Dry rotting means that the rubber in the tires will become brittle and crack, which can lead to a blowout while driving.
In this blog post, we will explore how long it takes for tires to dry rot, what causes them to rot faster, and what you can do to make your tires last longer.
Table of Contents
Can Tires Dry Rot in 2,3, 5 Years?Tires can dry rot in as little as two years. When taken care of properly, most tires have a six-year lifetime with a maximum of ten years. Dry rotting typically happens when tires are in direct sunlight or stored wet environment.
The time it takes for your tires to dry rot depends on the climate where you live and the conditions you drive.
The most common cause of dry rot is exposure to sunlight when stored and not using your tires regularly.
UV rays from the sun can break down the rubber in your tires, causing them to become brittle and crack. The hot temperatures often experienced in the summer can also cause tires to dry rot.
How you care for and store the tires also matters. Always make sure your tires have the correct air pressure. The recommended PSI can vary by tire type and size, so check your owner’s manual or the placard on the driver’s side doorjamb for guidance.
Driving on low-pressure tires can cause the tires to wear down faster and make them more susceptible to dry rot.
Tire pressure fluctuates with temperature changes, so it is vital to check your air pressure regularly.
If you store your tires, such as switching between winter and summer tires, make sure they are in a cool, dark place. Heat and light can speed up the dry rot process.
What Causes Tires to Dry Rot Faster?Exposure to extreme temperatures, long periods of sitting idle, environmental factors such as pollution and UV rays from the sun, improper storage, and poor care and maintenance.
High temperatures and constant exposure to sunlight can cause rubber compounds in tires to break down faster, resulting in dry rot.
For example, in deserts where it is hot and sunny all year round, tires often show signs of dry rot in just a few years.
Similarly, the rubber compounds can also break down if you leave your tires sitting idle for long periods, especially in hot climates or in direct sunlight.
A lesser-known cause of dry rot is storing tires near ozone-generating sources, such as engines, fuel-based generators, battery chargers, or welding machines. This situation causes dry rot by breaking down the tire’s rubber compounds.
Environmental factors such as smog, road salt, and other pollutants can also speed up the dry rot process by breaking down the tire’s rubber compounds.
Improper care and maintenance can speed up dry rot, reducing the lifetime of your tires. For example, driving on low-pressure tires can cause the tire’s sidewalls to flex more, resulting in cracks.
Similarly, if you rarely rotate your tires, one side may wear down faster than the other.
This can cause dry rot since the more unevenly worn tires will have thinner sidewalls more susceptible to cracking.
Besides these causes, some tires are more prone to dry rot than others. Tires with a higher percentage of natural rubber are more susceptible to dry rot, as natural rubber is softer and breaks down faster than synthetic rubber.
How Long Do Tires Last Once They Show Cracks?Tires with cracks may last a few months to a few years. But it’s a gamble, as the life of a tire depends on the severity and location of cracks.
If you have minor surface cracks that are only visible when you look closely, the tires may last you a little longer.
Read here when there are so many cracks you need new tires.
However, the best option is to bring your tires or vehicle to a professional tire shop
to have them inspected and replaced if necessary.
When your tires are showing deeper cracks, or if you notice bulges in the sidewalls, it’s best to replace your tires as soon as possible. These signs indicate that the rubber compounds are breaking down faster, and the tire is at risk of failing.
The risks of driving on tires with dry rot outweigh the benefits, as the tires may fail suddenly and could be dangerous to both you and other drivers on the road.
Dry rot can lead to tire blowouts, loss of control, and accidents.
A blowout is extremely dangerous as it can cause you to lose control of your vehicle and can even lead to a rollover.
If you must drive on tires with dry rot, make sure you maintain a safe speed and stay extra alert. The only location you should drive with cracked tires is the nearest tire shop or service station.
It’s always better to be safe than sorry, so if you’re unsure about the condition of your tires, it’s best to take your car to a professional for an inspection.
There are several things you can do to extend the lifetime of your tires and prevent dry rot.
Always inflate your tires to the manufacturer’s recommended PSI. This maintenance step helps reduce the flexing of the sidewalls, leading to cracking. When the PSI is over or under-inflated, it puts extra stress on the tires.
Rotate your tires regularly.
This care helps disperse wear and tear, so your tires last longer. The recommended interval is every 5,000 to 8,000 miles.
Avoid driving on rough roads when possible. Driving on roads with potholes and other obstacles puts extra stress on your tires, which can cause cracking and dry rot.
If you drive on gravel roads often, make sure to inspect your tires regularly. Gravel can cause tiny punctures in the sidewalls that may not be visible at first. Over time, these punctures can become more extensive and cause dry rot.
Clean your tires regularly to remove any built-up grime, road salt, or other pollutants.
These substances can break down the tire’s rubber compound, causing dry rot.
