Tired Tire

The 14 year old TOYO 195 R14C (8 ply) tire

One of the rear tires of the van gave out during a trip to the in-laws. Fortunately it didn't go out while the van was at highway speeds. Rather, its outer wall swelled slowly, then tore and slowly leaked air out while the vehicle was at rest. When the vehicle started moving, I felt a little wobble coming from the rear prompting me to pull over and check it out. It was the rear tire indeed. Both rear tires were bought back in 2001. It's been in service since then. The thread was actually still quite thick but the rubber in the walls were noticeable getting a little brittle.

It may have been a puncture somewhere that compromised the wall's integrity or it wasn't designed for rocky, gravel-laid roads leading to the in-laws from the highway, or the more obvious of reasons, it expired a decade ago!  Yes, I learned that a five year old tire running trips daily amounting to at least 20,000 kilometers would already be considered "expired" or past its peak performance. It will have reduced grip on wet or dry roads and are prone to fail when used where thy're not designed for. I guess I'm guilty on all counts.

Whatever the case, it's kaput now. Fortunately, the spare, though the same age as the one that blew out, was in fit enough condition to get us home. Since the damage was extensive, the tire could no longer be patched up. The only recourse is to buy a new one. Considering there are two tires of the same age (and two  6 year old ones) still holding the van up, is not a fact that inspires confidence. I plan to buy one tire to replace the blown one, and plan to save enough to be able to buy a set of four new ones when budget would allow. The one new tire in the bunch now will then be delegated as a spare.