White Horse Auto
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Know your tires age, your safety depends on it.
Posted on May 14, 2019 at 12:12 PM |
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All tires sold in the US must have a DOT (Department of
Transportation) number stamped on the sidewall. Most people pay no
attention to this and are just happy to have tires with descent
safe tread on their cars, but there is very important information
contained in this number. The plant that made them, size,
manufacture and brand are coded in the first grouping of numbers. Most
important to the consumer is the
last four digits of the number that identify the date of
manufacture. Take note the the complete DOT number normally 10-12
digits is only engraved on one side of the tire, the other side will be
lacking date coding. Why is it so important to know the date? Because
tires age out and must be replaced based not only on wear but their age
as well. Depending on the source you look at recommended age required
replacement ranges 6-10 years. Dry rotted and cracked tread and
sidewalls are one sign a tire is starting to age out. There is no
federal law requiring tire replacement at a specified age, but most
shops will refuse to mount a tire that is 10 or more years old and will
start to recommend your tires be replaced if there are signs of dry
rotting or they are 6 plus years old. The environment and care tires
are subjected to also will influence their useful life span, I have
replaced tires less than three years old due to sever dry rotting.
Remember to check the date code on new tires you are purchasing because they may have been on the rack at the tire store for years
before they are ever sold. Always purchase tires with the latest
date code possible. Have your tires checked regularly at oil change time
for condition issues of any kind and replace them before they leave you
stranded or cause a more serious problem. |
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