Tire date code ?

Sportzfann

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 30, 2021
Messages
129
Location
Milwaukie Or.
I have just returned from a 3800 mi. trip, and had a tire failure in the first hour!
My TPS system saved us from a much greater problem by warning of the tire loosing air.
The TST monitor was money well spent. I would have kept driving without knowing the tire was going to come apart until it caused much more damage.
I had the failed tire replaced at a nearby shop with a same size but different brand, and continued our trip. It looked like the inside of the tire was separating and causing multiple small leaks. Which brings me to the question about the other tires that are on the trailer, but I can’t make out the date code on the tire, maybe one of you can tell me the age of the tire?

By the way I plan to replace all of them, and that brings another question about which tires to buy LT or ST 235/80R/16. 2018 303RLS 12,000 GVW. Thanks,
 

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That isn't the date code. Date code will be 4 numbers in a circle. The first two are the week, and the last two are the year.

Replacing those is an excellent idea, and the sooner the better. You're likely stuck with ST tires, but best weigh your trailer so you know what you need. LT tires would likely carry the load, but I don't think you'd have much leeway. 4 LT tires would carry about 12,000 lbs.
 
I stopped at a roadside scale the trailer was 10,050 connected to the truck, with 1/2 tank fresh water, 30 gals, with the pin weight added 2650lbs.,
I believe I’m at 12,750 lbs.
I recently added 3500 springs and Morryde shackles and equalizers, the trailer had 7000lb axles already installed when I bought it.
The tires currently are 3860lbs. Ea. @ 15440 lbs.
think I have enough capacity, With the ST tires, but wanted to look at
LT tire options, I just wanted a durable tire without the ST issues that seem to come up.

I found the date code on the backside of the tire 01/21
Thanks,
 

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I had a similar experience regarding the TST Monitor. I had been on the fence for some time regarding buying it but I also worry about the tire pressure when we are traveling. We were 15 miles into a 700 mile trip (one way) to the beach in early September. about 3 miles before getting on I-75 the monitor went off. This was the first trip with it. It was correct, we had a tire loosing air (leaking around valve stem, apparently the rubber isn't any good in them anymore, lifespan is only a couple of years on the high pressure ones, I have solid brass stems now).Needless to say, I won't go without the monitor again. My trailer has 235/80 16 as well, a good friend of mine that handles a lot of tires suggested that when I change out the tires to go a little narrower, he said that the rims GD put on the camper where really too narrow for a tire with that width. if you look at it, the tire is rounded across the tread when inflated, not flat across. This is another indicator of the tire being a little too wide for the rim. Below is how the stems turned out that he installed for me. He had to turn down the outside diameter of them a couple thousandths to get them to fit properly into the Lionshead rim. Yes, he's that good.
 

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I stopped at a roadside scale the trailer was 10,050 connected to the truck, with 1/2 tank fresh water, 30 gals, with the pin weight added 2650lbs.,
I believe I’m at 12,750 lbs.
I recently added 3500 springs and Morryde shackles and equalizers, the trailer had 7000lb axles already installed when I bought it.
The tires currently are 3860lbs. Ea. @ 15440 lbs.
think I have enough capacity, With the ST tires, but wanted to look at
LT tire options, I just wanted a durable tire without the ST issues that seem to come up.

I found the date code on the backside of the tire 01/21
Thanks,
There is NOTHING in that picture that shows the date code.......keep looking.
This is an example of a date code on a tire.....an oblong circle with 4 numbers inside the circle. The first two numbers represent the week of the year, and the last two numbers represent the year...
Screenshot 2024-10-02 224939.jpg
In this case, the tire was made during the fortieth week of 2022.....or just '22 That would put it about mid October of that year.
 
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The problem with LT, okay one of the problems, is they are rated for a little over 3,000 lbs. So unless you are perfectly balanced you could pretty easily overload an LT tire. There are some decent ST tires out there, so I've been told, you just have to do some searching. I've heard the new Carlisle are pretty good, but cannot personally attest to that.

