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Old 01-05-2016, 08:10 PM   #1
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Tire age

In Feb this year my Michelin tires turn 6 years old and they are within the age of replacement consideration, I have 32000 miles on them which by tread life is not much, I do like most Michelin tire owners have some side wall cracking, i have not noticed any obvious gouges or lines like a broken cords. We have an 8000 mile trip planned for the spring thru fall. I thought I read where they can be inspected to determine what shape they are really in, however I don't know who to take them to? Suggestions on I should run them or replace them? Once they reach 7 years old I would replace them, but now I feel that i am in that grey area on replacement.
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Old 01-05-2016, 08:24 PM   #2
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Yeah I would say you are in the gray area. I would call around to some local truck stop places to see if they do tire inspections, I would think that the local tire place would not be sufficient for an inspection just based on they usually replace tires.


Here is the link to Michellin, here is the tire guide
Tire Guide, Warranties & Bulletins | Michelin RV Tires


During the pre-trip inspection, be sure to check the


tires for signs of aging, weather checking, and/or ozone


cracking — these show up as tiny cracks in the rubber


surface on the sidewall of the tire. If the cracks are less


than 1⁄32" deep, the tire is fine to run. Between 1⁄32" and


2⁄ 32",the tire is suspect and should be examined by the


Michelin dealer. If the cracks are any deeper than 2⁄ 32",


the tire should be replaced immediately.



Michelin also recommends inspections annually after 5 years, and replacement is at 10 years




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Old 01-05-2016, 08:31 PM   #3
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I took our '02 DSDP to a LesSchwab to have them inspect the tires at 8 years old. There was minor cracking around the lettering and not deep at all. The kid (at least half my age) looked at them and said "Yep, they're cracked" then turned and walked off! That was the sum total of the "inspection". Guess you get what you pay for. I changed them soon afterward but still feel they had a year or more to go.
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Old 01-05-2016, 08:41 PM   #4
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Tire age

Make a call to a couple commercial truck tire stores , the ones the semi truck drivers use . They will generally be in the industrial part of town, and are plentiful as there are a lot of commercial trucks. You just don't notice them
Proper inspection according to Michelin is to remove the tire from the rim inspect the interior and remount. You will need to pay the mount and unmount fee for ea tire so it isn't cheap and certainly not "free" but is what's meant by "inspect" Anyone doing less is not "inspecting"
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Old 01-05-2016, 08:51 PM   #5
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Make a call to a couple commercial truck tire stores , the ones the semi truck drivers use . They will generally be in the industrial part of town, and are plentiful as there are a lot of commercial trucks. You just don't notice them
Proper inspection according to Michelin is to remove the tire from the rim inspect the interior and remount. You will need to pay the mount and unmount fee for ea tire so it isn't cheap and certainly not "free" but is what's meant by "inspect" Anyone doing less is not "inspecting"
Yep, Michelin says they need to be broken down and inspected inside. That's the only way to find a broken belt.
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Old 01-05-2016, 08:59 PM   #6
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Yep, Michelin says they need to be broken down and inspected inside. That's the only way to find a broken belt.
Doesn't Michelin say that should begin at 6 yrs?
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Old 01-05-2016, 09:08 PM   #7
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I can certainly relate.

I put brand new Dunlop tires on our coach in late 2009. Two years ago I replaced the steer tires with new Bridgestone tires. The rear tires have about 30,000 miles on them and look like absolutely brand new!

I too wonder, ... can I get one more year out of them? .....

Hmmmmmm.

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Old 01-05-2016, 09:08 PM   #8
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Agreed, your in the gray area but is it dark or light gray? Personally I have little faith in the ability of anyone to inspect a tire exterior or interior surface and pass judgment on IF the tires will safely carry everything I love and can't image living without in this world (my Navigator first and everything else a very distant second) safely down the road. If there's a tire dealer with a MRI or a CAT Scanner in the back of the shop, well different story. My tires hit the seven year mark next spring and will be gone before the season starts. If they had sidewall cracks they would be gone all ready.


I may drink cheep beverage mixers, eat low grade hamburger and as much bacon as I can, fill the fuel tank from off brand no name gasoline stations but tires, no compromising. Replace them before departing on your adventure and be safe.
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Old 01-05-2016, 09:10 PM   #9
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Check michelin's site for listing of authorized truck tire dealers.
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Old 01-06-2016, 12:23 AM   #10
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I struggle with the 7 year concept. Being from the trucking industry were capping casings up to 10 years old. We have one 93 Kenworth with less then 100k and still has the factory toyos and they look like any other tire. My fear with a motorhome is there loaded front heavy and are touchy with a steer blowout. For the big trip might just change the steers then push the dates on the rears if they look good. If your replacing with Michelin don't forget about the advantage program .
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Old 01-06-2016, 12:52 AM   #11
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Tire replacement timing.

I replaced my Michelins after 13 years. Fifty thousand miles. Just beginning to show some minute side wall cracking around the fine print. The motor home was always stored indoors off the floor with vapor barriers under the tires. Tires never saw the light of day unless the motor home was on the road.
The tread was nearly like new . I felt that with some cracking showing up that any further use would be pushing trouble after 13 years.
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Old 01-06-2016, 03:05 AM   #12
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For the big trip might just change the steers then push the dates on the rears if they look good. If your replacing with Michelin don't forget about the advantage program .
Huh... why didn't I think of this?

My 6-year old Michelins look like they're in excellent shape - zero cracking, low mileage, etc. But like so many I'm happy to spend the money to do everything I can to make sure my family is safe, even if that means replacing the tires sooner they really need to be.

With a TAG I'm confident I could handle a rear wheel blowout, but a blowout on the steer axle... whole different story. In a straight line on a smooth, flat highway? Probably. On a bumpy, downhill mountain corner? Hmmm...

So replacing just the steers makes a lot of sense. Use the best 6 for the drive/TAG axles and spread my tire replacement costs over subsequent years instead of shelling it out all at once. Gives me an excuse to align the front end and install balance beads, too!

Hellavan idea, IASM. Thanks
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Old 01-06-2016, 05:27 AM   #13
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Keep in mind that with a rear blowout it's not JUST a matter of keeping the rig on the road, but what damage those spinning chunks of rubber do to the coach before you can get it pulled over to the side of the road.

Also, back when I drove a dump truck for a living, a coworker had a rear blowout - that tire's mate blew immediately after because it couldn't handle the extra load (naturally this happened on a full truck). The trucks we drove had two rear axles (both with duals) so he still had control to bring it to the side of the road - but boy was he pale and sweaty when he stepped out of the truck!

Basically I agree with the idea of changing the steer tires first, but just wanted to point out that there could be other factors involved with a rear blowout.
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Old 01-06-2016, 06:46 AM   #14
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Agreed, your in the gray area but is it dark or light gray? Personally I have little faith in the ability of anyone to inspect a tire exterior or interior surface and pass judgment on IF the tires will safely carry everything I love and can't image living without in this world (my Navigator first and everything else a very distant second) safely down the road. If there's a tire dealer with a MRI or a CAT Scanner in the back of the shop, well different story. My tires hit the seven year mark next spring and will be gone before the season starts. If they had sidewall cracks they would be gone all ready.


I may drink cheep beverage mixers, eat low grade hamburger and as much bacon as I can, fill the fuel tank from off brand no name gasoline stations but tires, no compromising. Replace them before departing on your adventure and be safe.
+1 replace them
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