Tyre storage and shelf life.
 

I have 4 track day tyres (Hankook Z214) in the shed. They are mounted on rims, inflated and lying on their sides. They are unused but I'm guessing they might be 2 years old.


What sort of shelf life/ best before date do tyres have?


Ta.

The general advise for in-use regular passenger tires that are being driven on the street is that 10 years is the absolute max , but you should replace or inspect thoroughly after 5-6 years.

Track tires can be a little more sensitive, because they are made from compounds that are focused on grip instead of a long life. But tire sellers often store tires for a year or two before they are sold, so what's important to check is when the tires were made. The sidewall has a 4 digit DOT code that will tell you this. First two digits are week of the year, second two digits are the year. So if the tires were made in the 31st week of 2016, the code will read 3116. If that was more than 5 years ago, then you would have to be a little more careful.

As long as they haven't been exposed to extreme temps (extended below 40F or direct sunlight) they should be okay as long as they pass a visual inspection. Maybe grip levels will be less then when they were new.