Service life of machine tires

A machine tire is a rubber elastic shell that is mounted on a disk rim. It is she who is in direct contact with the surface of the roadway and is designed to reduce small vibrations on the roads, as well as to compensate for flaws in the trajectory of the wheels. During operation, it is subjected to heavy loads of a diverse nature, therefore it naturally has its own service life, which is influenced by a number of factors.

Shelf life of tires according to GOST

Shelf life – the period during which the company guarantees the possibility of using the product for its intended purpose and bears full responsibility for defects that arose through its fault.

When buying tires, you need to look for something, no more than three years have passed since the moment of production. The date of manufacture and any other information is very easy to find out, it is indicated on the tire label among the general information about dimensions, design, speed and load ratings.

Tire production date

Russian legislation establishes the service life of car tires under warranty according to GOST 4754-97 и GOST 5513 - 5 years from the date of manufacture, but for tires, first of all, the main indicator is the quality of the product, and not the time of its use.

According to GOST, the average shelf life of tires must be calculated in this order:

• ZR. This is how high-speed options are designated, these products can be used at speeds over 240 kilometers per hour. The product must fully retain its properties for 6 years.
• H - used at a maximum speed of 210 kilometers per hour, serve up to 5 years.
• S - maximum speed - 180 kilometers per hour. Can be used up to 4-5 years.

Experts recommend replacing tires before they reach their expiration date. Some drivers believe that tires are suitable if they are rarely used, and at the same time they are already 5-6 years old, but this is an erroneous opinion! Indeed, due to the fact that defects appear in tires during operation and storage, they are associated with its oxidation and cracking - at a critical moment, it can let you down.

Shelf life of tires

Best before - a certain period during which the goods, subject to the established rules of storage and operation, must retain all their properties. If the shelf life has expired, this does not mean at all that the product is unsuitable for use, but its technical characteristics may decrease.

Tires can age through physical and chemical processes, this hypothesis applies to tires that are not used or little used. In order to prevent the aging process itself, special additives are added to the rubber compound that help counteract harmful chemical compounds with oxygen and ozone. Doing so will ensure that, when stored properly, the tire will meet the definition of a new tyre.

It should be noted that the warranty the shelf life is not the service life. The storage period for five years is set, not because the tire will deteriorate after that, but because, according to the law, the manufacturer does not have the right to establish a shorter warranty period, which is protection for the end user.

In recent years, many American experts believe that the shelf life and operation of machine tires should be limited to 10 years. In turn, German experts believe that the expiration date of tires should be limited to 6 years, this also applies to new tires.

Rules and regulations for the storage of pneumatic tires in accordance with GOST 24779-81:

1. Packaging, transportation and specially equipped storage areas must prevent oxygen, light, heat, ozone, organic solvents, mineral oils, lubricants, fuels, acids and alkalis from attacking tires.
2. Busbars should not come into contact with copper or corrosive materials, nor should they be loaded, kinked, or supported with sharp, uneven surfaces.
3. If you store tires in a dark, dry and cool environment, then their aging will be significantly slowed down, and vice versa, if the storage is humid and there are temperature fluctuations, then the aging process is accelerated.
4. Tires that are intended for repair and retreading should be well washed and dried.
5. Tires should be stored at a temperature not higher than 35 °C and not lower than 25 °C. Avoid direct contact with a heat source, do not leave in direct sunlight at a humidity of less than 80%.
6. If tires are stored outdoors, they should be covered with an opaque waterproof cover and raised off the ground to ensure adequate ventilation to prevent the formation of a steam bath.
7. It is strictly forbidden to store tires on a wet, greasy/oily, gasoline or oil-contaminated surface.
8. So it is not advisable to keep them near heat sources or near open flames.
9. Do not store tires on reflective surfaces (such as snow, sand) or heat-absorbing surfaces (such as black asphalt).
10. It is not recommended to store tires near an electric motor or with other sources of ozone. The level should not exceed 0,08 ppm.
11. Do not store tires near chemicals, solvents, fuels, carbohydrate oils, paints, acids, disinfectants.
12. Do not use the rail as a work surface or tool rack. Do not put a burning cigarette on tires.

For a complete list of rules and recommendations for the correct storage of tires, see the article “How to store machine rubber”.

Well-known brands of imported tires, such as: Bridgestone, Michelin, Goodyear and Dunlop serve up to 10 years or more from the date of manufacture, this period is considered generally accepted throughout the world. But the general expiration date and storage in the warehouse, from the date of issue, tires Continental is not more than 5 years.

Although, as we have already figured out, the storage conditions of tires mean a lot, not only new ones, but also those that were removed from the car until the next season. For example, nokian tire expiration date ranges from 3-5 years, subject to verification at least 1 time per year, after 5 years of use.

Unfortunately, the legislation does not establish the permissible storage periods for tires in a warehouse, but experts believe that a tire that has lain there for about 5 years is still equal to a new one.

