Every tire sold for the last several decades has a DOT number. Look for it
on the sidewall - the last 3 or 4 digits indicate when it was produced. For
example if it ends with 0504, it indicates that it was produced the 5th week
of 2004. If it was 054 then it would have been produced the 5th week of '94,
pretty easy to understand after you look at a few of them.

I wouldn't use it as a basis for buying new tires unless they were a
discontinued line. Most all manufacturers change things up every few years
so a tire that has a DOT of being produced 3 or 4 years ago is probably no
longer being produced at all. Most tires stored in a cool dry environment
will still be as good as new when put into service even 5 years later but
may weathercrack soon after being used.



"Eric Gironda" > wrote in message
news:NfWjd.17179$5K2.9937@attbi_s03...
>
> "Patrick" > wrote in message
> om...
>> According to Sean Kane, president of SRS, tire performance can start
>> to degrade after six years - even if the tires have not been used -
>> because of the rubber's age.
>> The council said tire components dry with age and can separate.
>> Anti-aging chemicals in tires are active only when a tire is in use,
>> the council said. The council went on to say that spare tires, tires
>> in storage or on a shelf, or tires that spend a long time on a trailer
>> or a recreational vehicle run the risk of premature aging.
>>
>> In the United States, consumers and tire dealers must decipher part of
>> a serial number engraved on one side of a tire to determine the date
>> it was manufactured. But there are no set recommendations on how old
>> is too old for a tire.
>>
>> Makes you wonder about storing tires a set of tires for a couple
>> years, remounting them back up, and then zipping down the highway on
>> them, doesn't it?
>>
>
> My curiosity is aroused, how do I go about finding the 'born on date'
> based on my serial #'s?
> I bought a used vehicle, the tire tread is still good on the old tires,
> etc.....
>
> Just curious, you know?
>
> Eric G
> (missing the 68 Sprint 200 cpe.)
>