Will I find tires on late 80s/early 90s town sets to have broken down materials-wise?

[LegoVA]

I have read a few threads about this subject but it is still unclear to me whether problems with tires apply to all vintage sets or only late 90s/early 00s sets when a change to tire quality was instituted by Lego.

I have a sealed set from the late 80s and am wondering if I am going to find the tires to have broken down into a gooey mess or something when I open it.  Assuming the set was stored as best possible over time.    Are tires with problems due to age still playable?

Edited June 29, 2022 by LegoVA

[Toastie]

47 minutes ago, LegoVA said:

I have a sealed set from the late 80s and am wondering if I am going to find the tires to have broken down into a gooey mess or something when I open it.

Well, open it, have a look and report - if you see fit - here.

I have tons of degrading tires from "all over the time" spanning 5 decades. The thing though is, there is not a gooey mess, there is surface "liquification". It is much less the late 1980's; it is much more so the 2000's and on. You can wipe that goo off, securely play with the sets, but degradation will continue. It is the fate of everything artificially made "soft" - for grip or whatever. Such things are made for the grip, but not for lasting forever - even not for so long.

Best,
Thorsten

[dr_spock]

The tire goo could affect other parts in contact with it. . 

[MAB]

Maybe yes, maybe no. Schrodinger's tyres. You don't know until you open the box.

[Toastie]

1 hour ago, MAB said:

Maybe yes, maybe no. Schrodinger's tyres. You don't know until you open the box.

Nice one!!!

Spoiler

 

"and have a look" - opening the box is the first step of the experiment, the second is looking (and/or feeling), that very moment, they become real tyres. If you open the box and you don't look, they are still Schrödinger tyres. I mean, that would be cool as well: Somebody - a LEGO enthusiast - visits your place. You show her or him the box - open lid facing away from both of you. He readily identifies the set as #6357 - which currently sells for $140 - $650 on BL, provided it is sealed and in perfect condition. And says: You broke the seal! Now it is worth much, much less!!! Your answer: Oh no no no my friend. This set is worth so much more! The engine as well as the trailer have 6 Schrödinger wheels each - priceless. I may sell the set as is - but you surely can't afford it.

 

Best wishes,
Thorsten 

[Peppermint_M]

I have plenty of tyres from across the eras and all of them are in decent condition, however these are all played with.

[TeriXeri]

Most of my experience from 70s-2000 Black tyres have been fine, the axles or axle holders usually suffered more from play.

I don't have experience with 2001-2015 products.

2016-2022 sets I have not seen anything weird yet.

For Storage, temperature/humidity likely is the biggest factor.

 

 

 

Edited June 30, 2022 by TeriXeri

[MAB]

I've got late 60s soft rubber tyres like these ...

nearly all are dried out, hard rubber.

 

And 100s of these from 1970s ...

all in decent condition.

 

[mvLego]

Here's a question that's hopefully related enough to ask here: I'm approaching the cleaning part of my childhood Lego sort (90s) and I have much more tires than I ever would have thought. Does anyone have any tips on cleaning them? (And they very much need to be cleaned.) I imagine the classic Dawn dish soap method is not the best tactic.

[CP5670]

The tires don't really degrade, but leave a slimy residue on other parts in the bags them come in. I've seen it on tires from roughly 1995 or 2010 or so. You can remove this stuff using alcohol.

Some 1980s tires are made of a different material and are harder and not slimy, but eat into baseplates if left on them for a long time, just like in that picture above. I've seen that happen on a few sets, but not all of them.

[TechnicRCRacer]

I had a case of slimy tires in a 1998 set. It seems 90s and early 00s sets are prone to degrading tires. I was able to remove the sliminess almost completely (at least temporarily) with undu (basically lighter fluid). Not slimy anymore, but can't attest to the longevity of the restored tires.

[Toastie]

Tyres ...

These are my tyre boxes (I am not into cars )

Almost all (I'd say 90%) are in "good surface condition" - 100% of those feeling like "real rubber" tyres (left box). The small pre-1990 tyres not shown here, in another box are good as well.

These are the bad ones - from the years 1998 - 2005 (Mindstorms sets, RIS and RDS, and some truck - was it a crane?)

Yes, one can use alcohol and the like to get the liquid type layer off - however, after a few years with the same result as above. Also these don't feel rubber'ish they are more plastic like ...

Best,
Thorsten