Tire life and operation

Lifespan of car tires - this is the period during which the manufacturer gives a guarantee for the tires and is fully responsible for any defects that will be detected during their operation. According to manufacturers, tires should last at least ten years, although in practice they have to be replaced approximately every 5-6 years, in some cases even less.

reasons that affect the life of the rubber

There are many different factors that affect the wear of machine tires, the main ones are presented below:

1. From the vehicle and its carrying capacity: what is the maximum load the car can carry and whether your tires can withstand it (shows the load capacity index). Please note that depending on this parameter, there are certain norms for the mileage of machine tires on the roadway:
   • For passenger cars: carrying capacity up to 2 tons, mileage 45 thousand kilometers.
   • For trucks: carrying capacity from 2 to 4 tons, 60 thousand kilometers.
   • Trucks with a carrying capacity of over 4 tons - from 65 to 70 thousand kilometers.
2. Depending on tire size. Tires with a low profile most often tap on the disc on the stones, and therefore serve less. If the tires are wide, then the friction increases when cornering, especially in winter.
3. Driver's driving style. The tire wears out quickly if the motorist often uses a sharp brake or, on the contrary, accelerates quickly.
4. Road conditionon which you drive every day.
5. From distance, which you pass and frequency of use.
6. Tire quality plays a very important role, for example, rubber made in China is short-lived, while rubber from well-known brands will last much longer. It is known that the service life of Chinese rubber is about two seasons, and branded rubber can last about seven years. When choosing tires, you need to pay attention to the manufacturer, because fakes are often sold under well-known brands.
7. Various mechanical damage, such as cuts, bumps after impacts, deformation after emergency braking, accidents, etc.

Next, we will consider in more detail the instructions for certain actions that need to be performed in case of wear of machine tires.

How to understand that the service life of machine tires is over

When diagnosing tires, in addition to the fact that it is imperative to pay attention to the degree of wear, there are also other equally important reasons indicating the end of the service life.

In order to determine when the service life of machine tires ends during a detailed inspection, you need to pay attention to the following points:

1. If you notice that tire tread worn down to the level of the jumpers between the tread, it means that the tire has reached the end of its useful life. The degree of wear can be determined by eye or with the help of tools. On the outside of the tire surface, there are also numbers with different depths, so you can easily determine the degree of wear. In order to measure the height of the tread, you can use a ruler with a special depth gauge. For summer tires, this parameter should be equal to more than 1,6 mm, in turn, for winter tires - more than 4 mm. If these parameters are less, then you need to replace the tires. When the wear is uneven, then measurements should be taken in the area where the wear is most visible. Otherwise, if the tread edge is worn on only one side, then the camber-toe angle has been violated.
2. Small cracks on the side on tires indicate the aging of rubber and warn of replacement, while deep cuts require immediate replacement.
3. If there is swelling on the side of the tires - hernia, then this means that the threads of the cord layer have broken, in this case the tires must also be changed immediately. Also, such “hernias” can appear on the inside of the wheel, so you need to be extremely careful and inspect in time.
4. If tire wear on the outside it is much larger than in the central part, then this may mean that the tires did not have enough pressure, if everything is vice versa, they are more worn out in the center, and less along the outer edges, then there was an excess of pressure.

When any defects were noticed in the tires, it is recommended to carry out a replacement, and not a rescue restoration, in order to also somehow delay the period of use.

In order to extend the life of machine tires, you need to periodically diagnose them.

How to extend the life of tires

In order for your tires to be more durable, you need to follow certain rules of use:

1. If there are no obvious air leaks, you need to check the tire pressure every 2-3 weeks of operation. This must be done because uneven tire pressure leads to uneven tread wear. If the internal pressure is reduced by 10%, then this can lead to a 10-15% reduction in tire life. If the pressure is increased, then the wear also increases, but 2 times less than in the reduced one.

2. Since there is always more wear on the front (driving) wheels, then every 10-15 times. thousand or at the time of changing seasonal tires, it is advisable to change it in places.

   Changing front tires to rear

   Scheme of permutation of 5 machine wheels

   Please note that although there are tires with directional and non-directional patterns, you still cannot change the direction of rotation of the wheel. And in the second option, the front wheels must be reboarded before being installed back.

3. It is necessary to check if the tires are correctly installed in relation to the rims, which is usually indicated on the sidewalls of the tires, this is important, since when the tires rotate in the opposite direction to the design, all their performance will be significantly reduced in all modes of vehicle operation.

   Non-directional tire replacement scheme

   Shift scheme for all-wheel drive cars

4. If you bought new studded tires, then first, they need to be run in the first 500 km while avoiding sharp turns, braking and acceleration, then the tires will last much longer and will have the correct fit.
5. It is best to buy and install tires on all wheels from the same manufacturer and with the same pattern.
6. Follow all rules for storing removed tires.
7. It is important to regularly wash off the dirt from the tires with special care products, while paying attention to the fact that after washing off the products they do not remain in the tread grooves.
8. in order to preserve their appearance, you need to use special care products: tire conditioner, air conditioner cleaner, tire color restorer.
9. It is necessary to avoid close access to the curb or other ledges, in order not to damage the thin side of the tire.
10. If you are going on a long trip, it is better to increase the internal pressure in the tires, this will save fuel and reduce their heating.
11. Try to maintain a moderate driving style.
12. No need to load the machine, at 20% overload, the service life is reduced by 30%.
13. Avoid sharp obstacles, because tire fractures can contribute to the destruction of the cord layer under the tread.
14. Check the wheel alignment once a year. also, this operation must be performed after repair of the steering gear, replacement of joints, as well as after strong impacts that can deform elements in the chassis.
15. Follow the wheel balancing, it should be carried out after about 10000-15000 km or after each repair with tire removal.

Experts recommend regularly checking the condition of your tires, monitoring the pressure and degree of tread wear. After all, it is much more profitable to fix the breakdown in the early stages than to change all the rubber later. It must be remembered that correct and timely tire care is your safety and guarantee of the durability of your rubber.