This was posted in another forum and it is very good info.

http://videos.komando.com/2008/08/23/

 

i know ive seen that before, it may be a repost, but it is good for people to know

 

wow, that's really helpful.... and I think that's what explains what happened to my friend a few weeks back.

sheez

 

Sunlight/oxidation does the most damage to tires, so tires stored inside in a temperature controlled setting are good for years. But no manufacturer recommends using a tire over 10 years old under any circumstance or storage history. Rubber dries out with age it's not really a new concept.

The guy with the van still knowingly had those tires for 5 years and probably should have had them checked out before letting his son go on a long trip. Astro vans and most Chevy vans in general have a propensity for wearing out the shoulders of the front tires and exposing cords and the belt package in just a few years. Even a new tire with a slow leak will generate enough heat on a short trip at highway speeds to fail violently and with explosive force. So was it age, severe shoulder wear, or was it a puncture or a leaky valve stem that caused that tire to blow out? The news crew never asked about the vehicle owners culpability in this situation in regards to getting the tires inspected before a long trip.

 

/\/\ Thats good to know, thanks.

It's one more thing to worry about. I feel sorry for the father and I bet he blames himself everyday.

 

Well my tires never last a year.....

 

didn't he say they were still new?

I could be wrong, I watched the video late last night... I thought He said he bought them brand new not too long before the trip.

 

He did buy them brand new before going on the trip.

 

They were "new" but had sat for 6+ years on the shops shelf.
I've never heard that declared but yea it's reasonable that the rubber breaks down over time used or not. I did note how to read the codes and will use that for now on.

Good info.