Belzebutt

Curls in my other thread said if they get down to 5mm. Does that mean when the deepest point of the thread is 5mm deep?

Is there also a color line that "emerges" when your tires get used enough?

My dealership told me a while ago that I should think about replacing my tires, but I haven't noticed a difference in handling really. They do look used, but I want to know when they're "done".

JTso

iTrader: (2)

Tires have a wear indicator that looks like a band across the width of the tire. If the tire wears down to this band, it's time to replace. However in reality, the tires should be replaced a little sooner than that to ensure safety and performance.

vwong

In addition, on the shoulder of the tire, there should be some arrows (in the case of Michelin tires, the arrows are replaced by the Michelin man). These arrows indicate the locations of the wear indicators.

jlukja

If your tires say Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 on the side, they need replacing right away.




j/k

CCColtsicehockey

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EuRTSX

hawaiiantsx

mrgold35

Sometimes just going by the wear indicators are not enough. Inspect your tires for even wear across the tread in different spots and around the tire. Any excessive wear on one part of the tread compared to another could be a warning sign of a balance, air pressure and/or alignment problems. You may need to replace the tires if the tread is too worn.

Make sure you check both front and back tires. You may have more tread on the back and rotating your tires could give you a couple of more months before replacement.

You should also replace your tires if you notice any excessive cracks, some cracking is normal and expected (especially in hot climates, low mileage cars exposed to a lot of direct sunlight)

If you notice any bulges/swelling in the side wall, replace the tire ASAP. Also your driving habits and conditions should help you decide when to change out your tires. A deeper tread will do a better job of channeling away water compared to same tread design close to the wear indicators. Newer tires will always perform better than older worn tires.

When in doubt change it out. Don’t wait too long when it comes to tires and brakes.

jerzpwr

Newplay1

Do the Penny-head of lincoln test.

jlukja

That would have been my serious answer.

Belzebutt

We have the Queen on our pennies. Do I measure with or without the crown???

curls

For like $2 you can get a tread depth gauge at any Wal-Mart or Canadian Tire store. Really handy to have around.

I have one and use it every season when I swap over my winter/summer tires. Gives a good, accurate read of just how much life the tires have left.

The general rule is:
Summer / All-season tires: replace when at 3-5mm remaining (4/32" - 6/32")
Winter tires: replace when at 5-6 (6 or 7/32"). Snow traction is highly dependant on how deep the treads are.

LoveMyTL-S

You can't find a Lincoln penny up there? We get the Canadian ones down here in Florida. Snow birds I guess.

Belzebutt

No they're much too precious here. Old people collect them and then go to the bank to get 1.11 pennies.


Curls, thanks for the tips. I'll look for a guage...

CJams

Most tire stores have tire tread gauges on their business cards.

supraken

iTrader: (1)

Great Article:

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

curls

Ha! That's where I got my info from a few years back!

I guess my numbers are conservative / safe, so take 3mm for all-season/summers, and 6mm or so for winter-driven tires, as the lower limit for safe driving.

crisco

ya, mine have about 4-5/32's left - except for the front driver's side - it has maybe 2-3/32's. Alignment problem maybe? The car pulls to the left on flat roads. I got about 60,000 km out of them. I'll likely rotate 'baldy' to the rear, until I put my winters on in November.

Also, when can you tell if your brakes need replacing - pads and/or rotors? It's hard to see the front pads on the TSX. I think I can see the rear ones. I was hearing some squeeking a few weeks ago and there are some 'grooves' beginning to form on the rotors, but I can't hear anymore squeeking now.

TSX7

My Acura dealership sent me a tire depth guage card through mail.