When To Change Tires On A Car

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
Post Reply
User avatar
Topic Author
SVariance1
Posts: 1376
Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2011 11:27 am
Location: Philadelphia Area

When To Change Tires On A Car

Post by SVariance1 »

I have a Toyota Highlander than has about 38,000 miles on it with the original tires. I brought the car in for an oil change and the mechanic suggested changing the tires. He said that the tread is between 4 and 5 and that once you get to the 4 area you can hydroplane. (We put about 30 to 40 miles on the car per day) The tires need to be at least 2 to pass inspection. I spoke to the place where I bought the car and they said that they recommend changing the tires when they are all at 4 or less. The expense of changing these tires is very high at my local place, about $950 for all four. Any thoughts?
Mike
jwtietz
Posts: 93
Joined: Wed Jul 02, 2008 3:00 pm

Re: When To Change Tires On A Car

Post by jwtietz »

http://www.tirerack.com/index_w.jsp?s_k ... 6698781733&
find your tires and then the installer in your area. Should be around $20 per tire. At least you have a comparison of cost and a review of how good the tire is.
User avatar
og15F1
Posts: 347
Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2010 11:08 pm

Re: When To Change Tires On A Car

Post by og15F1 »

That all sounds within the realm of reason for a Highlander if you don't want the hassle of being the general contractor on your tire replacement (tire rack)

Check the wear ratings on different tires ... 38000 seems like a pretty healthy amount of use from those tires. I'm happy to get 30000.

I'd weight the decision based on your local climate and what type of winter weather you expect.
smackboy1
Posts: 1285
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 9:41 pm

Re: When To Change Tires On A Car

Post by smackboy1 »

Look here for tips on how to measure tread depth using coins:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/ ... ?techid=51

Legal requirement is 2/32" tread depth. From a safety standpoint I go no lower than around 4/32". The tire wear bars are usually 2/32" so I don't recommend waiting that long. But check the tires yourself, don't take the mechanic's word for it. If you drive in Philly then we've already had our 1st snow, if your tires are really at around 4/32" it's time to change your tires now. The tires will have to be changed soon anyway, so be prepared for the next snowfall.

See if the local shop will price match Tirerack.com. If not just buy online and use a Tirerack.com recommended installer. You can even have the tires shipped directly to the installer.
Disclaimer: nothing written here should be taken as legal advice, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
User avatar
nisiprius
Advisory Board
Posts: 52105
Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2007 9:33 am
Location: The terrestrial, globular, planetary hunk of matter, flattened at the poles, is my abode.--O. Henry

Re: When To Change Tires On A Car

Post by nisiprius »

I actually bought a tire depth gauge--they're cheap--and am currently agonizing over whether to replace the tires before the winter. Three of them between 5/32" and 6/32" of tread left, except that one of them got damaged a year ago and was replaced, so we have one tire that's a) almost new, and b) not a match for the other three. Ugh.

Actually my wife and I are agreed on replacing them, just stalling on doing it. First estimate: $616 for our chosen tires, on a passenger sedan, installed and balanced, will be shopping around. Ugh, probably should have a wheel alignment too, but to do that before winter or after winter? These tires have given us over 60,000 miles.

I am totally convinced that replacing them long before the wear bars show is a good idea. Consumer Reports said once that most punctures and failures occur in the last 20% of tread life or something like that, and that jibes with my personal experience. Plus I can feel the difference in traction on snow before and after replacing. We're in that sort of in-between climate, urban driving, good snow removal... don't use snow tires, compromise by replacing our "all-season radials" early.

But, of course, green guilt on disposing of a hydrocarbon-rich tire sooner than we need to. (Instead of, I don't know, dispersing it evenly all along the road and roadside?)
Last edited by nisiprius on Thu Nov 17, 2011 10:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen and six, result happiness; Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery.
User avatar
Topic Author
SVariance1
Posts: 1376
Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2011 11:27 am
Location: Philadelphia Area

Re: When To Change Tires On A Car

Post by SVariance1 »

All good suggestions and comments. I am going to replace the tires. I don't want to think about this issue any more. The only upside to waiting 6 months or another year is the time value of money, which is insignificant compared to the piece of mind I will get from doing it. If I were the only driver/passenger, i might wait but this one is the wife's car and the kids ride in it alot.
Mike
Leesbro63
Posts: 10581
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2010 3:36 pm

Re: When To Change Tires On A Car

Post by Leesbro63 »

