Tires are almost 10 years old

[WayneG]

According to the DOT tire code, my front tires on my 84 Excella 270 MH will have their 10th birthday this year.
They are Triangle 8R19.5's and they have no noticeable dry rot and very low mileage on them but at 10 years and being on the front, I don't want to take chances with the family on board.
I am not only looking for reliable brands, I am also considering the alternative size 225/70R19.5 (Probably upping the load rating to a G)
I have seen various old discussions on this, what do you think is a good & safe choice for front tires today?
Thanks
Wayne

[mehes]

Wayne, I don't have an answer but I am facing the same situation. I'm sure someone will have some advice.

[Rich W]

If the tires haven't been replaced 10 years after their date of manufacture, as a precaution, Michelin recommends replacing them with new tires. Even if they appear to be in usable condition and have not worn down to the tread wear indicator.
This applies to spare tires as well.
http://www.michelinman.com/US/en/hel...ew-tires.html#

Vehicle manufacturers recommend tire replacement at 6 years
Tire manufacturers' warranties expire at 6 years
Tire manufacturers recommend replacement at 10 years, regardless of tread depth
http://www.discounttire.com/learn/tire-aging

A much longer explanation is here:
Carmakers, tire makers and rubber manufacturers differ in their opinions about the lifespan of a tire. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has no specific guidelines on tire aging and defers to the recommendations of carmakers and tire manufacturers. Carmakers such as Nissan and Mercedes-Benz tell consumers to replace tires six years after their production date, regardless of tread life. Tire manufacturers such as Continental and Michelin say a tire can last up to 10 years, provided you get annual tire inspections after the fifth year.
https://www.edmunds.com/car-care/how...our-tires.html

[WayneG]

Thanks,
I am definitely ready for replacements for safety sake.
My main concerns are:
What brand is affordable and reliable?

Is it worth changing from 8R19.5 to 225/70R19.5 (For Fronts only)?

The new size has more manufacturer options and is a bit wider than the originals. They can also come in a higher load rating and 14 plies, which I think is a good bet when you are running fully loaded?

[Boom Sounds]

Be careful in the tire width. I know some people have used 235/85 but they do kiss on the rears when under load. Not recommended.


Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums

[WayneG]

I just ordered a pair of Cooper RM 170's 225/70R19.5 Load rating G for about $360 for the pair, not counting mounting.
I checked my rims and they are 6" wide and that is the low end but good for this tire. the tread is about 8/10" wider then the stock 8R19.5
There should be no problem with these on the front.
My spare is a 8R19.5 so that should work in any position because I am keeping 8R19.5's on the rear.

[WayneG]

Purchase update, I was suppose to get my tires from a chain automotive store today but when I looked them over the tires were made in 2015, almost 2 years old, so I canceled the order. They also did not think their tire machine could handle the stretch needed for the rims.
So I went to a Trucker tire supply and the guy gave me a great deal on the same tires, less than a year old, they mounted them while I waited and I was out of there in an hour.

[Mike1997]

When I bought my AS in 2015 with 45k miles, it still had the 4 original Michelens on rear with no date code. That meant they were made before 2001!! The two front tires were Goodyear dated 2011 and appeared okay.

Put 4 new Hankook tires on rear and set off for Montana. 200 miles from home on I-40, the right front Goodyear blew out from the sidewalls. Fortunately no damage and I did have a spare. 6 hours on side of road and $1100 later, I had 2 new Hankooks on the front. Wish I had replaced all of them at same time, would have been cheaper.

[mayco]

Your choices are limited...I bought Hankook 4 years ago, put about 10k
on them so far, no problems. I bought them at Tires Plus, they are nationwide under different names but supposedly all will honor warranty.

[IPM]

I had never spent more than 200 on my motorhome tires till Jan 2017. Always went cheap, only had a couple blowout. Ride quality was always bone jarring unless I ran pressures down to as low as 60psi.

Then I bought 4 michelin xze's. Was driving through Birminham and blew one cheap winston tire on tag and a belt was letting go on a sumitomo on passenger side steer.

So two xze's go on tag axle, two on steer.

WOW. I had no idea how much better the ride quality can be. Got the xze's at 90psi. Smooth. Little slamming.

Still have 4 hercules on drive axle. Can't put much more than 60psi in them or bone jarring feeling every road flaw starts. Less than 4k miles on them but thinking to put xze's there also. Anyone know of xze deals in the kansas city region?