Tyre Recommendation

8 Years, WOW! No wonder they are cracking. You see it does not matter if the tyres are not used much and thread is still like new. The rubber will deteriorate eventually after a certain time and age. In some countries where smog tests are done, they check your tyre age too. And your tyres have dryed up and hence the cracking.
There is a way to read tyre age and I will try to give as many examples as possible.

Here is how the DOT (dept of Transportation USA) is read:



DOT Codes and the 6-year shelf life
As part of the DOT code (G above), there is a tyre manufacture date stamped on the sidewall. Take a look at yours - there will be a three- or four-digit code. This code denotes when the tyre was manufactured, and as a rule-of-thumb, you should never use tyres more than 6 years old. The rubber in tyres degrades over time, irrespective of whether the tyre is being used or not. When you get a tyre change, if you can, see if the tyre place will allow you to inspect the new tyres first. It's not uncommon for these shops to have stuff in stock which is more than 6 years old. The tyre might look brand new, but it will delaminate or have some other failure within weeks of being put on a vehicle.
Reading the code. The code is pretty simple. The three-digit code was for tyres manufactured before 2000. So for example 1 7 8 means it was manufactured in the 17th week of 8th year of the decade. There was no way of determining which decade, so in fact, 1 7 8 could mean the 17th week of 1988....Good tip : if the tyre has a 3-digit code, don't buy it!!
After 2000, the code was switched to a 4-digit code. Same rules apply, so for example 3 0 0 3 means the tyre was manufactured in the 30th week of 2003.

DOT Age Code Calculator
The calculation built in to this page is up-to-date based on today's date. If the DOT age code on your tyres is older than this code, change your tyres.


DOT AGE CODE: 479

Interesting note : in June 2005, Ford and GM admitted that tyres older than 6 years posed a hazard and from their 2006 model year onwards, started printing warnings to this effect in their drivers handbooks for all their vehicles.


I recommend Yokohama's but if you like to have stiff side walls then recommend Bridgestones.