Community Forums

mtofell · 07-19-2018, 11:34 PM

Do you worry about loading up and towing with tires near the end of their tread life? My tires are rated at 3500# each and when towing I'm at about 2750# each so I've got a bit of room. They are about 2.5 years old and are within a couple 32nds to the tread bars. It's summer so tread depth as it relates to water is not really a concern. I'm mainly wondering if the tire is weakened due to the tread being nearly worn. The tires in question are from Les Schwab - Wild Country XTX (It think they are a Toyo derivative). They've worn completely evenly and I've never had a flat.

I'm heading out on a couple hundred mile trip out of cell phone range and would feel pretty dumb blowing a tire (or worse, more than one and not having a 2nd spare) but was also hoping to get a few thousand more miles and replace the tires right before the rainy season this fall.

Part of me thinks they are within age and tread life so run with it. The other side of me says to just go conservative and replace them before the trip.

I realize there's really no right/wrong answer. I'm just curious what the masses think?

Skip426 · 07-19-2018, 11:44 PM

How does the tread depth, wear ; from new depth ; relate to the miles driven so far on the tires ?
2/32 tread remaining to the wear bars isn't enough to go a few thousand miles , if the wear rate is 1/32" per 1000.

drdarrin · 07-20-2018, 08:35 AM

This part of the masses thinks 90% of tire problems occur in the last 10% of their life. Before coming to Alaska for the summer, we replaced our 4 rear tires for that very reason. It pinched the pocket but I don’t regret a $ of the decision.

SmokeyWren · 07-20-2018, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtofell

They are about 2.5 years old and are within a couple 32nds to the tread bars.

The tires are not "worn out" until the tread bars are flush with the tread. Or ignore the tread bars and use a tread depth gauge to measure the tread depth in the grove with the least depth. You want at least two 32nds inch, and a lot of tire engineers now recommend replacing the tire when it has less than three 32nds of an inch at the shallowest part of the tread.

If your planned trip is only for a few hundred miles, then there's no reason to replace the tires before you get back.

Quote:

I'm mainly wondering if the tire is weakened due to the tread being nearly worn.

No, the tread depth does not contribute to the strength of the tire. As long as the tread bars are below the tread, the tire is strong enough. Tire age can weaken the tire, as indicated by "checking" of the rubber in the sidewall. But with your tires being less than 3 years old, that shouldn't be a problem if you haven't run them underinflated.

MtnTrek · 07-20-2018, 06:31 PM

I'm in the "should be fine" bleachers of the peanut gallery. Better than the 8 yr old dry rotted, UV irradiated, still have nubs on the tread, out there running on trailers.
Some dry road tests (G-force(s) on a skid-pad) indicate nearly worn out tires perform traction wise better.

Happy trails.

SmokeyWren · 07-20-2018, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MtnTrek

Some dry road tests (G-force(s) on a skid-pad) indicate nearly worn out tires perform traction wise better.

Yeah, consider drag racing slicks. Savy drag racers shave most of the tread off their tires to give them more traction.

Mr_D · 07-20-2018, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MtnTrek

I'm in the "should be fine" bleachers of the peanut gallery. Better than the 8 yr old dry rotted, UV irradiated, still have nubs on the tread, out there running on trailers.
Some dry road tests (G-force(s) on a skid-pad) indicate nearly worn out tires perform traction wise better.

Happy trails.

Michelin says it takes 30,000 miles for a truck tire to break in and give it's best mileage and traction.

keymastr · 07-21-2018, 10:06 AM

I would bet that Michelin was talking about over-the-road tires for semi trucks. Most passenger trucks rarely see 30,000 miles before the tires are past the wear bars.

ScoobyDoo · 07-22-2018, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keymastr

I would bet that Michelin was talking about over-the-road tires for semi trucks. Most passenger trucks rarely see 30,000 miles before the tires are past the wear bars.

What? The P Michelins on my pickup are over 40,000, and probably 80% tread still there. Now when I drove young and junk tires did not last. But better driving and maintenance habits has extended the life of tires and the rest of vehicle...

JIMNLIN · 07-22-2018, 07:44 PM

When I had my truck and trailers on the road as the tires start getting close to the wear bars they run hotter and were quick to pick up nails/gravel/glass/other objects causing flat tires.

ScoobyDoo · 07-23-2018, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JIMNLIN

When I had my truck and trailers on the road as the tires start getting close to the wear bars they run hotter and were quick to pick up nails/gravel/glass/other objects causing flat tires.

LOL. A driver looks at a tire, "It's about wore out." Owner, looking at same tire, "Now it's making me money."
I agree, well worn tread is more likely to lose air from nail or screw. But deep tread is more likely to hold rock or glass long enough for it to work in. And the tread is more likely to come off at 70% or more than less than 30%...

winniman · 07-23-2018, 12:33 PM

Im in the probably all right camp, but with that said, getting the last five cents out of a set of tires can bite you in the arse. My brothers TT blew two tires last year and tore both his fenders off the trailer. My previous coach had a rear blowout and it tore off half the mudflap and the air lines to the rear air bags. Just saying, sometimes it pays to change them before they cause trouble.