John F. Russo said:
SergntMac, I have from 4/32 to 7/32 in. tread depth left on the same tires that you have. I don't know what they were when they were new. What would you do?
I could be wrong on this, it's been a few years since I "learned my numbers" about tires, but let's peek anyway? The short read here is buy new tires, John. The long read explains why.
It's my understanding that "new" passenger car tires are 11-12/32 deep, depending on manfacturer. RV, SUV, and light truck tires are 14-15/32 new, again generally speaking. Presuming this to be correct, 6/32 of tread depth would indicate 50% wear, yes? Your 4/32 depth, John, is just above the legal threshold that defines a "bald" tire.
3/32 is the legal limit for a safe tire. Below 3/32, the tire will hydroplane through standing water of likewise depth under hard braking. My concern is for safety, and legal liability. Should one get involved in a serious collision, and the "Major Accident Dudes" decide to autopsy the car, 3/32 tread depth could lead to changing the responsible party, and possibly be grounds for criminal charges.
I've heard judges say stuff like "Well, Mr. Smith, Mr. Johnson may have been drunk behind the wheel, but that's another matter. You, sir, operated an unsafe vehicle and these circumstances could have been avoided had you maintained your vehicle properly." And that really hurts, when it's a member of your family that suffers the serious, or, fatal injury. I'm funny about this stuff, I'd rather throw out a half good tire, than have this kind of doubt haunt me.
On the way back from Hershey, Cruztaker and I drove through a bloddy mess on the highway, a fresh deer collision, and we were at speed. I mentioned to him that my back end felt a bit mushy in the curve, and I checked my MMs tires today.
My back tires are at 3/32, but even across the tread, no high or low spots. Just plain worn out I suppose, but I had a lot of fun wearing them out.
My front tires are at 1/32 to 4/32, depending on where you measure. The inside treads are about gone, but the rest of the tire seems okay. Looks like a serious case of "pidgeon toe" that's also part of Kenny Brown's own front suspension alignment settings. The excessive toe in has it's driving advantages, but that also contributes to premature tire wear. Handling vs. longevity, could be our next "oil thread."
BTW, John, our tires are "assymetrical" and cannot be turned around as I thought earlier. I read the instructions on the tire itself, indicating "this side out." I'm not sure when these tires went on the car, but Kenny said they were the third set, so, I'm guessing 15-17K miles by now.
Hope this helps y'all decide what's safe and what's not. IMHO, damn the few coins involved, I'd rather have the safe grip. It's a big heavy car that we love when it goes fast, but it needs all that to stop and corner safely. Tires give us that control, but it's not free...Just my .02c
