Old tires safe to run?

I think the date code on my old KO2s is "1817", which I think should be the 18th week of 2017.

They've been stored in my garage upright, would these be safe (or safe-ish) to run, especially mainly for commuting?

 

I mean per the recommendation. They are right on the leading edge that would say they should be replaced. If they do not show signs of cracking or dry rot having been stored inside. They are probably fine. I would air one down and see how stiff the sidewall is if they do not show cracking. If it feels pretty soft you are probably okay to run for a season or two. Might not want to go on a long road trip at highway speed in hot weather.
Keep in mind that 20-30 years ago if it held air we ran it! LOL...

 

5 years is my personal cutoff, but chose your own adventure. I'm sure you could get a year or two out of them if they're not cracked. But tires over time harden and there will be things to keep in mind. Longer stopping distances and less traction in slippery situations etc etc.

 

I'm a 7-year guy when it comes to tires. That's the earliest I've had flaws start showing up. Surface cracks all of the tire is pretty easy to distinguish. But I once and a BFG radial (at about 7 years) develop a huge wart on the tread, big enough it caused the car to be pretty much undrivable. Luckily failed within a mile of my driveway, so I was able to limp it home. I assume one or more bands broke.

 

I would have no issues driving on them, assuming tread is sufficient and there is no visible cracking.

 

Yeah I agree....just keep an eye on them, and make sure they seem to feel good while driving.

My "snow" tires are pretty old...maybe 18/19....but they look pristine, and are always stored well.

 

Assuming you need new tires, money is a little tight, and cause you already own these I would use them but only for local commuting trips around town. If you can afford $1000 I would get 4 brand new tires and not worry about a blewout on the interstate. If you use the old tires I would - A) not drive them over 70mph, B) not go on road trips with them, C) not go off road with them, D) MAKE SURE THE SPARE TIRE IS GOOD AND READY FOR USE, E) Only expect them to last max 2-3 years.
I ran "new old stock" free tires in this same situation for about 4 years cause my commute was only 5 miles and didn't drive the truck out of town much, I recently did get 4 new tires cause my new job came with a 30 mile commute on the interstate, I never had a problem and maybe could have gone another 2 or 3 years but felt the risk due to age and starting to dry rot was to great with driving about 45 miles at 70MPH everyday.

 

I was shopping tires for my wife's 4Runner back in the day. I always looked for deals and would pride myself on never paying full price for tires. Well, my son was about a year old and I look over and see those big blue eyes staring back at me and that is the first time I paid over $1,000 for a set of tires. Sometimes it's more about mitigating risk and peace of mind.