Dating tyres

[Cookie Monster]

I have a set of AO48's which gave me a couple of brown trouser moments at a recent track day. That got me thinking that they might be old & knackered.

Just had a look & on the tyre wall they all say M which I assume is for medium compound?

Two say NT25010 on them - does this mean they are from 2010?

Two don't have that on but do say NCF 3 if I recall correctly? 

If I'm barking up the wrong tree here how do I get the date of them pls? 

[SM25T]

Many tyres show week number and year .. but only 4 digits ... ie 1114 for week 11 in 2014.

[Jonathan Kay]

Tyre code, DOT code, which includes date: both from Wykypaedia.

Jonathan

[Dr Slotter]

IIRC it's the last four digits on a Yokohama tyre code that represents the manufacture date, so in this case the 50th week of 2010.

Date codes are often only on one side of the tyre (can't remember specifically for 48s) therefore on uni-directional tyres you can normally only see codes on two of the tyres when they are on the car.

[MADMALC]

Dating tyres---!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!---

You need to get out more.

[BBL]

All the good ones are gay or married. 

[Cookie Monster]

I get out plenty thanks 

I'm just trying to avoid having a big off not trying some new "special interest" fetish 

[Slipper man]

Hmmm. So, does the 2203 on my 048R's mean they might be past their best?  

[ECR]

 

 

[LazerBrain]

From memory, on my A048s the date code is 4 digits in a round ended rectangle.  They look hand stamped in, if that makes sense.

[LazerBrain]

<oops - please ignore - move along to the next comment!>
 

[LazerBrain]

Here's a photo of the datestamp I mentioned above:

http://www.lazerbrain.com/7img/IMG_3107.JPG

[Jonathan Kay]

46th week of 2010?

Does it have "DOT" to the left of that?

Jonathan

[Cookie Monster]

That looks the same, so mine are about 4 years old - would I be right in thinking that's beyond their usable life?

[LazerBrain]

@JK - yes, that's my understanding for the code. 2 digits for the week, 2 for the year. Can't remember where DOT appears on the sidewall - will check.

 

@Cookie Monster - these tyres have been off my car for the last few months, as the tread was v close to the legal limit. I believe that generally tyres are good for up to 7 years. There was quite a noticeable difference to the feel of the new tyres.

[oldbutnotslow]

6 years is what I have always workd on as a maximum but it will depend on other factors.

If your car is used regularly and its not laid up for months on end the tyres will be in better condition than if they have been left standing.UV is the problem and strangely its generally the inside of the tyre that will show signs of cracking before the outside.

4 year old tyres should be ok and it may not have been the tyres that were the root cause of the brown trouser moment! 48's are generally regarded as not being that great in damp / wet conditions compared to other makes / types and are regarded as being more track focused.

For general road use I believe that you will go a long way before finding a better tyre than a Yoko A021 and they are generally less costly than 48's