What is the DOT Code on a Tire Exactly

[Tom R.]

Re: What is the DOT Code on a Tire Exactly

My '71 a GoodYear RWL.

Hey Ken...is this tire original to the car? I'm interpreting this as the 23rd week of 1972.

[Tom R.]

Re: What is the DOT Code on a Tire Exactly

Kirk,

Below is a picture of the DOT marking on my 1968-70 original spare tire. I'm not exactly sure of the manufacture date, but it was after 1967 and before 1971, because of the nonstandard DOT number. If your tire does not have a DOT marking on it, it would have be manufactured prior to the mandate on 1/1/68.

Unless I'm missing something here, I would interpret the 147 as the 14th week of 1967...does that fit? This would be an early form of the TIN and of course the TIN is the 11 alphanumberic that Jack refers to without the plant, line, marketing info, etch.

[Tom R.]

Re: What is the DOT Code on a Tire Exactly

What about this part of the tire marking?

Nice image: 51st week of 1969. What type tire (manufacturer)

these are good examples of early forms of the "stencil plate" and included other manufacturing information.

[Steven B.]

Re: What is the DOT Code on a Tire Exactly

Check out my other post with pics titled "Does this tire look good as an original 67 spare?".

The tire is a Firestone Deluxe Champion with a 5/8" whitewall that I am trying to determine if is appropriate as a 1967 corvette original spare tire.

It definitely has a number embossed on it "000053AD". Hence my question/confusion on exactly what is a NON-DOT tire. This tire has a number embossed on it but does NOT have "DOT" anywhere on it. So, I have been trying to find out whether that means it was made after 1968, or whether it is possible that the number is a unique manufacturer's code from 1967. Any ideas?? Thoughts. Thanks.

Kirk

Kirk, I believe what you are asking is "If a tire has the numbers on it but not the letters D O T, is it still a DOT tire?" Correct?

[James G.]

Re: What is the DOT Code on a Tire Exactly

I POSTED THIS ON THE OTHER QUESTION YESTERDAY WHERE PICTURES WERE ALSO POSTED WITH THE QUESTION. KIRK, I THINK IT HAS BEEN ASKED ANS ANSWERED

Hi Kirk,
I was in the garage business from 1965 thru 1998. The first time I remember a DOT code was 1967-68 when Glass Belted tires came out. These were Letter type size tires like F70 X 15 etc. During these days, the tire plants were obligated to put the date of production and who made the tire in a coded box. It was a common practice in those days to buy a 'branded' tire at a service station (SHELL tires at Shell stations, ATLAS tires at Chevron stations, SEARS tire at their service center etc.)

Now Shell did not make tires. They (as the other companies ) bought their tires from Firestone, Goodyear, B.F. Goodrich etc. made to their specifications.

In the early days,1977, of Corvette vintage tire reproductions, same thing happened. Terry Michaelis (Pro Team today) had made the original Goldline and Redline 775x15 Goodyear Reproduction tire. We periodically see these tires today show up on NCRS Show cars and they score well. They are not 100% original, but they are closer than the B.F. Goodrich repos of the era. (B.F.G. never made a redline production 67 tire). And Goodyear made the tire from their original molds, but all had to have the date and factory stamp on them.

Tires made after 67 or 68 had to have a date code and tire plant code on its back sidewall, similar to the 00 OO53AG code shown in your photo. The code translates into 05=the 3rd week of the new year, and 3= the year 1973, and "AG"= the tire company in Mexico that made the tire.

See http://www.harriger.com/tire2.htm for more explanation.

As I remember, tires made in 1967 for production Corvettes did not have any stamp of numbers or mfg. like your tire has, because there was no law yet requiring such. I also remember the 1967 whitewall looks wider than your photo shows.

We need an old tire salesperson from back in the day to help here, as I am going only from my old memoray which today is CRS.....Can't remember S---.

[Kirk M.]

