Check DOT Dates!

[plyonsMC9]

Hi Bus Folk!
Just a friendly reminder to check the DOT dates on your tires and EVEN the tires that are being installed on your bus.     I came home to find the friendly tire company installing a set of our 12R22.5s on the steer axle.  Haha - I checked the DOT stamp - 3912.  That's not a typo.  My plan was to get the new tires on the steers, and move the steer tires w/ the 2015 stamp to the tags.

I've used this company for years, the installer agreed with my interpretation of the issue, we called their manager.  He instantly said we can't put those on & he was going to get w/ the warehouse on Monday (tomorrow).  But note that if I hadn't checked, and as seems usual lately, the DOT stamps face inward so you can't see 'em w/o crawling under the bus, it could have been missed for a while.  We'll be leaving on a long trip soon.  Yeesh.

Check the dates!! Be safe!!

One question I do have, the installer asked if he could just swap the front tires & rims to the tags (w/o dismount).  Then balance and install the new tires on the steer axle.  Those being installed on the rims which used to be on the tag axle.

Is that OK - e.g., moving the rim & tires from front to rear?  IIRC the manager said that shouldn't be done, installer said they do that most of the time.  What say the bus folk here?  (yes, they do sound conflicted).

Thanks all!  Kind Regards, Phil

[luvrbus]

Phil,watch the wheel width my DL3 has 9 inch wide wheels on the front and 8-1/4 inch wide on the rear and tag but I run 315R/80/22.5's 

[plyonsMC9]

Mea culpa, should have mentioned this was for our MC9 - an ex-NJ Transit.  1983.  I'm not sure re: width but I will be sure to check!  Thanks very much Clifford.

[Branderson]

I'm having a hell of a time trying to find the date on my front tires?  Don't all tires have to have that DOT date on them?

[Oonrahnjay]

I'm having a hell of a time trying to find the date on my front tires?  Don't all tires have to have that DOT date on them? 

     Yes!  (But only on one side and usually the manufacturers put it on the "non-dressed-up" side.)

[Branderson]

That must be it then.  I have never even thought to look at the inside of a tire. 

[DKO]

Good catch, Phil.

It amazes me how many guys working in tire shops are not even aware of the date code. I suppose most shops push so many tires through their inventory that it is not a concern.

The problem often comes when tires that have been sitting in warehouse for years. The tires and "discovered" and shipped to dealers. If we do not know to check the date then we have purchased a tire with a shortened life. Since most of our bus tires age out rather than wear out, we are over paying for a tire when it's life span is shortened by 2-3 years before we put it on the ground.

I always smile when a the desk buy says, "Here is the price and they all have recent date codes." That is my kind of tire shop.

Davy

[Jon]

Date codes become critical for tire warranty.

I am not aware of any tire company that will stand behind a tire that has a 10 year old date code, so those tires would lose any manufacturer's support in about 4 years.

[ol713]

Hi all;
     For the last several years, I watch the installer mounting
     my tires.  I pay special attention to where the DOT is.
     I request the installer to mount the tire with the DOT
     on the outside so I can read it after a few years.
                                                 Merle
     

[PP]

When I bought my last set of tires I insisted on new stock. They had enough of my size 12R-22.5 in their own warehouse with a 2 yr old date stamp. They offered them to me for $100. off each tire if I would accept them. I may be a cheap bast.. but not that cheap. I know my tires will age out long before they wear out so why would I want to start with a quarter of my time already in the grave?  I got all new tires with nothing more than 2 months old. I get looks all the time when I bring up the age of tires when someone I know is buying an old vehicle. Some people really don't get it.
Will

[eagle19952]

Some people really don't get it.
Will

Actually more than some.

[luvrbus]

We live in a throw away world nothing last now, it wasn't that many years ago a tire would last till the tread was used up

[Branderson]

I'm not looking forward to getting new tires.  I have no idea where to look and if I'm getting ripped off or not.  I still am a cpl of years away before I need to start searching though. 

[buswarrior]

Networking to find tire shops.

Talk to your neighbours, who is a truck driver, where do they, or their fleet, get tires?

And introduction to a fleet foreman, "my friend needs tires for his old bus" and a telephone call, "hey, fix this guy up, he's a friend of one of my drivers"

Most folks with influence like this, like to share it.

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

[luvrbus]

What gets me with the DOT numbers is no DOT officer ever looks at the date on a tire,he just checks for tread depth and cuts.I ask myself all the time how did we know how old a tire was before the dating came on tire ? when did that start around 2000.Tires are junk now