1. Home
  2. Lexus Automobiles
  3. Advise on replacing tires

Advise on replacing tires

My 1999 Lexus RX300 has approx 120,000 km (75,000 miles). It has Bridgestone Dueler H/T all season tires. I believe that they are the original tires (?) Recently, during a bad freezing rain day, my car skids over 10 ft distance when I tried to stop at an intersection. Mind you, this happened to be a bad day with over 200 bumper accidents on the same day all over the town. This is in the canadian central region when temperature can dip to -40F (or -40C), and there can be lots of snow in the winter. We usually drive in the city, not much highway driving. We also do not use the car very much ( I commute using a public transportation most of the time). Perhaps we drove about 7500 miles (1200 km) per year. I do not plan to have regular and winter tires (too much work to change every year). However, I like to feel secure when driving, particularly in the winter time (therefore the

4WD SUV instead of regular car).I have questions about replacing the tires:

- What is the general life expectancy of all season tires? Is 75,000 miles common, or is it time to change the tires? The last time we serviced the car, the Lexus dealership told me that the tires are still OK. I assume that they checked the tread thickness when they rotate the tires.

- What is the best performance brand and model for all season tires that grips the road well in icy winter conditions? Is Bridgestone Dueler H/T the best?

- How much does it cost approximately for replacing the 4 tires?

- Should I stick to the Bridgestone Dueler H/T?

- Could brand tire name be mixed among the four wheels?

- Does a certain brand and model car fit better for a certain brand and type of tires?

- Could you just change 1 or 2 tires at a time, or should you replace all 4. I think we plan to keep the car for a couple more years. So far the car has been great and it is still working flawlessly.

- What other brand tires that also fit best for the 1999 RX300? Michelin cross track? Yokohama Geolander? Any comments will be appreciated. Thanks

Reply to
aniramca
Loading thread data ...

wow, and you're on 75,000 mile, 10 year old tires?

The *tread* may be within specs, but the rubber is all gone to hell by now.

And besides the 10 years, 75K is pushing ANY tire--even if that's on two year old tires.

There is only one: Nokian WR. Those tires absolutely ROCK. If you're not going to get dedicated winter tires, get Nokian WR.

Reply to
Elmo P. Shagnasty

Not likely -- you should be lucky to get 1/2 of this on the OE tires.

Traction and braking ability are very temperature dependent. With cold (less than 0 F or -20C), you really need "real winter" tires -- the compound on summer and even 'all season' tires is just too hard and inflexible to give gfood traction at these temperatures).

I really doubt that mileage claim.

No, don't mix tires. The same brand/style should be on all four wheels.

Change all four. If you only do two, and you have front wheel drive, the car will oversteer to a danmgerous extent when it gets slippery & cold. If rear wheel drive, you will understeer and plow straight through a slippery corner.

For winter tires, it has been hard to beat the Bridgestone Blizzak WS50s, although these have now been replaced with the newer WS60 (?) model. When moving to a winter tire, it is best to reduce the tire width by one grade, and increase the sidewall ratio, to maintain the same tire circumference and correct speedometer/odometer readings. E.G. 225/17/R50 >> 215/17/R55/.

Reply to
Jay Somerset

The average life expectancy of all season tires is around 40,000 to 60,000 miles. Tires with a higher treadwear rating will generally last longer, tires with a lower treadwear rating (under 300) will generally have a shorter life. Tires deteriorate even without wearing, so they should be replaced every 10 years whether or not the tread is worn down.

Check tirerack.com for tire ratings.

Including mounting, balancing, old tire disposal fees, etc., expect to spend ssomwhere between U.S. $700 and $1000 for decent tires, depending on the tire size and quality.

If you are happy with their performance before they wore down, yes.

Yes, but the vehicle will not handle well not handle well in poor road conditions and there will be accelerated wear on your center differential. Best to replace 4 tires at once, especially if you have AWD.

In theory, yes, but practically, no.

Best to replace 4 at a time.

Check reviews at tirerack.com.

Reply to
Ray O

snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@f40g2000pri.googlegroups.com:

I installed GoodYear Comfort Ride after my original set of Bridgestones wore out. They are still like new after 10,000 miles. Quieter and a better grip than the Bridgestone too.

Reply to
Colin

Buy Michelin. Past 35 years I have not had any problems with any of the sets that I have purchased. There is probaly some optimum model for your car, so just call Michelin at an 800 number and ask for customer service if your local dealer can't help. I think most big discount places like Sam's have the reccomendations from Michelin for the different model cars.

Reply to
mcbrue
110,000 km. Has anyone else using Nokian WR G2 tires? How is the performance in snow, ice and winter? Will the tire wear out quickly in the summer? : : :

They are absolutely great for winter driving (especially for rear wheel drive) and still a reasonably quiet ride in the summer. For a time, they were THE ONLY all-weather tire with a snow tire rating ... I have no idea if that is STILL true. They ARE soft and tend to wear faster than some other tires. I don't put all that many miles on anymore, but would purchase again.

Reply to
Jerohm

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.