Re: What is the DOT Code on a Tire Exactly

Kirk, I believe what you are asking is "If a tire has the numbers on it but not the letters D O T, is it still a DOT tire?" Correct?

YES, Exactly!! My number is 000053AD and if I read it like Tom, then my tire is 5 day of 73, which makes no sense because I thought everything went DOT in 1971, which then means my numbers don't mean the same thing that Tom's interpretation suggests, and HENCE YOU HAVE MY FREEKIN' PROBLEM!!!!! Is this a 67 tire.

Does anyone know if Firestone made Champion Deluxe in 73 with a 5/8" ww??

[Kirk M.]

Re: What is the DOT Code on a Tire Exactly

The judging guide says no "DOT numbers" should be on an original 67 tire.

[Larry M.]

Re: What is the DOT Code on a Tire Exactly

YES, Exactly!! My number is 000053AD and if I read it like Tom, then my tire is 5 day of 73, which makes no sense because I thought everything went DOT in 1971, which then means my numbers don't mean the same thing that Tom's interpretation suggests, and HENCE YOU HAVE MY FREEKIN' PROBLEM!!!!! Is this a 67 tire.

Does anyone know if Firestone made Champion Deluxe in 73 with a 5/8" ww??

Kirk:

In support of my earlier reply regarding your tire being a correct non-DOT tire: I have a 1967 Corvette with an old Firestone Deluxe Champion whitewall in the carrier. This is not the original factory tire, but it is very old. It is Rayon cord 2-ply construction. It has the embossed numbers/letters of "000538PC" and IS ALSO CLEARLY MARKED "DOT 147" and "Load Range B".

Since the DOT identification went into effect around late 1967 to early 1968, and since the standardized DOT identification went to 11 letters/numbers in 1971, my tire has got to have been built between late 1967 and 1971.

Your tire has a similar eight digit code and NO DOT marking. I would therefore conclude that it was built prior to mid/late 1967.

Larry

[Brad M.]

Re: What is the DOT Code on a Tire Exactly

Terry, that picture looks familiar.

Tom Russo - If that pic is from the tire that I think it is, it is a Firestone wide oval, I think of the white stripe variety.

[Terry M.]

Re: What is the DOT Code on a Tire Exactly

I delayed responding to questions about the image I posted because I wanted to look at the tire -- but since you guys are going off about it.....

It is a red stripe Firestone number-size tire -- NOT a letter designated tire. It is a tire for a mid-year. It is NOT one I have posted before. The car it came from was never judged, so I doubt you have seen this tire before.

It was NOT made after the first Quarter of 1971, so the last three numbers have nothing to do with a date -- I think. As far as I know, no one knows the pre-1971 codes other than the Goodyear codes, which contrary to one of the posts above, HAVE been published. That was the point of the DOT mandate -- to make the date of tire manufacture available to everyone.

BTW: Since Kirk's question relates to a 1967 the judges who comment ought to be those who judge that year. As most of you well know -- That ain't me.

[Brad M.]

Re: What is the DOT Code on a Tire Exactly

i thought it was this one. It has the same code and also has a sears wheel weight.

Must be just a coincidence

[John H.]

Re: What is the DOT Code on a Tire Exactly

The judging guide says no "DOT numbers" should be on an original 67 tire.

That's correct - however, it doesn't say there shouldn't be ANY numbers molded into the tire. The photo you posted is of a non-DOT tire made prior to 1968, and it has the tire manufacturer's proprietary code on it for traceability. If it was made between 1968 and early 1971, it would have "DOT" molded into the tire adjacent to the code string, and if it was made after May, 1971, it would have the DOT-mandated standardized 11-digit code string.

[Kirk M.]

Re: What is the DOT Code on a Tire Exactly

John,

Thank you again. That is the answer I was looking for. So, the tire is correct and good and I can stop looking. Great. Another item I can click off the list. Thanks, all.

Kirk