Lostinspace
Well-known member
I was asked to expand on tire date codes I brought up in the 'Haggling' discussion. So here goes.
TIRES – DATE CODES
Generally accepted rules of thumb for tires are that regardless of low mileage or low tread wear, tires should be replaced every five to seven years maximum (generally accepted practice is seven years). Exposure to sunlight, ozone, and ultra- violet radiation causes gradual loss of the plasticizers that keep the tires flexible. Sidewall cracking can often be seen but may not always be apparent.
So, for safety’s sake and to avoid sudden catastrophic failure, replacement should be done on an age priority basis. This does not mean that obvious tread wear, sidewall damage, or any other physical problem with the tires should be ignored if they still have “x†years to go before they are “too old.â€Â
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) “Tire Identification and Record Keeping Regulation,†revisedJuly 2, 2000, specifies a new 4-digit datecode that must appear on all tires sold in the
United States. The complete DOT (Department of Transportation) code is in the following format:
DOT MMM SS TTT DDDD where MMM is a three-digit manufacturer ID; SS is a tire size two-digitcode; TTT is an optional tire type code; and DDDD is the date of manufacturer code where the first two digits indicate the week of manufacturer and the second two digits are the year, i.e.: 2802 would indicate that the tire was manufactured the 28th week of 2002.
Note: tires manufactured before July 2, 2000, had a three-digit date code where the first two digits are the week of manufacturer and the last digit is the year. Tires manufactured in the 1990s had a triangle following the three-digit code while tires manufactured in the 1980s did not, i.e.: 282 with a triangle would indicate that the tire was manufactured the 28th week of 1992, while if there is not a triangle following the three-digits, it was manufactured in the 28th week of 1982. Which is all academic because if your tire is that old its already fallen apart probably. The new four-digit code eliminates any ambiguity in the year of manufacture and allows continuation of the system through the 21st century.
It is suggested that when buying new tires you request having the same date of manufacture and that that date should be reasonable close to the date of purchase. Otherwise, you will be buying tires that will need to be replaced sooner than necessary.
The heavier the vehicle is the more important the above becomes. For instance if you have a large RV, the tires can up to or more than 100 pounds of pressure. A blowout can be fatal. But it is also important with a van. I used to have a 1989 E-150 conversion van. My wife was driving along at 60 or so on a rural road and had a tread separation. In her case it was a bad tire and not age. Anyway she got it stopped and pulled over but it was dicey for a moment or two. Thank God it was a four lane highway with zero traffic.
Also if in your shopping for a vehicle you run across out of date tires you can use that in your negotiating.
Hope this helps and keeps you safe.
Happy Vanning, Wade
TIRES – DATE CODES
Generally accepted rules of thumb for tires are that regardless of low mileage or low tread wear, tires should be replaced every five to seven years maximum (generally accepted practice is seven years). Exposure to sunlight, ozone, and ultra- violet radiation causes gradual loss of the plasticizers that keep the tires flexible. Sidewall cracking can often be seen but may not always be apparent.
So, for safety’s sake and to avoid sudden catastrophic failure, replacement should be done on an age priority basis. This does not mean that obvious tread wear, sidewall damage, or any other physical problem with the tires should be ignored if they still have “x†years to go before they are “too old.â€Â
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) “Tire Identification and Record Keeping Regulation,†revisedJuly 2, 2000, specifies a new 4-digit datecode that must appear on all tires sold in the
United States. The complete DOT (Department of Transportation) code is in the following format:
DOT MMM SS TTT DDDD where MMM is a three-digit manufacturer ID; SS is a tire size two-digitcode; TTT is an optional tire type code; and DDDD is the date of manufacturer code where the first two digits indicate the week of manufacturer and the second two digits are the year, i.e.: 2802 would indicate that the tire was manufactured the 28th week of 2002.
Note: tires manufactured before July 2, 2000, had a three-digit date code where the first two digits are the week of manufacturer and the last digit is the year. Tires manufactured in the 1990s had a triangle following the three-digit code while tires manufactured in the 1980s did not, i.e.: 282 with a triangle would indicate that the tire was manufactured the 28th week of 1992, while if there is not a triangle following the three-digits, it was manufactured in the 28th week of 1982. Which is all academic because if your tire is that old its already fallen apart probably. The new four-digit code eliminates any ambiguity in the year of manufacture and allows continuation of the system through the 21st century.
It is suggested that when buying new tires you request having the same date of manufacture and that that date should be reasonable close to the date of purchase. Otherwise, you will be buying tires that will need to be replaced sooner than necessary.
The heavier the vehicle is the more important the above becomes. For instance if you have a large RV, the tires can up to or more than 100 pounds of pressure. A blowout can be fatal. But it is also important with a van. I used to have a 1989 E-150 conversion van. My wife was driving along at 60 or so on a rural road and had a tread separation. In her case it was a bad tire and not age. Anyway she got it stopped and pulled over but it was dicey for a moment or two. Thank God it was a four lane highway with zero traffic.
Also if in your shopping for a vehicle you run across out of date tires you can use that in your negotiating.
Hope this helps and keeps you safe.
Happy Vanning, Wade
