10/20/2019 / By Grace Olson
Maintaining a bug-out vehicle is a must for any smart prepper. This includes keeping the gas tank close to full, buying spare parts, and tune-ups. However, it’s easy to overlook the importance of keeping your tires in tiptop shape. When disaster strikes, you might have to go unto the open road, and you wouldn’t want your tires to give up on you while you’re evacuating. Read on to find out more about the shelf life of car tires and how to maintain them. (h/t to UKSurvivalGuides.com)
In general, tires can last for up to 10 years if they are stored properly. For tires that are used on the road, they can be used for up to six years. People in the business call this the six or 10 rule.
However, there are many factors that affect the shelf life of tires. In fact, they can differ from one driver to another even if the tires were manufactured on the same day. Some of these factors include:
To know when your tires were manufactured, check their sidewall. Among the letters and numbers you will see, find the DOT code.
When the tires meet the necessary safety requirements, the U.S. Department of Transportation issues it a DOT code. The DOT code starts with the prefix “DOT.” This signals that the following numbers and letters refer to the manufacturer and manufacturing date. The four numbers refer to the latter.
Tires manufactured in the 20th century have four numbers in the DOT code. The first two numbers refer to the week of the year. Meanwhile, the last two numbers refer to the year it was made. For example, a tire with a 2302 DOT code was manufactured in the 23rd week of year 2002.
There are many kinds of tires, but for preppers, the best kind for your bug-out vehicle is all-terrain tires. These tires are designed to work in any kind of road surface aside from extremely muddy ones. Despite their functionality, they won’t be able to perform well without proper maintenance. Here are some tips to ensure that your tires are in tiptop shape:
When SHTF, your bug-out vehicle is not only your means of mobility, but also your temporary shelter. Maintaining its tires is a must to ensure that it’s in prime condition, especially when you need it most.
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Tagged Under: all-terrain tires, bug out, bugout car, bugout vehicle, car maintenance, car tires, evacuation, how-to, off grid, preparedness, prepper, prepping, safety, survival, survivalist, tire maintenance, tire shelf life, tread depth, vehicles
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