Store your tires properly when they’re not in use. For example, cover your tires with a tire cover if you’re storing them in your garage. Don’t leave your tires out in extreme temperatures, and ensure they are protected from the elements.
Invest in tire protectants.
This maintenance step helps create a barrier against the elements and can extend the life of your tires.
Tire protectants are available in both spray and gel form. You can apply these protectants to your tires every few months or after you wash/clean them.
Do Some Tires Rot Faster Than Others?Yes, some tires are more susceptible to dry rot than others.
Natural rubber is softer and breaks down faster than synthetic rubber. Tires made with a higher percentage of natural rubber are more likely to dry rot.
However, the most significant factors determining how quickly your tires will dry rot are care, storage, and age.
If you don’t properly maintain your tires and store them in unfavorable conditions, they are more likely to dry rot.
Similarly, if your tires are older and have been driven on for a long time, they may be more susceptible to dry rot than newer tires.
Some tires also have a terrible reputation for being prone to dry rot. For example, tires that are not UV-resistant can break down more quickly in sunlight, leading to faster dry rot. Luckily, there are products you can use to improve the UV resistance of your tires.
Overall, the best thing you can do to make your tires last longer is to take care of them. By following these tips and taking your tires in for regular inspections, you can help prevent dry rot and keep your tires in good condition for as long as possible.
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Dry rot is when the rubber in tires loses its moisture and becomes tough and brittle.
Due to their lost elasticity, tires that have developed dry rot past a certain point need to be replaced as they are prone to blowing out while being driven on.
Dry rotting is more prevalent in tires that are stationary for a period of three months or more. This is because tires are kept moist by resins and oils within the rubber; these oils need downward pressure to be activated, and such pressure comes from coming into regular weighted contact with the road during driving. If your tires aren’t being driven on, then they lack this protection against moisture loss.
Although keeping tires in storage (either on their own or attached to a vehicle) can increase their chances of developing dry rot, there are a lot of precautions that you can take to ensure that your tires suffer minimal deterioration while in storage. The following will explain how to keep stored tires in top condition.
UV causes the oils and resins that keep tires moist to degrade and eventually leech out of the surface of the tire.
Therefore, if tires are frequently kept in direct sunlight, they are far more likely to suffer from dry rotting.
In our guide to preparing a car for long-term storage, we spoke about the importance of keeping your car under a weatherproof cover while being stored. If you ensure that this weatherproof cover is long enough to cover your tires, then they should be protected from UV rays as well as from dust and debris. This is why covering your car is extra important if you are keeping your car in a storage space that lets light in.
Tires that are muddy are more prone to dry rotting. This is because as the moisture in mud evaporates off the surface of the tire, it lifts out some of the oils that help keep the rubber moist (its the same reason why licking your lips regularly can make dried, chapped lips worse).
You should therefore clean any dirt or mud off the surface of your tires before you put your vehicle into long-term storage.
The best way to clean tires is with warm water and a small amount of either hand soap or kitchen detergent. Do not use any specialist tire cleaning products. These are often petroleum based and are designed to be “rubbed in” to the tires as they are driven on. If the tires are not being driven on immediately after the application of these cleaning products then this can make the tire dry out even faster.
Temperatures that are above 68 Farenheit and below 45 Farenheit can speed up the dry rotting of tires. Similarly, regular rapid swings in temperatures (anything over 15 Fahrenheit in a couple of hours) can lead to dry rotting as it speeds up evaporation from the tire.
If possible, you want to store your vehicle in a space that is climate controlled, and where the temperature is slightly cooler than standard room temperature (55-59 Fahrenheit is ideal). If you can keep your car in a storage facility that has humidity control as well as temperature control, then that is even more of a bonus, as excessively dry environments can accelerate tire degredation.
Dry rotted tires can be restored to the point where they can be driven on again, but only if the dry rotting has not lead to cracks in the sidewall of the tire. These cracks in the sidewall are more likely to occur if the tire is holding up the weight of a stationary vehicle while in storage.
Therefore, if you are storing your vehicle for more than three months, and have no plans on driving that vehicle during that time, you should consider removing your tires from the car. Ideally, you want to remove the tire from the wheel entirely, as even the stretching of the rubber around the rim of a tire can make cracks in the sidewall more likely to occur.
Vehicles without tires can be mounted on hydraulic jack stands. If this is not possible, then it may be worth buying a pair of cheaper second hand tires to have on your car while it is being stored. Just try to keep driving on these tires to a minimum – they are just a stop gap to prevent damage to your existing tires.
If you decide to remove tires from your car, or you are storing spare tires, then its best to keep them in airtight (or as airtight as possible) bags while they are in storage. Oxygen is a contributor to dry rotting (this is why a degree of dry rotting occurs in all tires) so keeping tires in airtight bags can help reduce the speed at which dry rotting occurs.