Putting on the 3,500 lb. rated springs was a good idea, IMO anyway.
I had a similar experience regarding the TST Monitor. I had been on the fence for some time regarding buying it but I also worry about the tire pressure when we are traveling. We were 15 miles into a 700 mile trip (one way) to the beach in early September. about 3 miles before getting on I-75 the monitor went off. This was the first trip with it. It was correct, we had a tire loosing air (leaking around valve stem, apparently the rubber isn't any good in them anymore, lifespan is only a couple of years on the high pressure ones, I have solid brass stems now).Needless to say, I won't go without the monitor again. My trailer has 235/80 16 as well, a good friend of mine that handles a lot of tires suggested that when I change out the tires to go a little narrower, he said that the rims GD put on the camper where really too narrow for a tire with that width. if you look at it, the tire is rounded across the tread when inflated, not flat across. This is another indicator of the tire being a little too wide for the rim. Below is how the stems turned out that he installed for me. He had to turn down the outside diameter of them a couple thousandths to get them to fit properly into the Lionshead rim. Yes, he's that good.
From my experience, "E" series ST tires in 16" size will display a rounded tread. I don't think it has anything to do with the wheel being too narrow for the tire size. Personally I think it's just the nature of the beast. My "G" rated Sailun ST tires, show no rounded tread. They are flat across the tread, which is what a tire should look like. IMO anyway.
 
The problem with LT, okay one of the problems, is they are rated for a little over 3,000 lbs. So unless you are perfectly balanced you could pretty easily overload an LT tire. There are some decent ST tires out there, so I've been told, you just have to do some searching. I've heard the new Carlisle are pretty good, but cannot personally attest to that.

Putting on the 3,500 lb. rated springs was a good idea, IMO anyway.

From my experience, "E" series ST tires in 16" size will display a rounded tread. I don't think it has anything to do with the wheel being too narrow for the tire size. Personally I think it's just the nature of the beast. My "G" rated Sailun ST tires, show no rounded tread. They are flat across the tread, which is what a tire should look like. IMO anyway.
Well, a 14 ply rated tire is different animal than a 10 ply rated. But, I have the same size and rated tires on my cattle trailer, the tread on it isn't rounded. The difference? Width of the rim.
 
There is NOTHING in that picture that shows the date code.......keep looking.
This is an example of a date code on a tire.....an oblong circle with 4 numbers inside the circle. The first two numbers represent the week of the year, and the last two numbers represent the year...View attachment 111136 In this case, the tire was made during the fortieth week of 2022.....or just '22 That would put it about mid October of that year.
I’m thinking this is the date code ?
This was on the backside of the tire. First photo 01/21
second photo was one of the other tires I changed out due to the flat spot I discovered. Thanks,
I will be changing them out regardless,I had some unusual wear on the one tire and didn’t feel comfortable running this tire,
 

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It can't be seen in the pic you posted above, only partially, but if that number sequence starts out with "DOT", then yes, that is your date code for that tire.
 
that odd wear is from axles out of alignment or not square to frame, maybe bent. Odd wear pattern is generally an issues with those things and not the tire alone
 
I’m thinking this is the date code ?
This was on the backside of the tire. First photo 01/21
second photo was one of the other tires I changed out due to the flat spot I discovered. Thanks,
I will be changing them out regardless,I had some unusual wear on the one tire and didn’t feel comfortable running this tire,
That is not the manufacturing date. As was noted in another post with a picture. BTW, the date code is on both sides of the tire. Your tire wear is probably axle alignment related.
Rich
 
That is not the manufacturing date. As was noted in another post with a picture. BTW, the date code is on both sides of the tire. Your tire wear is probably axle alignment related.
Rich
Not in all cases....some manufacturers only place the date code on one side of the tire.
 
0121 could very well be the date code. Manufactured 1st week of 2021. Note "All tires produced after September 2009 must have the full TIN on the intended outboard side of the tire and at least a partial TIN on the intended inboard side. The partial TIN does not include the date code. You’ll find your DOT and TIN on the tire sidewall, looking something like DOT-MA-L9-ABCD-0319 ..." Not all have dashes and tires are not necessarily mounted with the 'outboard' side facing out.
"The TIN groups together important information about your tire's manufacturing.

Group One: 2-3 characters representing the factory code for where the tire was made.

Group Two: a 2-character code that tells you the tire size.

Group Three: up to 4 characters that show the tire type and manufacturer's code.

Group Four: 4 numbers referring to the week and year the tire was made."

From Complete List of Tire DOT Plant Codes - With All Old and New Plant Codes
1ADSHANDONG YONGFENG TYRES CO., LTD.LINYI CITY, SHANDONG PROVINCECHINA

Incidentally, the plant code on my Coopers is 1CR which ironically is the same plant that manufactured my Westlake spare.
QINGDAO GE RUI DA RUBBER CO. (GRT)Qingdao City, SHANDONGCHINA
 
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