NEED ADVICE ON TIRES REPLACEMENT QUICK.

[ard]

^^ It seems that ill informed and wealthy consumers are increasingly being manipulated by the "better to be safe"...be it Mercedes with their lane departure warning TV spots, or posters saying 'you drive a BMW, better to just replace the tires', or the BMW dealer saying "we dont patch flats as the tire manufacturer has instructed, we replace the tire"

It seems the more affluent americans become the more money they will dump into this 'safety pit'...no rational analysis, simply 'if it is safe I'll buy it'. Or worse, being 'guilt tripped' into "saving money if you drive a BMW is beneath you..."

What I was trying to illustrate is that at some percentage, it is stupid to replace tires as pairs- be that 50% or 99.99%... for me the critical issue is WHAT makes it unsafe, so **I** can make an informed decision. Has nothing to do with BMW or Yugo...(actually, I'd say given the crash ratings, it is more important to have perfect tires in the Yugo!)

[Gregory891]

Simple comments on tires.

Typical new tires will have tread depth of 7 to 8 mm (10/32" to 11/32"), but look at the specific ones you have bought.

Wear bars will show the legal limit of 1.6 mm (2/32"), which is the same standard in Europe as most US states and Canadian provinces. They would still be adequate for dry autocrossing or short track day use.

Rubber will also age, so there are considerations of age (regardless of wear). Mfr's say seven to eight years, if they aren't cracked you likely can judge keeping them longer.

Specific hot climate countries (UAE, Saudi Arabia, etc.) strictly enforce the age due to severe temperatures - typically four or 5 years. Consider this if you live in similar hot places: Arizona, Nevada, Texas, etc.

Snow tires are more sensitive to temperature, so the age criteria is more important. Legal limit on snow tires will vary more from country to country, the minimum level is typically 3 to 4 mm.

So for a summer tire, if you consider 7 mm (10/32") to be 100% and 1.6 mm (2/32") at 20%, you have your rough answer. Measure your depth with a simple gauge on several places to have a good average, as well as checking all tires.

English translation from Continental's advice: "check tire pressure at least every month, replace standard tires at 2 mm depth, wide tires at 3 mm and snow tires at 4 mm". It is also suggesting using your tires to (nearly) the legal limit, but don't quite wait to the end (it lengthens your stopping distance). The wide tire issue is logical, as you need groove depth to evacuate water then driving in rain.

You will find similar advice from most tire mfrs and car mfrs. as well. I don't work for tire or car company, and I will be replacing my (17") X5 tires this summer (they are in the 1.6 to 2.0 mm range).

[mrbmwx5]

Originally Posted by sarends

Here is the same set I put on mine on eBay - I love these tires! Free shipping - ($975.00 after rebate).

Vredestein Sessanta Rear - 315/35/20 & Front - 275/40/20

Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta

Not all that.... had them before , tires are great grips on wet and dry very smooth ride too, but the tread wear are terrible .... 10-12k miles about it.