How old is this Michelin tire?

[U5512]

I purchased my 2002 Torch Red from original owner with 19K miles on the clock. The car still has original Michelin Pilot tires on them by looking at the manufacturing date code. Three of the four Michelin tires were manufactured between the 2nd and third week of 2002, but the fourth tire has a manufacturing date code of "OOJX". Does anyone know what week and year "OOJX" is???? No worries, I just bought 4 brand new tires for my Thunderbird, and I am in the process of replacing these old Michelin tires.

[11TH GEN]

00JX is a model designation only and not a date code. Date codes are only required to be on one side of the tire. It is probably on the other side.

[hippy_mailman]

check other side of tire maybe

[4LOWBIRDS+7]

Those three tires were built the second week of 2002, you have not found the code for the other.

[Quickdraw]

The third set of four digits after the DOT, like in the first photo (0302), means it was made the third week of 2002, second photo (0202) means it was made the second week of 2002.

https://www.tires-easy.com/blog/tire-dot-date-code/

[11TH GEN]

Three of the four Michelin tires were manufactured between the 2nd and third week of 2002, but the fourth tire has a manufacturing date code of "OOJX". Does anyone know what week and year "OOJX" is????

[U5512]

00JX is a model designation only and not a date code. Date codes are only required to be on one side of the tire. It is probably on the other side.

check other side of tire maybe

[Gobird]

Don't forget to replace your spar tire also. It's probably the orginal.

[hippy_mailman]

Originally posted by 11TH GEN View Post
00JX is a model designation only and not a date code. Date codes are only required to be on one side of the tire. It is probably on the other side.




Originally posted by hippy_mailman View Post
check other side of tire maybe

great minds think alike--check the time of the posts

[Vantbird]

How many years is the spare good for?

[Birdlover]

How many years is the spare good for?

Others can correct me if wrong, but I seem to recall original spares in 2002's started exploding in the trunk when ten or eleven years old. 2003 - 2005 are a different maker but there have been reports here some of them exploding also. Not all spares 10+ years old have exploded. Bear in mind those that exploded are tires that have not been out of the trunk. I replaced spares in both my Birds when they were ten years old.

[007Cruiser]

The spare for my big bird has stayed in the trunk since 1974. No explosions yet.

[Vantbird]

Others can correct me if wrong, but I seem to recall original spares in 2002's started exploding in the trunk when ten or eleven years old. 2003 - 2005 are a different maker but there have been reports here some of them exploding also. Not all spares 10+ years old have exploded. Bear in mind those that exploded are tires that have not been out of the trunk. I replaced spares in both my Birds when they were ten years old.

Thanks for the tip

[U5512]

Don't forget to replace your spar tire also. It's probably the orginal.

It is original. I deflated it to prevent the explosion I've read on here. I will need to replace it soon.

[Birdlover]

The spare for my big bird has stayed in the trunk since 1974. No explosions yet.

You're talking a different era. Your spare is probably a full size tire with 30 lbs more or less, unlike our retros with 60 pounds.