Contemplating buying a set of so2's even though I don't need them - I only put 5000 miles on in the past year()

At this pace I won't need new tires for a few years...

What kind of shelf life do tires have? Is there a way to prevent damage - dry rot - or whatever? Or will they last the few years without too much degradation?

Thanks!

 

Good point.

Most people wont even care about the manufactured-date of the tyre when they are in the process of purchasing new tyres.

I'm not sure exactly, but there are some compounds in the rubber that would not last a few years..

It is important to check the production date of the tyre (usually on the sticky-tape attached on the tyre). All I know is a 'New' 2 yrs old tyre on shelf will not be the same as 'New' 1 week old's tyre. Average drivers wont be able to tell the difference though.

So, I would suggest that you leave the tyre until you need them and make sure you check the 'date of manufactured' when purchasing....personally, anything more than 2.5 years old, I wouldnt take it.

 

Thanks for the reply Tom - I've done a bit more searching, and will be storing them in a temperature consistent environment in black plastic bags...

St. Francis was an amazing man - have you seen the movie "Brother Sun, Sister Moon?"

 

If you buy from a place with lots of inventory turnover there won't be a problem with old tires. It appears that Tire Rack turns their inventory so no problem there.

 

We were sitting around the lunch table today and I brought this topic up. We're all car guys from way back and have years of personal experience on all things "cars". One of them has been moonlighting in a tire store chain for the last 20 years. The general consensus is that as long as tires are stored properly, the shelf life is very long, certainly much longer than a few years. By "proper" storage, we mean that they should be stacked on their sides, not on their treads, kept out of UV light, and in a stable, moderate temperature. And sure, put them in sealed plastic bags for that added protection. The degradation that was mentioned would be insignificant.
If you're going to leave them standing on their tread outside, under the sun, then yes, they'll be toast. I, too, have just purchased a brand new (1 week old) set of SO2's because the price was to good to resist. I have no worries that when I need them, they will be just fine.

 

*If* you protect them from ozone, UV, and temperature extremes, they will likely deteriorate little in a year or two. They will definitely start to harden a little after that. Store them outside, in the cold, exposed to light and they will deteriorate much faster. Longer shelf life for many other tires is certainly possible, but these are not your typical all-season roadmaster tires. The "damage" won't make them unusable, just not as sticky as a fresh set of 02's.

Also note that the price of new S02's has plummeted in the past year. Not sure what the future holds for pricing.

 

Probably as long as they would if they were on the car being driven now and then.