Running older tires ?

A guy on my local off-road forum is selling some older style BFG-MTs for a pretty decent price. A set of 5 matching with 14-15/32 tread depth.

My only issue is that the tires date from 05-07. I haven't seen the tires in person to see if there's any weather checking and what not.

How safe would it be to run older tires at freeway speeds if there isn't any noticeable weather checking?

5 years isnt that bad. most tires are a 5-7 year lifespan. that said i would have no problem running them. remember too that many tires bought new at a tire shop may have allready been a year or two old. you may think you have new tires, but dont. just check the over all condition, and find out how they have been stored. on a vehicle? in the sun? were they rolled around every once in a while? tires do not like to sit. the bands need to strech out every now and then.

If they pass a visual check, I would run em. That being said, when I went from 32" to 33", I got a set of 33ATs from a buddy. They came off his bronco, and were nearly 10 years old by the time I got them. Never had a problem with them, other than the compound had become harder. They lasted forever on the street, but weren't grippy in the rocks as a new tire would be. They were good to me for 4+ years before they were done. Sold em as a set of rollers on CL for 100.

If the price is right, go for it!

07 is pushing it but you should be fine. I have had to many dry rot blow outs on work trucks, and trailers the past few months. Just make sure you inflate them properly, because that is what will cause them to fail the fastest.

My tires are late 03/early 04. No dry rotting, no obvious weathering at all (they apparently spent several years indoors; much better shape than the tires they replaced, which were several years newer), run em on the highway and interstate all the time.

I'm more concerned with how the tire looks and feels, than how old it is.

usually I find the traction on the tires goes away long before they start looking bad (weather checking on the sidewalls, cracks in the tread, etc.) but then again I usually drive nazi slot cars and I've been told that I have a light switch for a throttle foot... not that I'm a bad driver but apparently I drive more "assertively" than many... when the tires start feeling "greasy" or I find myself chirping them in normal driving, it's time to replace them. But unfortunately I buy good tires for my own vehicles and get shite tires on my company car, and it's usually the company car that I feel like I have problems with the tires...

Sad thing is I have a set of near new Michelin LTX AT2s in 235/75R15 on my F*rd pickup which I hate and want to sell, but it'd probably be cost prohibitive to have them swapped onto the heep and then get some used tires for the F*rd (I don't think I could use the tires on the heep now, not enough load rating. And of course the bolt patterns on the wheels are different so I can't just go that route...)

In any case I find that the best way to evaluate the condition of the tires is just to drive them. And of course keep a close eye on them for any signs of tread separation etc. when you're running tires that you know are old. Any new vibe etc. is cause for inspecting the tires, don't want to throw a gator at an inopportune moment.