Taking out the Spare Tire & Rim

[DocL]

I should get a plug kit, sounds like a good idea, pretty easy to use the kit?

Yep. It takes about 45 seconds to get a plug into the tire. Make sure you get the plug kit that is with the "T" handles.

Would be good to carry pliers in the car also to get out the nail or whatever is stuck in the tire?

Actually a wire cutter makes it easier to grab the nail, and you can clip off the extra plug material that sticks out of tire.

Hope I am not getting jinxed here, I've never had a flat before in the NSX.

You'll probably wake up in the morning with a flat now.

 

[nsxtasy]

Look at the production date of the tires on your car. Apparently tires have a shelf life of like 5yrs or so. Just because you might've bought brand new tires doesn't mean they were just recently produced. They could've been in a warehouse somewhere sitting for years before they were shipped out to a local distributor.

This page on the Tire Rack website tells you how to determine the age of a tire. This page gives a more complicated answer to the question of how long you can use tires. It's not just a flat five years. The last paragraph sums up their advice:

Our experience has been that when properly cared for, most street tires have a useful life of between six to ten years. And while part of that time is spent as the tire travels from the manufacturing plant to the manufacturer's distribution center, to the retailer and to you, the remainder is the time it spends on your vehicle.

 

[4AU4LIFE]

Of course the key phrase there is 'with proper care'.
Which does NOT mean sitting outside or stacked in garage for long periods of time uncared for.:frown:
Live and learn.

 

[NSX_NICK]

Are you saying you should take your spare tire and rim and put it in a suitcase or something? Mines in my garage.

 

[4AU4LIFE]

Are you saying you should take your spare tire and rim and put it in a suitcase or something? Mines in my garage.

i'm refering to tires that are on a spare set of wheels.
i would speculate that the maintenance would be the same for all tires though.
however, since the spare isn't inflated I'm a little puzzled about it myself. I know I have mine somewhere, probably in attic but I'm not certain.

 

[comtec]

i'm refering to tires that are on a spare set of wheels.
i would speculate that the maintenance would be the same for all tires though.
however, since the spare isn't inflated I'm a little puzzled about it myself. I know I have mine somewhere, probably in attic but I'm not certain.

You better find it before NOPI next year :wink: .

 

[4AU4LIFE]

You better find it before NOPI next year :wink: .

I WON'T have those wheels/tires by then. Never know, might not even have the car

 

[Tanto2]

I'm probably going to cause trouble here, and the safe and smart way to go is to follow the tire rack faq Ken rightly brought up, ---but for those analytical types, I did work for the largest mfgr of carbon black for many years and my best friend of many years is a carbon black engineer. If the tire maker is a first class outfit, the "age" issue in moderate climates for garaged toy cars that are not in the sun all day after day is hype to sell tires, and of course liability is a huge issue too. I don't advocate antidotal experience, but I just did the NSXPO track on 12 year old tires that are still in perfect condition, one with a plug. I was not at all worried (except about tread depth). PLEASE don't assume yours are also, if you don't have the expertise to inspect for drying closely, replace them. However, it's just not true that all rubber dries out, some does, some does not. It's not uncommon for vintage folks to run 30 year old tires. It's all in the chemistry, and of course since we generally can't judge that, check very closely for tiny cracks and a dry chalking look. Push your fingernail into the tire, if the mark does not go away within 15 minutes, replace. Or if the tires just feel hard, replace. Tires are easy because you can see them, the timing belt issue is the tough call!

 

[4AU4LIFE]

I'm probably going to cause trouble here, and the safe and smart way to go is to follow the tire rack faq Ken rightly brought up, ---but for those analytical types, I did work for the largest mfgr of carbon black for many years and my best friend of many years is a carbon black engineer. If the tire maker is a first class outfit, the "age" issue in moderate climates for garaged toy cars that are not in the sun all day after day is hype to sell tires, and of course liability is a huge issue too. I don't advocate antidotal experience, but I just did the NSXPO track on 12 year old tires that are still in perfect condition, one with a plug. I was not at all worried (except about tread depth). PLEASE don't assume yours are also, if you don't have the expertise to inspect for drying closely, replace them. However, it's just not true that all rubber dries out, some does, some does not. It's not uncommon for vintage folks to run 30 year old tires. It's all in the chemistry, and of course since we generally can't judge that, check very closely for tiny cracks and a dry chalking look. Push your fingernail into the tire, if the mark does not go away within 15 minutes, replace. Or if the tires just feel hard, replace. Tires are easy because you can see them, the timing belt issue is the tough call!

so they, tire manufacturers, make some tires to last long periods of time and other tires to NOT last long? do they do that intentionally?

 

[nsxtasy]

so they, tire manufacturers, make some tires to last long periods of time and other tires to NOT last long? do they do that intentionally?

He didn't say that.

And, while I don't intend to interpret someone else's words - he can speak for himself - some of the points he makes are legitimate. Tires certainly last longer if they are kept in more moderate environmental conditions, i.e. out of the sun, away from extreme heat and cold, etc. And one sign of aging is indeed visual; the tires on my neighbor's 9-year-old car were showing extreme cracking (I assisted when one went flat), whereas I have other tires the same age that have no cracking whatsoever. And the advice on the Tire Rack's website, if you read it carefully, reads more along the lines of "Here's what we know and what the experts recommend".

I hate the idea of throwing away tires with tread remaining as much as anyone else. But I also wouldn't want a tire to fail at a time when it will represent a major inconvenience and/or safety hazard. So that's what the pros say. If you feel comfortable going beyond the time frames they recommend, go for it.

 

[Tanto2]

I don't for a second believe anyone deliberatly makes tires that wear out quickly, although the tires on one of my wifes CRXSI's had me wondering one time( I think SHE wore the fronts down in 2800 miles). Without talking with my friend for details, I believe I can say that tire chemistry is just like metals or plastics. There are an infinite combination of elements that will all yield differing characteristics. Of all the common variables: wear, dry stick, wet stick, ride and noise, longevity is probably not even in the mix. So I would posit that longevity over the last hundred plus years is more an accident. If I didn't make it clear earlier, my own opinion FWIW is if you track, or daily drive, or just plain drive very aggressively, strongly error on the safe side. If you are just a sunday driver and look at your tires often, you MAY go longer than is commonly thought.

 

[nsxtasy]

There are an infinite combination of elements that will all yield differing characteristics. Of all the common variables: wear, dry stick, wet stick, ride and noise, longevity is probably not even in the mix.

Assuming you are referring to longevity in terms of time, you are probably right, especially since most people drive their tires enough miles that they only last a few years, if that. But manufacturers do pay plenty of attention to treadwear (longevity measured by miles rather than years).

 

[Tanto2]

Yes of course treadwear is always an issue, I was reffering to the controversial part of my posts which was the AGE issue.