As was said earlier make sure you take your truck out for an occasional spin. A protective wax is one of the additives in the tire compound. I was told that, by design, the wax comes out of the compound to protect the rubber. No rollin, no wax.
I also found this on the internet, but I can't vouche for the validity. One thing to keep in mind is it is to everybodies advantage, except for us consumers, for the people selling tires and cars to say you have to replace the tires after "x" amount of years. Keep a sharp eye out for checking or cracking, if they look bad don't take a chance, replace them.
Dangers of aged tires
Research and tests show that as tires age, they begin to dry out and become potentially dangerous, even if unused. Aged tires may appear to have similar properties to newly manufactured tires, but rubber degrades over time, and once the vehicle is traveling at high speeds (i.e. on a freeway) the tread could peel off, leading to severe loss of control. In tropical climates, such as Singapore, tires degrade sooner than in temperate climates, and more care should be taken in these climates to ensure that tires do not fail. Also, tires on seldom-used trailers are at the greatest risk of age-failure, but some tires are built to withstand idleness, usually with nylon reinforcement.
Many automakers recommend replacing tires after six years, and several tire manufacturers (Bridgestone, Michelin) have called for tires to be removed from service 10 years after the date of manufacture. However, an investigative report by Brian Ross on ABC's 20/20 news magazine found that many major retailers such as Goodyear, Wal-Mart, and Sears were selling tires that had been produced six or more years ago. Currently, no law for aged tires exists in the United States.
John
Last edited by Hot Rod John; 08/22/2009 12:48 PM.