Mike,

WIth all due respect and not to sound condescending, you seem naive about this. 38K out of ANY factory-installed tires is good. Very good. Second, $950 to replace 4 SUV tires is about what it costs. Yeah, you can shop around and maybe squeeze that down a little, but it sounds like you expected it to cost $250! Did you expect to buy a hulking SUV (OK, Highlander is perhaps "hulking-lite") and run tires 100,000 miles then replace them for $250?
mr.ajandkj
Posts: 112
Joined: Fri Jun 05, 2009 10:55 am
Location: Oregon
Contact:

Re: When To Change Tires On A Car

Post by mr.ajandkj »

Costco typically has decent prices on tires.

Discount Tire AKA America's Tire, if they are available in your area, is where I prefer to buy tires. They will price match to competitors, including Costco. They also sell online, similar to Tirerack at discounttiredirect.com. For my last purchase, I waited until the tires I wanted had a rebate going, then got pricing from discounttiredirect (which was ~$120 less than from the storefront), and also got a rebate for using their store CC. Saved about $200 or so over the in-store price.
User avatar
ejvyas
Posts: 773
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2011 12:09 am
Location: Boston, MA

Re: When To Change Tires On A Car

Post by ejvyas »

BJs also has good discount coupon on tires
User avatar
nisiprius
Advisory Board
Posts: 52105
Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2007 9:33 am
Location: The terrestrial, globular, planetary hunk of matter, flattened at the poles, is my abode.--O. Henry

Re: When To Change Tires On A Car

Post by nisiprius »

An aside. I don't know what it proves, but in our area of the country, thirty years ago it was easy to find free air at gas stations. You could set the pressure at the pump, but you had to have your own tire gauge and use it because the pump's pressure regulator wasn't even close to accurate. Worse yet, half the time, the pressure regulator didn't actually work at all--it would just keep pumping air until you stopped, seriously dangerous because tire explosions can be lethal I'm told.

Twenty years ago it started to get hard to find them: some gas stations didn't have them, many had the sign but would tell you "it's off" or "the hose got stolen."

Ten years ago, coin-operated air pumps started to come in.

Now they are common, I find the price to be moderate--typically $0.75--they work, you can find them when you need them, and the built-in digital pressure controls are very accurate.

Insert economics lesson and hymn to the free market.
Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen and six, result happiness; Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery.
User avatar
Topic Author
SVariance1
Posts: 1376
Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2011 11:27 am
Location: Philadelphia Area

Re: When To Change Tires On A Car

Post by SVariance1 »

nisiprius wrote:An aside. I don't know what it proves, but in our area of the country, thirty years ago it was easy to find free air at gas stations. You could set the pressure at the pump, but you had to have your own tire gauge and use it because the pump's pressure regulator wasn't even close to accurate. Worse yet, half the time, the pressure regulator didn't actually work at all--it would just keep pumping air until you stopped, seriously dangerous because tire explosions can be lethal I'm told.

Twenty years ago it started to get hard to find them: some gas stations didn't have them, many had the sign but would tell you "it's off" or "the hose got stolen."

Ten years ago, coin-operated air pumps started to come in.

Now they are common, I find the price to be moderate--typically $0.75--they work, you can find them when you need them, and the built-in digital pressure controls are very accurate.

Insert economics lesson and hymn to the free market.
Fortunately, the air is still free at my local gas station.
Mike
Random Poster
Posts: 3314
Joined: Wed Feb 03, 2010 9:17 am

Re: When To Change Tires On A Car

Post by Random Poster »

SVariance1 wrote:
nisiprius wrote:An aside. I don't know what it proves, but in our area of the country, thirty years ago it was easy to find free air at gas stations. You could set the pressure at the pump, but you had to have your own tire gauge and use it because the pump's pressure regulator wasn't even close to accurate. Worse yet, half the time, the pressure regulator didn't actually work at all--it would just keep pumping air until you stopped, seriously dangerous because tire explosions can be lethal I'm told.

Twenty years ago it started to get hard to find them: some gas stations didn't have them, many had the sign but would tell you "it's off" or "the hose got stolen."

Ten years ago, coin-operated air pumps started to come in.

Now they are common, I find the price to be moderate--typically $0.75--they work, you can find them when you need them, and the built-in digital pressure controls are very accurate.

