The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Decoding Dot on an old tire

I asked already this question in another forum that you might also follow so please bear with me if you had seen it already.
Last year I got 4 reserve rims for my Chevrolet .They came with old white wall tires.
Next month comes a local vintage vehicle gathering so I should like to use them for that day. They are American made *Allstate* 650 x 16 Super safety thread.
I can’t determine their age . Can anybody help with decoding their DOT numbers?.

http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab317/Jianis/White%20walls/DOT.jpg

http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab317/Jianis/White%20walls/Whitewalls.jpg

Thank you in advance

Jianis

Maybe this site may help you. One problem it states is that prior to 1990 tire manufacturers weren't required to put what decade a tire was produced so it may be impossible for you to determine exactly when the tire was made. So your tire example may have been produced in the 20th week of the first decade, but it can't be determined by the attached site as to what decade. 50s, 60s, or ??? But, since it is a SEARS Allstate Brand, I would guess, only a guess, mind you, that they are from the 60s as I would think a 1950 tire would have deteriorated too much.


http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=11

I would think it to be the 20th week of 1961 because the 20th week of 1951 would have still been a rayon tire instead of nylon. By 1971 the wide whitewall was no longer available.

Are you going to drive to the event, or trailer the truck? I don't think I'd trust tires that old to run very far, especially in the summertime temperatures most of us are experiencing right now. If you're just unloading/reloading on a trailer, or making a SHORT low-speed run to the show, go for it. Just don't bet your life on those tires at highway speed.
Jerry

The thread here at the AACA says that Allstate tires were sold up to the late 80's / early 90's.
The thread here at the HAMB backs that up as well.

Sears did market Allstate for quite a long time after these tires were built, but not 6.50x16 nylon with a wide white walls. Narrow white walls became popular in the mid 60's and nylon tires did not appear until the early 50's.

This is an article from Time Magazine that was printed in 1961. I was driving nylon tires by then and I would have more faith in a 50 year old nylon tire than a 20 year old steel radial.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,894541,00.html