# Tires showing dry-rot. Usable? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 16, 2009, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tires-showing-dry-rot-usable/510333 "2009-09-16T15:52:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tires-showing-dry-rot-usable/510333/1 "2009-09-16T15:52:04Z")
I bought an old trailer with, (duh) old tires. They are from the 1990’s, going by the dating system stamped on their sides. The tires have good tread on them and are otherwise fine but they have cracks on the sides from dry-rot. If it matters, the tires are 700-15 truck tires. What say you, automobile gurus? Are these tires usable? Are they likely to blow at any time? These tires are on a horse/livestock trailer and I really don’t want a blowout while hauling cattle or horses. ---
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tires-showing-dry-rot-usable/510333/2 "2009-09-16T17:16:02Z")
With something as important as tires, I would follow the same advice I give to people who ask if some food has gone bad: When in doubt, throw it out. I wouldn’t trust my life or livestock to 10+ year old tires that had dry rot cracks! ---
**Author:** ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tires-showing-dry-rot-usable/510333/3 "2009-09-16T17:23:24Z")
Absolutely not! Junk 'em. They would be a danger to you and everyone else on the road. An exception might be low-speed/very local use with minimal weight on the trailer, ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tires-showing-dry-rot-usable/510333/4 "2009-09-16T17:39:46Z")
Their uses are tire planters, dock bumpers, and mosquito breeding habitats. Once the sidewalls have cracks you’d be negligent to use them for driving. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tires-showing-dry-rot-usable/510333/5 "2009-09-16T18:15:20Z")
**Quoting OP** _What say you, automobile gurus? Are these tires usable? Are they likely to blow at any time? These tires are on a horse/livestock trailer and I really don’t want a blowout while hauling cattle or horses._ \>I say: Don’t use them for carrying loads and **don’t keep them inflated**. Get rid of them at a disposal center. \> Essentially, they are not usable to haul any type of load or to be inflated. \>They are more likely to blow out, and you are at much greater risk of this happening since they are old/rotted. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tires-showing-dry-rot-usable/510333/6 "2009-09-16T21:41:34Z")
Looks like this one is unanimous! I was afraid of that, but just lookin’ at those tires with 80% tread left made me think “what a waste”. So it’s off to the tire store for me. Thanks a bunch.