Sponsored by The Tire Rack

[gregp553]

Bought a set of Firestone Indy 500 Firehawk tires from a local major tire retailer, virtually the same price as tirerack by the time someone mounts and balances. 235/35/19 front and 275/30/19 rear, totally stock 2012 335i with M Sport package and style 230 wheels. Took a week for them to come in from Firestone. When they went to mount them, I asked them to be extra careful since my wheels are in near perfect condition. They stopped after 45 minutes, saying they could not get the old low profile run-flats off without possibly scratching the rims. Glad they stopped. So i went to get my wheels and new tires and noticed the two new rear Indy 500s were made late in 2015. If you believe a tire is safe for 10 years, that means my "new" tires had more than a quarter of their shelf life gone. Belle politely tried to get me newer tires but was told nothing newer was available. And they don't sell enough of these to make them very often, I guess. Even though I'll probably wear them out sooner, I asked for a cut in price based on the age of the tires. Firestone said they consider a tire new if it's less than 5 years from the manufacturing date on the tire. Belle was polite about it. I got them anyway. Then, to my surprise, my local BMW dealer was about the cheapest to mount balance and not destroy my wheels ($129). Bottom line, so far so good, no rub but only have a few miles on them. Whole package with 4 new TPMS was just over a grand.

[AZDesertBMW]

What RF were you running? My 2011 e90 is on the RE050 and thinking of trying the Indy 500s. I was just wondering how they might compare for dry traction?

I can get a full set of the Indy 500s for less than just the fronts for the RE 050 RF

[Blueeyesredpanda]

Not sure where did you hear 10 years is the safe zone for tires. But its actually 5 years MAX

[gregp553]

Originally Posted by AZDesertBMW

What RF were you running? My 2011 e90 is on the RE050 and thinking of trying the Indy 500s. I was just wondering how they might compare for dry traction?

I can get a full set of the Indy 500s for less than just the fronts for the RE 050 RF

I replaced the original factory set of P Zeros. The Indy 500s got a pretty good review, especially bang for the buck. Always depends on what you want to spend.

[gregp553]

Originally Posted by Blueeyesredpanda

Not sure where did you hear 10 years is the safe zone for tires. But its actually 5 years MAX

I never heard 5 years max, although that would help sell more tires. There is no industry consensus that I know of. Tire manufacturers like Michelin I believe go above 5 but recommend tire inspections as they age. And it also matters where you live, as climate is a big factor. I agree with you that newer is better. That was my concern.

[AZDesertBMW]

Originally Posted by Blueeyesredpanda

Not sure where did you hear 10 years is the safe zone for tires. But its actually 5 years MAX

I know every tire place I've talked to won't do anything to a tire 10 years or older other than replace it. It's always explained as a liability issue.

[Blueeyesredpanda]

Originally Posted by gregp553

I never heard 5 years max, although that would help sell more tires. There is no industry consensus that I know of. Tire manufacturers like Michelin I believe go above 5 but recommend tire inspections as they age. And it also matters where you live, as climate is a big factor. I agree with you that newer is better. That was my concern.

1500$ for a set of tires PSS, $300 per year if you used up the tread by the end of the day. Rubbers get hard over time. $300 per year or a broken neck and totaled the car at a corner.

[Psyphertext]

Originally Posted by gregp553

I never heard 5 years max, although that would help sell more tires. There is no industry consensus that I know of. Tire manufacturers like Michelin I believe go above 5 but recommend tire inspections as they age. And it also matters where you live, as climate is a big factor. I agree with you that newer is better. That was my concern.

Dry rot, weather, time hrdening, road salt or other cold weather treaters, so light, hot he ps, and believe it or not......driving on freshly paved roads, as in they are paving them and you just drove on hot asphalt that has yet to normalize in temp.

If we how to the average annual mileage of 10,00p to 15,000 miles per year then the math says you would use up a 50,000 mile tire in about 4 years. Keep in mind, tires are not truly rubber and have not been for a very long time. Every tire that we buy today is a synthetic "rubber" product.

Having been on a motorcycle race track several times, it is the heat cycles on the tire that do a lot of the damage. Get them hot, shut down and cool. Do this several times in a day to a week and you aren't doing the tires any good as they are hardening faster than a tire that gets to temp and is sustained there for a longer trip. It is a game of give and take. In one case you are causing tread wear from use, in another you are heating them and cooling them more often which is expediting the hardening timeline. Of course, factor weather and direct sunlight and it just compounds it. I wont buy a tire that has sat on a shelf more than 5 years in most cases as I have no guarantee that the tire was stored properly over time, nor do I have a guarantee that the manufacturer will still warranty the tire. Thank you Khumo USA for that last one...nearly caused a wreck and cost us a full set of tires.

[6ixSpd]

10 year old tires are absolutely not safe for use. I suggest people read up on the effect of dry rot and rubber hardening over time.