Rain tires: how old is too old?

[Teuobk]

With the Sprints coming up at Elkhart Lake next week, and with the forecast looking potentially a bit wet (albeit with the usual long-range caveats), I took a look at my set of rains for my F1000 today. At that moment, I realized I didn't know how to tell whether a rain tire was still good short of running it.

These particular tires came with the car. They're Hoosier bias-ply wets, they were stored in sealed heavy plastic bags in a climate-controlled environment, and they look great. They even smell nice and rubbery. I think they have a single heat cycle on them. When I poke them with my finger, my finger sticks a bit to the tread, and the rubber feels nice and soft. The only source of doubt in my mind is that they were new in 2017.

How long will a lightly used set of rain tires remain usable when properly stored? How can one tell when one's rain tires should be replaced when they haven't been used in a while?

Jeff

[DaveW]

With the Sprints coming up at Elkhart Lake next week, and with the forecast looking potentially a bit wet (albeit with the usual long-range caveats), I took a look at my set of rains for my F1000 today. At that moment, I realized I didn't know how to tell whether a rain tire was still good short of running it.

These particular tires came with the car. They're Hoosier bias-ply wets, they were stored in sealed heavy plastic bags in a climate-controlled environment, and they look great. They even smell nice and rubbery. I think they have a single heat cycle on them. When I poke them with my finger, my finger sticks a bit to the tread, and the rubber feels nice and soft. The only source of doubt in my mind is that they were new in 2017.

How long will a lightly used set of rain tires remain usable when properly stored? How can one tell when one's rain tires should be replaced when they haven't been used in a while?

Jeff

It depends on the chemistry of the tire compound and how they were stored. Back when I ran the GY 60 compound rains, they never aged out (over several years) before I wore the tread off. OTOH, other compounds were not so age independent. Aging, in general, is a function of ozone and oxidization degradation, plus additional curing, which, depending on compound, can continue slowly even at room temperature. So other than asking Hoosier their recommendations on these particular tires, aging effects can be all over the map.

I'd recommend trying them and cautiously evaluating them yourself if you are budget-conscious, or just getting new rains if you are wanting max performance and can afford it.

[EYERACE]

1. Call Hoosier If he's still there......ask for John ?? 865 681 6622 No matter who you speak with, remember you might get a little 'corporate speak' along with facts thereby making you the ultimate decider
2. I gather they're not mounted. So the insides of the sidewall can be inspected. Of course the outside of the sidewalls should be free from cracks.
3. It sounds as if the tires have been properly stored - which sort of means the actual age is sort of a little younger than the calendar date.
4. Mount 'em......fill 'em to about 30 pounds......wait 24 hours.......check pressures and also the bead with water.
5. Tell you what.......you pay shipping......send them to me for free and enclose $60 cash so I can then get them mounted too........I think I'll run 'em...... and let you know how it went.......after that........would you really want used tires back ??

[Teuobk]

Thanks guys! In light of this, I think I'll run them (if indicated by the weather) and see what happens

Jeff

[problemchild]

If you have to ask a tire vendor if your 4 year old tires need replacing, there is only one response you will get. The reality is that most club racers have rain tires that are many years old, often decades. If you are good in the rain, it won't matter much. If you are not good in the rain, it will not matter much, but atleast you will have a good excuse. I won a lot of races in FV on 20+ year old rain tires that required tubes just to hold air ....... and they never wore out. When I got new rains, my pace picked up, but I would wear them out in a race or two.

The question is not whether you need new rain tires, but do you want to buy new rain tires.

[billtebbutt]

If you have to ask a tire vendor if your 4 year old tires need replacing, there is only one response you will get. The reality is that most club racers have rain tires that are many years old, often decades. If you are good in the rain, it won't matter much. If you are not good in the rain, it will not matter much, but atleast you will have a good excuse. I won a lot of races in FV on 20+ year old rain tires that required tubes just to hold air ....... and they never wore out. When I got new rains, my pace picked up, but I would wear them out in a race or two.

The question is not whether you need new rain tires, but do you want to buy new rain tires.

Hi Greg,

I wonder if thereis a difference in what we "used" to race on, and what they sell us now. I agree with your post, above, in the days gone by (I only had one set of GY wets over all the years I raced FF Nationals, and they were fine). Todays rains, I am not so sure. My 3 year old new Avon rains were completely useless on the 492 a couple of years back - it was awful, as in far far worse that a certain street radial we know.

I wonder if the engineering/materials etc that goes into them today does not hold up nearly so well as it used to??

cheers,
BT

[DaveW]

...I wonder if there is a difference in what we "used" to race on, and what they sell us now. I agree with your post, above, in the days gone by (I only had one set of GY wets over all the years I raced FF Nationals, and they were fine). Today's rains, I am not so sure. My 3 year old new Avon rains were completely useless on the 492 a couple of years back - it was awful, as in far far worse that a certain street radial we know.

I wonder if the engineering/materials, etc., that goes into them today does not hold up nearly so well as it used to??

cheers,
BT

No direct knowledge here of how every rain compound will age. But I do know that certain polished track areas will exacerbate lack of grip on rain tires that are too hard or have aged out. Some rain tires age well, others not well at all. Some, even new, will not grip where others will grip just fine. So it depends on the track surface condition and the exact nature of the compound.

Obviously, driver skill level and especially butt-to-hand reaction time (having "fast hands") is amplified in the rain. I could never do what some are able to do at marginal grip levels, but back 35 years or so I was VERY good in the rain and it still mattered how the tires you were running gripped on the track you were at.