Tire.. sorry, Tyre date code

[Baron von Del Boy]

Having not found a date code on the outside walls of my Goodyear tyres i just crawled under the back of my car and found this code on an inner tyre wall...
DOT - MJUT250487
Am i decoding this correctly?... Plant MJ / Size UT / Manufacturers code 250 / 48th week of a year ending in 7 in an unspecified decade (dumb!).
If that is correct then the 3 digit date code indicates its before the year 2000.. the year could therefore be either 1987 or 1997.. either way, not good!!
Please tell me ive got this all wrong and that they were new last year... or just tell me the truth if you really must.

 

[Oneball]

Is the “487” in its own box?

 

[Baron von Del Boy]

Is the “487” in its own box?

No, confusingly the whole thing is one long string of letters and numbers.

 

[Oneball]

Don’t think that’s the date code. Every date code I’ve seen is on its own.

 

[Baron von Del Boy]

This isnt mine but it looks like this...

 

[antijam]

Pre 2000 the last three digits of the DOT code represent the production week and year, the first two being the week and the last the year. So your 487 would show manufacture in the 48th week of 1987 or 1997 as you surmise.
Post 2000 the last four digits represent the production week and year, the first two being the week and the last two the year. If your tire was post 2000 the week would be 04 and the year 2087. Since we haven't yet reached 2087, I think your decoding is correct.

 

[Oneball]

This isnt mine but it looks like this...
View attachment 11079

Ill look at the ancient ones on mine!

 

[Baron von Del Boy]

How completely stupid it is that before 2000 they didnt specify the decade!
I really dont give a $#*+ which week you made them in.. tell me the frigging year Goodyear, you bunch of @#*%'s
I mean, they could even be 1977 but being a 1981 car lets hope not.

 

[Roscobbc]

Irrespective - if they are 2000 (or 2010) they are effectively out of date!

 

[Baron von Del Boy]

Irrespective - if they are 2000 (or 2010) they are effectively out of date!

This is true.
Edit: four new tyres ordered.

 

[Baron von Del Boy]

New tyres fitted locally (Bedford) this afternoon.
x4 General Grabber HP's 255/60/R15 (not the cheaper 225/70's) inc fitting, valves & balancing (with no weights on the outside rim) for £516.
Quite pleased with that. I could have got them by post for £391 which would have left £125 for fitting but is it worth the hassle... not really.
They had to work out how to jack it up with the sidepipes getting in the way and did a great job.

Are Grabbers any good?.. ive heard mixed opinions but bear in mind that these are 2021 Grabbers not 1971 Grabbers and ever since i was a teenager, white lettered Grabbers on Wolfrace slot mags were just the coolest tyres/wheels on the planet.. a set of them and a pair of Thrush sidepipes even made Transit vans sexy in the seventies (my local garage was occupied by Star Custom Vans until they moved to bigger premises).

 

[Roscobbc]

General Grabbers (well, 1971 Grabbers anyway) may well have been the coolest looking - unfortunately they wern't always the coolest sounding.........being 'pebble and shingle' magnets the cacophony of clicking and pinging from the 'captured' debris seemingly permanently embedded in the tread really irritated. And it was permanent - Grabbers seemed to have the same wear characteristics as more recent BFG's - like they never, even wear out.......

 

[antijam]

Lets have a piccie - share the cool!

 

[Nick B]

Yes, photo please.

 

[Baron von Del Boy]

General Grabbers (well, 1971 Grabbers anyway) may well have been the coolest looking - unfortunately they wern't always the coolest sounding.........being 'pebble and shingle' magnets the cacophony of clicking and pinging from the 'captured' debris seemingly permanently embedded in the tread really irritated. And it was permanent - Grabbers seemed to have the same wear characteristics as more recent BFG's - like they never, even wear out.......

Thats because the road had to wear out the pebbles before it could wear the tyres

 

[Baron von Del Boy]

Well, if you insist.. cars away in my garage now and i dont have a fish-eye lens.

 

[Letank]

New tyres fitted locally (Bedford) this afternoon.
x4 General Grabber HP's 255/60/R15 (not the cheaper 225/70's) inc fitting, valves & balancing (with no weights on the outside rim) for £516.
Quite pleased with that. I could have got them by post for £391

That’s a good price for 255/60R15 fittedWhere did you see them online for £391?

 

[Baron von Del Boy]

Where did you see them online for £391?

Holy Scammers Robin!.. it said x4 tyres (available).. its £391 EACH!!!!

 

[Baron von Del Boy]

What prompted me to check the date codes was on Sunday on a dual carriageway i pulled out to the overtaking lane to let people joining from a slip road merge (i was in a tight bunch of cars doing 65ish) and then needed to pass the line to get back in so i took it up to 80ish and the car started vibrating badly.
I took it out for a test drive today and you can bury the needle at its max of 85 (dont you dare go more than 30 over the US national limit of 1981) and keep accelerating and its as smooth as any rattily 40 year old Chevy, a complete transformation.
The old tyres had loads of tread depth left and besides some slight cracking at the depths of the tread they looked in good condition. Initially i planned on just getting them rebalanced but on checking the date codes i began to suspect there might be more to it.

 

[Mr. Cricket]

Yes think they were well due to be changed out given the damage that can be done if you get a blow out let alone the improved ride. When buying new tyres online make sure you have someone lined up that will mount them. I got two knock backs from 'mainstream' tyre shops before I found someone willing to mount them.