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Tire Maintenance

Quote:

"we recommend customers don't go into the winter season with less than 4/32" tread depth."

I would actually suggest you change that to MINIMUM 6/32". From what I have read on Tire Rack, various government reports, and private institutions,

4/32" is the minimal required in wet weather, and its still marginal. Also, 6/32" is the minimum needed to be suitable for winter/slush driving.

I am sure people are stingy when it comes to tires regardless of what they drive. I have a friend who paid top $$ for an Infiniti I30 and wants to spend $200 Canadian on 4 tires. I know of another person who spent over $100K on a Mercedes and wants to spend the absolute minimum on tires.

People should keep in mind that all that keeps the car planted to the road are 4 rubber contact spots and there really should be no corner cutting when it comes to replacement tires. You can have the best and most advanced safety features on the car but they are meaningless if your tires do not offer adequate grip and handling. Frankly, having a good set of tires on a car can help you to avoid using all those advanced features. Heck, its nice to know I have side curtain air bags and things but I sure as hell don't ever want to be in a situation where they go off (i.e. never in a car accident).

My advice has always been to replace tires if the tread depth is at 6/32" or lower if you drive more then the avg. person (24,000 KM/year) and its the start of winter. In Toronto and the GTA, we tend to get decent snowfalls.

Also, I suggest that you buy the best rated tire that you can afford and not choose on brand alone. A Michelin X One is not the same as the MX4, the Harmony, or the Energy LX4. Each of these tires have different levels of wet/dry/snow traction and comfort levels.

Of course, these are my opinions and others will agree or disagree to this.

most tire manufacturers recommend rotating tires every 5k or 6k. here at > the lexus dealership, we rotate tires every 5k. why is this important? > front and rear tires wear in different ways. rotating the tires > regularly keeps the wear on the tires even, so they'll last longer. > > ie> this guy i just put new tires on for, a 2001 SC400, the rear tires > were going mickey thompson (slicks) and the front tires were worn > heavily on the shoulders, but barely any wear in the middle of the > tread. the car only has 32k on it. this is an extreme case of abuse, as > the tires were running very low pressure inthe front on low profile > tires. had the tires been rotated regularly i would expect the tires to > have gone another 20k. > > ie> another customer with an RX300, 65k, finally had to have new tires > put on. regular tire rotation, (with each 5k svc) led to an even wear > pattern on all four tires. here in the northeast though, we recommend > customers don't go into the winter season with less than 4/32" tread > depth. the OE tires on this RX300 were and even 3/32" all around. had > this been a california car, we could have probably let this go another > 15 or 20k > > -- > Ben Jerew > ASE Master Technician > New Country Lexus of Latham, NY > Amateur Off-Roader >
Reply to
Car Guy
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ All you need to become a true believer in the value of the best tires you can buy is to have a blowout. I had a beauty of a blowout a decade ago in an '86 Cougar, hauling a loaded Uhaul trailer on Interstate 10 approaching Phoenix. It was a right rear, and when it went, the car and trailer careened back and forth across the two lanes about six times like a sailboat in a gale, until I got it stopped...and then had to change the tire in 115 degree heat.....after my heart slowed down. Get the best tires you can afford, not the best bargain tires.

Reply to
Mack Twamley

I made the mistake of waiting too long for replacement of the OEM tires on my 91 Jeep Renegade. These weren't bald by any means - not even down to the wear indicator. Tapping my brakes on a cold, wet rural highway caused a complete 360. Left them on a few weeks longer because those tires are damn expensive. Took a wet onramp (temp well above freezing) to a major higway (Finch W to 404 S in Toronto) at a very reasonable pace and did a 180, leaving me facing oncoming traffic.

Bought new tires.

Craig

Reply to
Craig Hansen

damn, original tires? wow! i'd say they'd prolly lost their rubberiness hmm?

Reply to
MudPuppy1976

The REAL story is , rubber oxidises, and gets hard and gets slippery. Tires should be replaced every 5 to 6 years regardless of mileage . Rember that old 440 you had , with old bald tires thst squealed when you punched it, it was and is FUN, but old tires become brittle and slick , and are dangerous , and you dont know till its to late,,, BAM .... You didnt stop...your cooked. My 91 with dunlops was locking fronts for years in 95- 96 i had toy go through it even up to the top people, all free work, redid everything. in 97 I put Michelin Rain Force on and NO MORE Problem . It was Oxidised tires

Reply to
mark Ransley

Point is , age is tires worst enemy. They get hard and dont grip. Especialy when WET,

Reply to
mark Ransley

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