Jump to content
Click here to contact our helpful office staff ×

CR500s: how old is too old?


krisfl

Recommended Posts

Hi all, 

My CR500s are about 7yrs old. Loads of tread on all 4 corners. But at what point do you think the rubber would start to be a bit hard and not as grippy as new?
 

They're a great tyre, So not desperate to spend, but given they're the main thing between me and the hedges...

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks gents. 
 

good to know you've run them past 7 years Stu. Mine also still feel good. I was out today. The temp was only about 4' but they still gripped well after the first few miles. 
 

Such a shame they're not made now! I've have to go to ZZS at some point, but... 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Area Representative

Historically cracking has generally occurred to the inside of rear tyres, especially R500s.

Irrespective of where on the car this is an obvious safety issue requiring replacement. Definitely an MoT fail & if stopped by Plod who was inquisitive enough to look that would be at least £2000 & three points per corner. 

If side wall cracks were defined as cosmetic by an Avon 'design engineer' then they must have had some sort of decorative embellishment. I think the term 'engineer' in this case could be very loose in the meaning. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Leadership Team

The cracking issues were quite some years ago and I suspect the problem tyres are now long gone. I'm running mine quite old because I swap between wheels, mostly a set with the CR500s and a set with ZZSs. Each time the wheels are swapped the tyres get a detailed inspection and cracking simply hasn't been an issue.

Stu.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting. Thanks Stu.

Mine are all "looking" fine. But I may venture out onto the track this year. So thinking I may just replace them for piece of mind/safety before I do.

My car was garaged stored with just 280miles under the wheels in 2016 on the CR500s till May 2021 when I bought it. They have no miles and little UV exposure in that time - perhaps they're OK. Perhaps not! The date stamps are mid 2014 and I've put 4k on them since.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mine's primarily a track car so could use them but they are probably just too old. My thinking was that if I'm questioning whether I should use them when at least I have some control over how they are used I wouldn't want to pass them on when they could be used in any way, and potentially be party to someone's accident. Maybe find a skid pan and burn the life out of them...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anything older than 10 years can be a bit iffy, even if stored unused inside, due to ozone attack on the rubber bonds. Outside storage can cause surface cracking in less time if the tyres are always in direct sunlight - probably the limiting factor in manufacturers generally suggesting a six year tyre life. If the tyres have been in sealed plastic bags in a room temperature environment, then they may still be in good condition beyond 10 years.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...