how much tread is to little

[JaredLS]

I guess i have a stupid question for you guys.... I'm about to take a 1K+ plus trip to maine and nova scotia. I have my new Pirreli tires in the garage waiting to be put on but I'm wondering if my stock Michelin's can make the trip? They are bald on the edges. they have about 36K.6 miles.
Is it an acceptable risk to keep the michelin's on for the trip?

and also is 100+ tax a good price to get new tires put on?

 

[Grey Navi]

I guess i have a stupid question for you guys.... I'm about to take a 1K+ plus trip to maine and nova scotia. I have my new Pirreli tires in the garage waiting to be put on but I'm wondering if my stock Michelin's can make the trip? They are bald on the edges. they have about 36K.6 miles.
Is it an acceptable risk to keep the michelin's on for the trip?

and also is 100+ tax a good price to get new tires put on?

Put them on, but if your current ones are worn on the outside compared to the mid tread then you must get an alignment done. It's a good idea to do it anyhow whenever new tires are installed. As for the install price, it does seem expensive. I paid at Discount Tire three weeks ago, $48.xx for installation and balance and disposal.

 

[Jim Henderson]

The classic measure of tread depth is a Lincoln head penny. Put the penny in the tread with Abes head in the tread. If you can see the top of his head it is time to change. Also you can check to see if the wear bars, built into every tire in the US are flush with the tread surface. If the tread wear bars are even with the tread, in many locales you could get a ticket for worn tires, much less be unsafe.

If your tires are wearing on both outside edges, that usually means you have underinflated tires. If the center wears, overinflated. If just one edge, then alignment.

Tires with little tread get mighty slippery in rain so be warned.

I am notorious for driving until the tires start to spark, that is when the steel tread is peeking out. This is NOT SAFE, by the way. Also notice if your tires thump any. If they thump it could mean there is a weak spot in your thin tread and you will eventually have a blow out. Been there done that, stupid.

$100 to mount and install tires seems a bit high but then I haven't ever had that problem. I think a friend of mine had it done for something like $15 per tire. If you bought yours from mail order, perhaps they have a list of shops that discount the mounting? I think Tire Rack and the like does that.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

[lexdiamondz10304]

$100 for installation???!?! thats alot, I got mine put on for 30 bucks including rotation and balancing n stuff, maybe because its LA, alot of competition.

 

[JaredLS]

time

Yeah I think I'm gonna have to bite the bullet..getting them installed tom. 100 is the best price I could find checked 3 places/ - they say 17 are low profile and a "pain to install" that's why the high price...
but not all bad news... i now am gonna go burn some serious rubber. :steering

 

[SilverLS]

I am notorious for driving until the tires start to spark, that is when the steel tread is peeking out. This is NOT SAFE, by the way. Also notice if your tires thump any. If they thump it could mean there is a weak spot in your thin tread and you will eventually have a blow out. Been there done that, stupid.

+1 :slam more than once and have had them pop when sitting at a red light on the way to deliever a pizza then get of work to change them (needless to say i ran the pizza to the house and ran back and had to get it towed in to the tire shop
NEVER AGAIN (not my lincoln) I just put 4 new tires on cost 300 for the rear(wider and they mounted balanced and did a 4 wheel alling. and road hazard)(SEARS) then cost 150 for the front two mounted balanced and road hazard Tire Kingdom ( need rears first ) dealership swapped them out for sh!tty ones before i bought it

 

[DLS8K]

Yeah I think I'm gonna have to bite the bullet..getting them installed tom. 100 is the best price I could find checked 3 places/ - they say 17 are low profile and a "pain to install" that's why the high price...
but not all bad news... i now am gonna go burn some serious rubber. :steering

That is a crock of turds.

 

[Black03]

I know my 17's were around $50 to mount an balance with lifetime balance and rotation at Malmart. Discount Tire or Costco should be around the same. I find it very odd that places are acutally getting $100 for the job.

 

[Dartastic]

Yeah I think I'm gonna have to bite the bullet..getting them installed tom. 100 is the best price I could find checked 3 places/ - they say 17 are low profile and a "pain to install" that's why the high price...
but not all bad news... i now am gonna go burn some serious rubber. :steering

the "17" has nothing to do with the profile. If they are stock then you have 50's and that is the profile. 17 is the overall diamter of the rims. I wouldnt pay their price. Ive seen guys really struggle to mount my 35 inch super swampers for my big bronco and put them on a special balancing machine for much less.

 

[SoonerLS]

Last Saturday, mounting and balancing cost me $25 per tire at Big-O Tires (the closest Tire Rack recommended installer), for a total of ~$110 (including tax, etc). That's for 235/50R17 tires.

That seems like it's about twice what I paid when I put a set of Bridgestones on my Explorer a couple of years ago at the Firestone dealer.

 

[Black03]

Were you wearing an OSU hat?

 

[hockey930]

I used to work at a tire shop, the tries will be fine..... HOWEVER if you question it then get them put on. The only time you really need good tires is in an emergency, when that :q:q:q:q:q:q:q slams on the brake in front of you in the rain. So under perfect weather you are fine, but weather isn't always perfect. Last time I didn't changed tires the volvo wagon did a 360 off a 4 foot cliff and somehow hit a tree backwards. I knew we should have changed thoes tires.
Eamonn