Insert economics lesson and hymn to the free market.
Fortunately, the air is still free at my local gas station.
Air is free at the (ex-) local Discount Tire Company store. Nice people there, too.
User avatar
fandango
Posts: 518
Joined: Wed Dec 08, 2010 5:44 pm
Location: Greater Atlanta area

Re: When To Change Tires On A Car

Post by fandango »

I am a stickler about tires and always replace them when they get to 5/32 or 6/32.

Tires make a tremendous difference with regard to handling and fuel consumption. So, it pays to spend a little effort findng the best fit for your car and lifestyle.

I have always been impressed with the people at Discount Tire. They have a good technical knowledge of tires and will work with you if you have a tight budget. I understand that they are the biggest retailer of Michelin tires (my favorite).
TRC
Posts: 1966
Joined: Sat Dec 20, 2008 4:38 pm

Re: When To Change Tires On A Car

Post by TRC »

Change them. Tires are one of the most important parts on your vehicle. It's where the rubber meats the road!
User avatar
nisiprius
Advisory Board
Posts: 52105
Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2007 9:33 am
Location: The terrestrial, globular, planetary hunk of matter, flattened at the poles, is my abode.--O. Henry

Re: When To Change Tires On A Car

Post by nisiprius »

One other note. Consumer Reports said, at least twenty years ago! that tire treads have gotten so durable that internal structural elements inside the tire can start to wear out before the tread does. I don't remember that they had any useful guidelines, but it does suggest one shouldn't be too economical about hanging on to old tires with lots of miles on them just because there's enough tread left. Maybe someone can amplify on this.
Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen and six, result happiness; Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery.
User avatar
Info_Hound
Posts: 420
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 9:47 am
Location: Threw a dart in a map and moved

Re: When To Change Tires On A Car

Post by Info_Hound »

jwtietz wrote:http://www.tirerack.com/index_w.jsp?s_k ... 6698781733&
find your tires and then the installer in your area. Should be around $20 per tire. At least you have a comparison of cost and a review of how good the tire is.
+1 for Tire Rack. I had 4 winter tires shipped to my house and then took car and tires to the local gas station and they swapped them out for $20 a tire. Even if you don't buy from Tire Rack, take a look at their info and compare features, its an unbiased source of information. I saved $250 buying from Tire Rack vs. the local tire store.
ensign_lee
Posts: 531
Joined: Fri Mar 12, 2010 9:03 am

Re: When To Change Tires On A Car

Post by ensign_lee »

1 more vote for CHANGE THEM.

A few years back, I put off changing my tires because "they looked fine." Then, one day, I tried to take a sharp right, the kind of right I'd usually been able to make...and...failed. Instead of going 90 degrees to the right as planned, I went more like 35 degrees as I slid STRAIGHT INTO A POLE. $16k of damage, almost totalled my mustang. $16,000 >>>> $900 for tires. They are a *really* important component of your car.

Also, +1 vote for Tire Rack. You can even have them shipped straight to your local shop so that you don't have to deal with receiving 4 tires. Great prices. They're actually even the supplier for Discount Tire Company.
User avatar
Ozonewanderer
Posts: 691
Joined: Mon Apr 12, 2010 12:27 am
Location: Southwest FL

Re: When To Change Tires On A Car

Post by Ozonewanderer »

One time I was driving in the rain, and I suddenly sensed that something was very wrong. I lost all feel of the car just like I was cruising on glare ice. I knew that if I touched the brakes or turned the steering wheel I would go into a slide that I could not control. I was hydroplaning. I gently eased off the gas until the car slowed enough that the tires regained traction.

Trust me, you never want to be in that position especially with loved ones in the car...
User avatar
mudfud
Posts: 1235
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 3:34 pm

Re: When To Change Tires On A Car

Post by mudfud »

nisiprius wrote:I actually bought a tire depth gauge--they're cheap--and am currently agonizing over whether to replace the tires before the winter. Three of them between 5 and 6 mm of tread left
New tires have about 8 mm tread depth, so you probably have well over 50% of the original depth. Now 5.5 mm is about 7/32 of an inch, so you have about 6/32 to 8/32 of an inch left. Consumer Reports suggests getting new tires at 4/32 of an inch. Of course, more tread is better in rain and snow (but worse for dry handling and braking).
"Are you sure you have tested an a priori hypothesis?" | | Image
cudaman
Posts: 367
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 7:23 pm

Re: When To Change Tires On A Car

Post by cudaman »

nisiprius wrote:Ten years ago, coin-operated air pumps started to come in.

