[jamesobrady]

Chris's thread, and a phonecall i had today(unrealted to each other btw!) got me thinking about tyres.
Specifically, how to tell where your tyre has come from, and since when?

I figured all tyres had to ahve some sort of code that links them back to a time and place of manufacture, and they do.
Its called the DOT code. The last 4 digits give week and year of manufacture.

From a set of pirellis I bought recently, and was warned today that it may be an old tyre.....

DOT EB PH E304 0509

The last 4 digits tell me it was made in the 05th week of 2009... which means its not an old tyre.

Thought that may be of some use to someone at some time-so there it is

[Larry]

jamesobrady, on Mar 26 2009, 10:34 PM, said:

Chris's thread, and a phonecall i had today(unrealted to each other btw!) got me thinking about tyres.
Specifically, how to tell where your tyre has come from, and since when?

I figured all tyres had to ahve some sort of code that links them back to a time and place of manufacture, and they do.
Its called the DOT code. The last 4 digits give week and year of manufacture.

From a set of pirellis I bought recently, and was warned today that it may be an old tyre.....

DOT EB PH E304 0509

The last 4 digits tell me it was made in the 05th week of 2009... which means its not an old tyre.

Thought that may be of some use to someone at some time-so there it is

WOW

A useful post

I never thought you'd find the codes

[KeepinHerLit]

Good stuff.. I'll take a look at my tyres tomorrow, be interesting to see how old they are!! Is the code on the side of the tyre near the brand name (eg, Metzler..)?

[jamesobrady]

KeepinHerLit, on Mar 27 2009, 12:45 AM, said:

Good stuff.. I'll take a look at my tyres tomorrow, be interesting to see how old they are!! Is the code on the side of the tyre near the brand name (eg, Metzler..)?

It's only on one side of the tyre, but starts with DOT and the last 4 letters are inset into the rubber instead of moulded onto it.

[valkeire]

Just for clarity, it can sometimes be difficult to find the code. The majority of the print on the side of the tyre is raised because it is permanently engraved in the side of the mould.

The date info is on a metal plate which is changed every week, and so is stuck onto the inside of the mould. This means that the date info area is recessed on the wall of the tyre. It's an oblong area, rounded ends, about 20 mm long and 11 mm high, and is only on one side of the tyre.

Just make sure you read it correctly before you go attacking your local tyre supplier.

Just be careful about coming to any conclusion about tyre ageing. Tyres can last longer if stored in a cold dark place, a tyre ages quicker when exposed to sunlight etc.

Most new tyres are not a problem if they have been stored correctly, it's more relevant when buying a s/hand bike. Like a caravan tyre they can have lots of thread, but are cracking up down between the grooves and sipes.

Hope this helps,

Valkeire


Hey James, Great minds think alike. If I had waited I could have saved all that typing.

Valkeire

[jamesobrady]

valkeire, on Mar 27 2009, 01:50 AM, said:

Hey James, Great minds think alike. If I had waited I could have saved all that typing.

Valkeire

Ah yeah, but sure then what would you be doing?

[jay46]

jamesobrady, on Mar 26 2009, 10:34 PM, said:

Chris's thread, and a phonecall i had today(unrealted to each other btw!) got me thinking about tyres.
Specifically, how to tell where your tyre has come from, and since when?

I figured all tyres had to ahve some sort of code that links them back to a time and place of manufacture, and they do.
Its called the DOT code. The last 4 digits give week and year of manufacture.

From a set of pirellis I bought recently, and was warned today that it may be an old tyre.....

DOT EB PH E304 0509

The last 4 digits tell me it was made in the 05th week of 2009... which means its not an old tyre.

Thought that may be of some use to someone at some time-so there it is

always learning......... fairplay man.....

[KickStarter]

Just a quick addition to this:
If your tyre has only 3 numbers followed by a small triangle or a "<", this means the tyre was manufactured in the 1990s. As above, the first 2 numbers indicate the week number and the third number is the year in the 90s (eg. 209< means the 20th week of 1999)
If you buy an old bike that has very little mileage, the tyres may look perfect and have good thread but could be deadly dangerous.

[sutty]

EAK just had a look at the misses bike, front is 4901 and back is 2704.... great post james, had never heard this. Was gonna get a new set of tires for the misses bike before the revup... now I'm sure I will


MrT I'll be out to you to get them fitted soonish. Sadly will order them my-self as we is broke

[The Mex]

Great thread James, important from a safety point too.....


So it's being STICKIED!!

[Vagabond]

Tyres have a shelf life of 6 years and if they are 'in service' 10 years or more they should be replaced.

Anybody who has tyres 'in service' for 10 years or more must be a collector.

[golly]

Vagabond, on Apr 16 2009, 01:48 PM, said:

Tyres have a shelf life of 6 years and if they are 'in service' 10 years or more they should be replaced.

Anybody who has tyres 'in service' for 10 years or more must be a collector.

I must have been asleep or something! I see our Vaggers is back (and has been for a wee bit too) and I missed it. Hope all is well with you big fella!

[Titchp]

jeysus
I join for fun and now I'm being educated too. Is there no end to this forum?

I have a question though.....does this apply for car tyres too.?

[jon suzuki]

Good man saftey wise James you dont miss a thing

[jamesobrady]

jon suzuki, on Jul 3 2009, 10:21 PM, said:

Good man saftey wise James you dont miss a thing

lmfao...I miss lots..... if ya find yourself in a sinking boat and a helicopter comes to get ya....take your chances swimming

[KickStarter]

Bettystown Bandit, on Jul 3 2009, 10:14 PM, said:

jeysus
I join for fun and now I'm being educated too. Is there no end to this forum?

I have a question though.....does this apply for car tyres too.?

Simple answer - Yes, the date is on the side of care tyres as well.

[Spiceburger]

Good to know.

[petecourtney]

jamesobrady, on Jul 4 2009, 01:40 AM, said:

lmfao...I miss lots..... if ya find yourself in a sinking boat and a helicopter comes to get ya....take your chances swimming

[YCHGTBOY]

Also....where you see a red dot.... or a pair close together...... This indicates the lightest point, and should be positioned next to the valve when installing the tire ...some manufacturers build in a bias weight ...some dont...just something else to watch for!!!

For a full information overload here is a good link...TYRE TECH

This post has been edited by YCHGTBOY: 04 December 2010 - 02:40 AM