones?

In recent years, we have noticed that demanding customers have increasingly become interested in the year of manufacture of the purchased wheels. Is this parameter really important?

Let's try to find out.

We are forced to note that many customers themselves often do not understand why they need the freshest tires, because we are not talking about hot cakes. There is a lot of conflicting and unfounded information on this subject on the Internet, therefore, in order to try to understand this issue, we use the most objective and authoritative expert opinion from Michelin.

TIRES ARE NOT BANANAS!

Apparently, even in this leading corporation, they could not help but respond to the growing problem, and the Philippine division launched a special explanatory campaign "Tires are not bananas!" People fear that over time tires "age". Three independent studies that were conducted in South Korea, Germany and Saudi Arabia prove that under storage conditions of +40 degrees Celsius for 20 years, the condition of tires will be similar to a mileage of 40,000 km. A year of active operation is approximately equal to ten years of storage in a warehouse.

Numerous tests have revealed that when the tire is stored for three years, there is virtually no difference with the newly produced ones. Braking, acceleration and rearrangement on conditionally "old" tires are identical to conditionally "new", and the resource and impact resistance are also no different. So calling all the shops in the city in search of "fresh" is pointless.

By the way, domestic GOST also speaks unambiguously - within five years from the date of production, tires can be safely sold. With proper storage, the wheels do not lose their properties for more than five years, because they are resistant to temperature extremes.

But in the pursuit of the "freshest" tires, many buyers miss the fact that it is much more important for their well-being of tires, their life, and trouble-free driving to monitor pressure, uniform wear, and avoid overloads during operation. After all, even a seemingly insignificant deviation of 0.3 atm. in one direction or another can reduce the life of the tire by a quarter, and overloading can even lead to fatal damage to the cord or inner layer.

Another point that some tire shop customers don't take into account is that tires are pre-produced at the factory. For example, in the spring of 2018, you ask the seller in the store to pick up tires with a production date of exactly 2018. But the release of the summer assortment begins in the fall of 2017, and the required size of the desired year may not be in stock in principle!

2) During operation, pay more attention to the condition of the wheels, damage, and pressure, which must correspond to the recommended values.

3) Keep in mind: in terms of performance, three-year-old tires are virtually identical to those produced quite recently. And let's add from ourselves: in our experience, in studded wheels that have lain for a couple of years in a warehouse, the stud holds better. The reason for this is diffusion, although it does not reach noticeable values, but it is objectively possible to lose spikes and is noticeably reduced. As such, research on this topic has hardly been conducted, but practice shows that this is exactly the case.

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. We note, by the way, that when working on a modern balancing machine, the need for points disappears, 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 a testing machine on which the factory checks the radial runout of the tire, or internal production markers that are applied to facilitate manipulations 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 correspond to. Therefore, despite what is written on the tire, the main guarantee of 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 chase extremely high-speed driving, then tires of high price segment, having a regular, non-directional tread pattern, indicators for road traction 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 a particular 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 the general principle is this: softer rubber tires, the faster it wears out. A softer composition of the mixture is usually found in "sport" class models, in which such tread rubber is designed to provide better grip (so-called "sticking") to the road at 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 a new tire it will be impossible to balance it, 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 the technical potential of the car and tires. Here is a typical example: it makes no sense to put expensive high-speed tires on a budget foreign car - 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: you should not save and buy a powerful car with sporty character budget tires, because it will not allow to reveal the full potential of such a car.

Consultant Dmitry Vulbrun (Shina.ru).