‘The later its made, the fresher the rubber” is a rule some people swear by when buying their next set of tyres. A perception where the said tyre would start to degrade as it leaves the manufacturing plant. Is there any truth in this?
According to Michelin, it’s a no and they are adamant about it. They’ve also compiled some interesting facts to back this up. Michelin also encourage us all to focus on tyre quality rather than being bothered by manufacturing dates because:
Tyres are not Bananas
1: Ageing doesn’t commence before use
Contrary to perception regarding expiry dates of food or other products, ageing process of a tyre does not commence from manufacturing date but rather from the moment it was first inflated and installed on a wheel. This is when the tyre undergo the most stress rather than when in storage.
2: No difference in Performance
Using results from studies conducted in South Korea, Germany and Saudi Arabia, Michelin Malaysia Sdn Bhd’s managing director, Pascal Nouvellon said the research showed no difference in performance between newly manufactured tyres and those that have been unused for three years
“A study conducted in Saudi Arabia revealed that a tyre used on a vehicle over two years showed the equivalent ageing to a tyre in storage for 10 years. Additionally, the characteristics of tyres stored for 20 years at 40 degree celsius was similar to tyres run for 40,000km. The study concluded that tyres degrade 20 times more rapidly when used than when stored, even under extreme conditions,” Nouvellon added.
3: Identical wear on new tyre and tyre in 3 year storage
In a tyre wear test conducted by the Korean department of Customer Protection revealed that tyre wear was identical on both new and unused three-year old tyres in high speed and stepped speed tests.
Tests conducted by ADAC, the German motorists organisation revealed that rolling resistance on newly manufacture tyres and unused tyres manufactured three years before were identical.
Contest: Tyres are not Bananas
The Tyres Are Not Bananas promotional campaign from July 12 – August 4, 2017 will comprise two promoter teams visiting high traffic areas in the Klang Valley to create awareness among motorists and inviting them to join in a photo competition.
– Participants will be presented with bananas a contest card and Michelin premiums.
– The competition, run on Facebook, will entail a five-step process and require participants to post their most creative photograph of them posing with bananas, Michelin’s Bibendum or with the photo signage available from the promoters.
– The 100 most creative photos will receive prizes ranging from movie tickets, Michelin travel bags, and petrol cards.
– 3 Grand Prize winners will each take home a set of Michelin tyres.
More information can be found at www.facebook.com/MichelinMalaysia or www.michelin.com.my.
“We advocate attention on overall tyre care which includes maintenance of correct tyre pressure, proper alignment, inspection for damages and thread depth measurement. Tyres undergo lots of different stresses during their lifetime on a vehicle and poor road conditions, extreme heat and poor maintenance impact on tyre life and performance.
“All Michelin tyres come with a six-year warranty and we recommend that tyres older than 10 years from the date of manufacture be removed from service,” Nouvellon added.
