[chiphead]

Depends on a lot of factors. Cheap walmart tires in Arizona, 3-4 years tops. Michelins in a mild climate and maintained well, likely 8 years if they don't wear out first. Usually I wear out a set of tires in 3-5 years.

I bought a set of Nexens for my 2004 Silverado.. After about 2 years I parked it with 20K on the tires. It sat for a year with light use, then my cousin borrowed the truck for 6 months when his car died. After 2 months of commuting, every tire shifted belts. All 4 had wires poking out of the sidewall! Letting tires sit seems to be really bad for them, especially cheaper brands. The truck previously had worn out multiple sets of Michelins, at about 60-80K miles a set. These Nexens didn't last 25K with easy use.

Even a garage queen should get tires every 10 years. My 54 Bel Air project is sitting on a set of 21 year old cheap tires, with very little mileage and been out of the sun. They hold air and are good for moving the car around. But the sidewall cracks are easy to see, and I wouldn't trust them over 20 mph. When that one gets restored, it's getting new tires.

10 year old tires that sat for 3 years? I'd only run them... on a kid's tire swing! I find that kids don't want a tire swing if the steel belts are poking them.