[fyrffytr1]

I had this tire as a spare for show only but decided to replace it with the same one I am running on the car; BFG Radial T/A 225/70/R14.
Now I would like to know how old this tire is but, I can't make heads nor tails of the DOT code. Can anyone help me?

[The Boss]

I'm stumped.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...141105125821:s

[John V.]

UT checks out as Cooper Tire manufacturing plant in Texarkana, Ark.

HY is the size code, checks out as P215/70 14. Goodyear was the tire co. that made the original request for a code for that tire size, not that who originally requested it means much.

CU9 tells Cooper what specific brand/model tire it is. This code is not DOT required, it is optionally assigned by the tire manufacturer and only meaningful to them.

332 is the Date Code.

During 2000, the Date Code became 4 digit. Some tires as early as 1999 used 4 digit.

Prior to 1999, the Date Code was 3 digit and there is no way to identify the decade.

Yours is a 3 digit Date Code so obviously pre-'99.

So your Date Code indicates 33rd week of 1972, 1982, or 1992 but cannot be 2002 because it is not a 4 digit Date Code.

Cooper got the trademark for the Cooper Lifeliner Classic in 1988, first use claimed in 1987. So that pretty well establishes that the tire code means 1992 in this case.

I'm no expert, got the decode here:

http://www.barrystiretech.com/dotcoding.html

[fyrffytr1]

John,
You are correct. I contacted Cooper and they told me the same thing, 33rd week of 1992.
Now to see if anyone at the Moultrie swap meet has any use for it.