There are several options to how you can store tires in airtight conditions. Specialist tire bags are available, and these can come in custom sizes to match the size of your tires. You can also use vacuum sealed bags, although the majority of these available at homeware stores will not be large enough to store a tire in.
Storing your tires in bags (even if they are not airtight) will go a long way to preventing dry rot compared to storing them unbagged. Buying a bunch of large industrial platic bags and taping up the open ends with electrical tape is a cost effective way of keeping loose tires stored in a way that protects them from dry rotting.
If you want to store a vehicle, a great place to do this is our car storage spaces in Belleville. Save precious garage space at home while keeping your car protected behind fencing, 24-hour video surveillance, and other security measures. To snag storage for your car today, simply call or rent online today!
This article was written by Mike Skoropad. Mike is the CEO of Utires, an online tire retailer headquartered in Chicago.
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Consumer disputes over the age of tires have not subsided for several seasons. Buyers are excited that the warranty period for tires is limited to 5-6 years according to GOST, and after the expiration of this period, the rubber becomes unusable.
Is this really the case, read this article.
Manufacturers of most brands on their products set Shelf life is 5 years and service life is also 5 years .
The shelf life of a tire is the period during which it retains its performance when properly stored.
The end of this period does not mean that the tires have become unusable . A shelf life of 5 years is given by manufacturers because, by law, they cannot set a shelf life higher than the service life. Tires over 5 years of storage cannot be called damaged or defective, their technical characteristics may be slightly reduced. American researchers argue that the period of storage of "shoes" must be at least 10 years. Experts from Germany are sure that it cannot exceed 6 years.
The expiration date of tires is the warranty period during which the manufacturer is responsible for the quality and condition of the tire if it was used for its intended purpose without violating the operating rules.
According to Russian legislation (GOST 5513, GOST 4754-97) , the service life of tires is 5 years from the date of manufacture.
How can I find out the date of manufacture of tires?
You can find out the age of tires by a special DOT code. Tires manufactured after 2000 in the DOT code contain two pairs of numbers, where the first pair indicates the week number of the year, and the second pair indicates the year. Earlier tires before 2000 have 3 numbers in their composition, where the first two digits are the week number, and the last one is the year (see the transcript in the photo).
Determination of the average shelf life of a tire according to GOST and operating conditions.
- The symbol ZR denotes tires for high-speed cars. They are recommended to be used at speeds over 240 km/h. up to 6 years
- Tires with the H symbol are used at a maximum speed of 210 km/h. within 5 years.
- The sign S symbolizes the maximum permissible speed of 180 km/h. and operational period of 4-5 years.
Most tire manufacturers do not agree that tire life is limited to 5 years. Each company has its own opinion on this matter. We analyzed several of them and the information they posted on their official websites.
Michelin
The French tire manufacturer Michelin has become famous for its active fight against the perception of the rapid aging of tires as a perishable product. Her information campaign "Tires Are Not Bananas" created a lot of noise in the automotive environment. According to the representative office, several test trials were carried out in Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Germany. As a result of testing, no difference was found between new tires and tires stored for 3 years. They were tested for various characteristics such as rolling resistance, high speed durability, etc.
Tires with a year life were approximately equal in performance to 10-year unused tyres.
Michelin focuses the attention of car owners on the fact that tires are not a perishable product, their shelf life is not as important as the service life is important, starting from the date the tires are installed on the rims. It is from this moment that the tire is subjected to all tests: pressure, temperature changes, wear, contact with uneven and sharp coatings, etc.
Continental
On the Russian official website of Continental, we found the following information on the expiration dates of tires.
“When a tire is stored in the correct position and under the recommended conditions, it will not lose its original balanced performance for 5 years from the date of manufacture of the tire.
A properly maintained, unused tire less than 5 years old can be sold as a new tire and used normally.
Continental recommends replacing all tires (including spares) with a sidewall date greater than 10 years.
Nokian
The following information is posted on the Nokian official website:
“Tire life is not defined by law, but tires can only be considered “new” if they have been manufactured within the last five years. The recommended service life of tires is six years and the recommended maximum period is 10 years.
The opinion of our specialists, based on many years of experience, coincides with the opinion of manufacturers: the shelf life is 5 years + the service life is up to 10 years. Moreover, more "adult" tires, in our opinion, are of better quality.
To keep tires as long as possible, they are stored in compliance with all rules and recommendations. The main condition is a cool, ventilated, darkened room away from oils, paints, ozone, and heat sources.
Rubber products tend to lose their performance over the years. To prevent and slow down this process, manufacturers add polymers to the rubber compound. They prevent oxidative processes that occur due to the interaction of protectors with oxygen and ozone.
