Recently, some tire bosses complained that some car owners only choose the latest production tires when buying tires, "sneak their noses" at tires with a long inventory, and think that tires that have been stored for 2-3 years become "expired tires." Is this really the case? How should tires be stored? What are the factors that affect tire performance? How long does it take for tires to be considered "expired"?
There is currently no standard around the world for determining tire expiration dates, because the damage to each tire depends on many factors such as temperature, load, tire pressure, speed, and even the road conditions on which the tire is used.
Therefore, it is very inaccurate to hastily assume that tires will expire after being stored for only 2-3 years, especially since these tires are stored in a good environment and have not been affected by any of the factors mentioned above.
The British Rubber Manufacturers Association explicitly advises against fitting new tires that have been in stock for six years or more onto vehicles, and requires that all tires that are more than 10 years old from the date of manufacture must be disposed of, whether used or unused.
The "expiry date" of a tire should be calculated from the moment it is installed on the vehicle and not from the date of manufacture. Because the tires will be affected by the factors mentioned above and wear and tear only when they are installed and used, but not when they are stored.
Comparison of new tires and three years of inventory
Test results in Arabia show that the performance of tires that have been used for one year is similar to that of tires that have not been used for 10 years. At the same time, in order to test the characteristics of the tire compound, Michelin stored the tires at a constant temperature of 40 degrees Celsius for 20 years. Compared with the tires that had been used for 40,000 kilometers, it was found that the tire compound that had been stored for 20 years would deteriorate faster during use. Comparative tests were conducted in South Korea and Germany on new tires and tires that had been in storage for three years. The results showed that the difference in performance between new tires and tires that had been in storage for three years was negligible.
Tire storage temperature is critical
We mentioned above that tires that have been stored at a constant temperature of 40 degrees Celsius for 20 years are more likely to deteriorate than tires that have been used for 40,000 kilometers. Michelin also pointed out that when storing tires, you must pay attention to the storage conditions. One of the key conditions for correctly storing tires is temperature.
The European Tire and Rim Technical Organization (ETRTO) recommends that tires be stored at temperatures not exceeding 35°C. A study in Saudi Arabia found that tires stored at 50°C aged twice as fast as tires stored at 40°C and four times faster than tires stored at 30°C.
In fact, tire shops can explain to car owners about the tires in stock without worrying about "expiration". In addition, low-price promotions are often adopted for tires with long inventory. This is actually a benefit for car owners. They are safe and reliable, can be purchased with confidence, and save money.