Now they are common, I find the price to be moderate--typically $0.75--they work, you can find them when you need them, and the built-in digital pressure controls are very accurate.
Only if the dark cloud doesn't hover over you. On a 230 mile trip 2 weeks ago, I needed air. I pulled into a gas station in the middle of nowhere, pumped 75 cents in, the compressor starts. The trigger valve/pressure indicator leaks like a sieve. In the end, I paid $0.75 to let air out of my tire. It only happens to me. :confused
User avatar
Ozonewanderer
Posts: 691
Joined: Mon Apr 12, 2010 12:27 am
Location: Southwest FL

Re: When To Change Tires On A Car

Post by Ozonewanderer »

Many years ago I bought a small home air compressor for something like $75. It was a terrific investment for the convenience. It also assures that I pump in the correct pressure when the tires are cold.
smackboy1
Posts: 1285
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 9:41 pm

Re: When To Change Tires On A Car

Post by smackboy1 »

nisiprius wrote:One other note. Consumer Reports said, at least twenty years ago! that tire treads have gotten so durable that internal structural elements inside the tire can start to wear out before the tread does. I don't remember that they had any useful guidelines, but it does suggest one shouldn't be too economical about hanging on to old tires with lots of miles on them just because there's enough tread left. Maybe someone can amplify on this.
Rubber in tires is perishable. The recommendations are to not install a "new tire" that more than 6 years old and to not use a tire over 10 years old.

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4826897

Here's info from tirerack.com:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/ ... ?techid=11

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/ ... techid=138

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/ ... techid=183

Another good reason to use tirerack is that they sell so many tires that the inventory never gets old.
Disclaimer: nothing written here should be taken as legal advice, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
User avatar
Midpack
Posts: 778
Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2008 9:34 am
Location: NC

Re: When To Change Tires On A Car

Post by Midpack »

I walked away from putting new tires on my car yesterday because of the warranty on present tires, Michelin Primacy MXV4's. They are warranted for 60,000 miles, cost $132 plus $15 ea installed, about $620 all up. They have been properly inflated, rotated every 5,000 miles, and we drive the car to maximize mileage (not fast or hard cornering at all). After 36,000 miles, the tread depth doesn't look adequate going into winter IMO. So I took them to the tire dealer and they told me I probably had a warranty claim. They inspected them and told me one had 4/32" and the other three were 5/32" or 6/32". They told me original tread depth was 9/32". They then told me Michelin would not honor their warranty until the tires got down to 3/32". So not surprisingly, the warranty is written such that it's unlikely to provide a pro-rated payout, though I know warranties have to be written that way to some extent. I'd have to leave them on for about another year or so until they're arguably unsafe, going into a Chicago winter, for the warranty to apply.

So I will probably go back (again) and replace them, though I'll try another brand...FWIW.
You only live once...
User avatar
Bylo Selhi
Posts: 1309
Joined: Mon Feb 19, 2007 9:40 pm
Location: Great White North
Contact:

Re: When To Change Tires On A Car

Post by Bylo Selhi »

+1 for tirerack.com and local installation.
nisiprius wrote:Plus I can feel the difference in traction on snow before and after replacing. We're in that sort of in-between climate, urban driving, good snow removal... don't use snow tires, compromise by replacing our "all-season radials" early.
I do the same thing.
But, of course, green guilt on disposing of a hydrocarbon-rich tire sooner than we need to. (Instead of, I don't know, dispersing it evenly all along the road and roadside?)
There's been some experimentation in these parts with adding ground rubber from disposed tires into the asphalt mix on repaved roads. So far it seems that this reduces the number of cracks in the road that result from freeze/thaw cycles.

As for maintaining air pressure, I bought a cigarette-lighter (or whatever they're called now) powered portable air pump many years ago. IIRC it cost around $10 or $15 and has saved me many times that amount in gas station refill charges as well as from reduced tire life that results from underpressured tires. Get a good pressure gauge and you're good to go.
User avatar
nisiprius
Advisory Board
Posts: 52105
Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2007 9:33 am
Location: The terrestrial, globular, planetary hunk of matter, flattened at the poles, is my abode.--O. Henry

