Today is a sad day...

[Lenny]

I've just removed and thrown away two of the original Michelins off my Xantia.

After 14 and a half years and 80000 miles of stirling service they've finally been consigned to the scrap heap.

I feel bad mercilessly throwing away tyres with 3 to 4mm still on them but the cracks in the sidewalls were starting to concern me.
Does anybody dare me to send them back to Michelin and try for a warranty claim or shall I perhaps keep them for the next time The Antiques Roadshow comes to town?

[spider]

Rears I assume ?

Yes the sidewall cracks can be alarming. Did you check the date codes for when they were produced ?

[CitroJim]

Lenny, it's something I do with regularity sadly. I never wear out tyres and have to replace them because they're perished and cracked...

It must say something about both how many miles I do and how I drive

In any case, any tyre over five years old should be replaced regardless of apparent condition. A recommendation I first became aware of when I was a caravanner.

[Lenny]

Did you check the date codes for when they were produced?

I did indeed. They both had 248< on them. So week 24 of 1998 I believe (car was registered December '98).
They had lived on the rear for most of their life I presume, but I swapped them to the front when I bought the car to move the mismatched pair of Ching-chong kamikaze specials to the rear.
With hindsight I couldn't be sure which layout was most death defying.

Binned the lot now, including the crusty spare, and bunged on a new set of Goodyear Efficient Grip (chosen purely because they're apparently the quietest thing in this size).

I never wear out tyres and have to replace them because they're perished and cracked...

You should've seen the ones I took off the back of the 2cv a couple of years back. They'd kept it's posterior off the ground for 23 years according to the date codes. Proper value for money.

[Mandrake]

In any case, any tyre over five years old should be replaced regardless of apparent condition. A recommendation I first became aware of when I was a caravanner.

Agreed, although the figure I've often seen bandied around is about 7 years, of course its going to vary depending on the UV exposure, quality of the rubber etc.

It's particularly a problem in NZ where UV levels in the summer are some of the highest in the world (summer ozone hole combined with extremely low levels of smog and pollution) and a 7 year old tire is typically perished well beyond safe use, with severe cracking.

14 year old tires is really asking for trouble regardless of tread depth though Lenny! It's a real safety risk, I'm glad that it worked out ok for you this time, but I wouldn't recommend taking the risk again...