The following are the main conditions for the proper storage of tires in accordance with GOST 24779-81:
Maintaining a constant regime without sudden jumps, slight temperature fluctuations from -30°С to +35°С are allowed;
Provide a low humidity level of 50-80% in a dry, ventilated cool room;
Avoid direct sunlight, use darkened hangars, shield heat sources;
Keep away from sources of heat;
Tires should not come into contact with corrosive, copper materials.
Avoid kinking, loading or positioning on an uneven surface.
Avoid contact with oils, organic solvents, acids, alkalis, fuels and lubricants on the tire surface.
It is forbidden to lay tires on a wet and dirty surface.
In the warm season, when storing tires outside, they should be covered with light-tight material and raised above ground level to ensure ventilation and prevent the occurrence of the greenhouse effect.
Storage on reflective, light and heat absorbing surfaces is prohibited.
Keep away from chemicals, oils, paints, open flames, electric motors that produce ozone.
Used tires must be washed and dried.
Tires without rims should be stored upright.
The service life depends on many factors: the load on the car, the quality of the roads, the driving style, the distance traveled, tire damage, etc. To increase their service life, follow these rules:
Check tire pressure every 2-3 weeks. With reduced pressure, tire wear increases by the equivalent of a % reduction. For example, a 15% reduction in pressure can result in a 15% reduction in service life. Inflated tires are less scary.
The wear of the front tires is always significantly higher than the rear ones, so it is recommended to swap them after some time, carefully watching the direction of the tread pattern and the direction of rotation.
Proper alignment of tires in relation to rims. If the direction is not the same, then performance is significantly reduced.
To prevent damage to the sidewalls of tires, avoid close proximity to curbs and high ledges.
Wash off dirt from the surface of the rubber and from deep grooves with special cleaning agents.
Adhere to an even driving style without harsh brakes and quick starts.
Do not overload the car beyond the norm. 20% excess weight leads to a 30% loss of tire life.
Keep the wheels balanced and check the alignment angles annually.
The main condition for a long tire life is:
- high quality products,
- careful operation,
- proper storage of tires in the off-season,
- timely diagnosis.
The age of tires in standard storage is a minor non-determining factor that should not be taken into account when buying them.
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Vladimir Gavrilov
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Category: Auto Maintenance
Each tire has its own life span. Usually, drivers try to change tires after the tread is worn out. On average, this happens after 4-5 years. However, not all cars are used so intensively, and some tires remain with deep grooves and lugs even after 5-7 years of operation.
How long is it allowed to ride on such tires and what can happen to them on the way?
Tire rubber degrades over time, regardless of mileage. It is exposed to solar radiation, impacts from bumps, reacts with anti-icing reagents, tons poured onto the roads. The elasticity of rubber drops, cracks form, which become pockets of increased wear. Chemicals penetrate into them, which contribute to even greater damage to the already inner layers of the tire. Water and chemicals reach the cords, which first get wet, and then rot and break.
It usually takes 5-7 seasons until the tire reaches extreme wear. Then the problems begin. A weathered coating cannot resist small sharp objects that show up from under the snow on the roads in spring. A small run over a piece of glass or a bent nail will result in punctures or cuts. The new tire resists them much better.
It's even worse when an old "hardened" wheel gets into a hole with sharp edges. Even with a small impact, the tire risks internal damage.
The threads of the old cord are torn, the protective layer is crushed, and air seeps through the cracks in the rubber. A hernia does not form, but a long zone of damage appears, allowing air to pass in several places at once.
It is useless to patch, but small holes can be repaired with flagella. Though they won't last long. Many air-permeable cracks are a direct reason for urgent tire replacement.
Typically, tire manufacturers define the life of their products as 5-6 years. Michelin claims a 10-year warranty, Nokian does too. And the beginning of the service is not the date of sale, but the date of manufacture. Sometimes more than six months pass between these two events.
If a tire has been in storage for a whole year, it is still considered that its characteristics are no longer the same as those of a new one.
You can find out the age of the tire by the markings stamped on the sidewalls. You can find a designation like "YYY2018".
Here, the last 4 digits tell the customer that the product left the assembly line in the 20th week of 2018.
Since 2019, a new production control system has been introduced using DataMatrix codes. Using them, you can see when the goods were imported or produced, determine the country of origin, etc.
Requirements for the operation of winter tires are contained in the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union, as well as in the annex to the SDA entitled "On the admission of vehicles for operation and the obligations of officials to ensure road safety." Section 5.1 provides detailed requirements for the condition of tires.
The average groove depth of a new summer tire should be 8 mm. In winter, it is slightly larger and exceeds 10-12 mm.
The remaining tread depth of winter tires intended for use on icy or snowy road surfaces, marked with the letters M+S, M&S, M S must be at least 4 mm. This marking also indicates the passenger type of wheels.