Re: When To Change Tires On A Car

Post by nisiprius »

mudfud wrote:
nisiprius wrote:I actually bought a tire depth gauge--they're cheap--and am currently agonizing over whether to replace the tires before the winter. Three of them between 5 and 6 mm of tread left
New tires have about 8 mm tread depth, so you probably have well over 50% of the original depth. Now 5.5 mm is about 7/32 of an inch, so you have about 6/32 to 8/32 of an inch left. Consumer Reports suggests getting new tires at 4/32 of an inch. Of course, more tread is better in rain and snow (but worse for dry handling and braking).
I mis-spoke. My tread gauge reads in 1/32-inch units. Helpfully, the part of the shaft above 6 is colored green, the 4-6 zone is colored yellow, and everything under 4 is colored red.
Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen and six, result happiness; Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery.
Leesbro63
Posts: 10581
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2010 3:36 pm

Re: When To Change Tires On A Car

Post by Leesbro63 »

Midpack wrote:I walked away from putting new tires on my car yesterday because of the warranty on present tires, Michelin Primacy MXV4's. They are warranted for 60,000 miles, cost $132 plus $15 ea installed, about $620 all up. They have been properly inflated, rotated every 5,000 miles, and we drive the car to maximize mileage (not fast or hard cornering at all). After 36,000 miles, the tread depth doesn't look adequate going into winter IMO. So I took them to the tire dealer and they told me I probably had a warranty claim. They inspected them and told me one had 4/32" and the other three were 5/32" or 6/32". They told me original tread depth was 9/32". They then told me Michelin would not honor their warranty until the tires got down to 3/32". So not surprisingly, the warranty is written such that it's unlikely to provide a pro-rated payout, though I know warranties have to be written that way to some extent. I'd have to leave them on for about another year or so until they're arguably unsafe, going into a Chicago winter, for the warranty to apply.

So I will probably go back (again) and replace them, though I'll try another brand...FWIW.
Call the Michelin toll free number (Google it) and complain. Remind them that on most cars it's recommended that all 4 tires be the same, so your one baddish tire makes all 4 replacement worthy. I had a similar issue and Michelin ended up giving me 70% off (I paid 30%) on a new set. But I DID have to squawk. :wink:
Leesbro63
Posts: 10581
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2010 3:36 pm

Re: When To Change Tires On A Car

Post by Leesbro63 »

mudfud wrote: Of course, more tread is better in rain and snow (but worse for dry handling and braking).
So in the desert/sunbelt areas it would be better to buy used tires with little to no tread?
User avatar
mudfud
Posts: 1235
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 3:34 pm

Re: When To Change Tires On A Car

Post by mudfud »

Leesbro63 wrote:
mudfud wrote: Of course, more tread is better in rain and snow (but worse for dry handling and braking).
So in the desert/sunbelt areas it would be better to buy used tires with little to no tread?

In some forms of racing, including Formula One, they use slick tires (i.e. tires with no tread at all) to maximize traction.

In the real world the small improvement in handling and braking may not be worth it because if it does rain, you're screwed. Also a used tire may be damaged in ways that may not be apparent on visual inspection.

Check out this quiz by Consumer Reports which illustrates the relative merits of new versus worn treads.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars ... /index.htm

Best,

Mudfud
"Are you sure you have tested an a priori hypothesis?" | | Image
User avatar
grabiner
Advisory Board
Posts: 35265
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 10:58 pm
Location: Columbia, MD

Re: When To Change Tires On A Car

Post by grabiner »

Leesbro63 wrote:
mudfud wrote: Of course, more tread is better in rain and snow (but worse for dry handling and braking).
So in the desert/sunbelt areas it would be better to buy used tires with little to no tread?
Only in theory. The problem is that when it does rain in the desert, the roads are unusually slick because of accumulated oil and debris, and there are a lot of drivers who aren't used to driving in the rain, so you really need tires that can handle it. There are always a lot of accidents on the first rainy day in the fall in Los Angeles.

Similarly, if you live in an area where it snows occasionally, you want tires that can handle snow, because the snowy days are the days you need the most out of your tires.
Wiki David Grabiner
boffalora
Posts: 201
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:31 pm

Re: When To Change Tires On A Car

Post by boffalora »

In any case, SVariance1, replace the tires and drive on. Any brand from a reputable dealer will be fine. If you are concerned that you might not keep the vehicle long enough to get the full value from a new set of flagship brand tires, consider the lower-priced tires from that same manufacturer. Examples: Michelin also makes BFGoodrich and Uniroyal, Bridgestone makes Firestone and Primewell.
Post Reply