Wronglane

Does anyone know the acceptable tire depth tolerence before it should be replaced? Vehicle is a GX470.

Dave Mac

I believe you can always safely wear your tires down to the tire wear bar which on passenger car tires is usually at 2 - 3/32nds. It may be different on your larger tires. Also even though it is always tempting to try to get the extra 32nd of an inch out of your tires I always question why I did it when I get the new tires and see what an improvement they make in ride, handling, noise etc. I try to start looking for good tire deals around 4/32nds. There are often $50 - $100 discounts on the tires you want.

Dave Mac

Max707

Winter is coming so it depends on where you live. A good set of tires will last 50-60K miles depending on wear rating. If I am heading into summer and have 5/32 left then I know that before winter starts I will need a new set of tires. Based on where you live and the time of the year I would not want to go anywhere near the wear bar, so if you are at 5/32 or less I would get a new set of tires before winter.

V8_Fan

When you get new tires, note that different brands/sizes come w/ different tread depths. The bridgestone's tend to have 11/32 when new, the least of all brands. Goodyear wrangler silent armor AT's have 14/32, BFG AT's have 16/32 (most). That's about 50% more tread than the bridgestones!

Jayson

Jim, we have about 5k miles before we'll need to replace all 4 tires. Our LX has the 285s on it and we like the look of them. What do you run on your '03 and are you happy with them?

Thanks!

Hoser

The legal minimum is 3/32 in most states. The wear bars are usually at 2/32. But an all-terrain tire is not really "all" terrain at those depths. I'd for sure replace at 4/32 or 7 years of age, sooner if in more extreme conditions.

V8_Fan

I'm currently using the tires my LX came with, Bridgestone dueler HT's. They suck offroad, are a little harsh on the road. Next time, I'm thinking about BFG AT's in a 31.5" size (I think it's 265/65R18) since the BFG AT's (and Goodyear Wrangler MTR's) along w/ dedicated mud tires are the only tires with 3 (or more) plys. This becomes important if you ever drive offroad since tires usually fail at the sidewalls (getting sliced by a sharp rock, etc.). The HT's are terrible when driving on dirt roads fast (and you hit a curve). They kind of skid through the turn instead of gripping the surface. I recently put BFG AT's in a 31/10.5R15 on my old 4Runner and have been very pleased compared to the harsh ride of the previous Pro Comp AT's (I think made by Cooper). They make the 4Runner (lifted w/ stiff torsion bars up front) ride like a new Toyota SUV/pickup! Maybe it's the deep blocks of tread, who knows. I know one guy in Australia who towed a small trailer across the desert (around 1000 miles each way) with his '06 landcruiser with AHC. He brought 2 spare Bridgestone AT's (their equivalent of revo's here, I believe) and got two flats. He managed to make it to the nearest town and bought all new tires. They recommended the BFG AT's for the Outback due to the 3 plys. He changed all tires and didn't get a flat after that.

The other tire I've been considering is the Goodyear wrangler silent armor. It has 2 plys but has a kevlar belt. It was used by the Toyota team on their Landcruiser for the Beijing-Mongolia crossing expedition for at least the past two years. Tread depth is reasonable, they say it is low noise, plus the price is comparable to the Bridgestone revo's or Yokohama geolander AT/S's (also 2 ply). Selection in 18" tires is slim, but it's improving. BTW, I plan to replace all 5 tires. Tires degrade internally from moisture in the air (hence one reason why nitrogen is better) and externally from the elements. Don't expect a 6 yr old spare to hold up very long. 6 yrs is about as long as I'd run a tire. And if you park outside, I recommend the all-metal valve stems. The old rubber/metal stems on my 4Runner tires were extremely cracked. I got all metal stems for around $3/wheel. PS: to maximize the miles, do a cross rotation (preferably w/ all 5 tires) rather than a front to back that most dealers do. You can do this as long as your tires are not unidirectional like rain/performance tires often are.

Jayson

Jim, are the Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armor tires the same as Goodyear Fortera Silent Armor?

I'm on Discount Tire's wbesite looking at options. I found the BFG AT tires (LT265-65R-18) on their site as well and they're going to run $265/ea here in Austin, which is the same price as the Michelin Latitude Tour HP tires. My wife will not offroad the LX and she's the daily driver. She'll be more interested in a smooth, quiet ride from a well-engineered tire.

Th BFG option is still an interesting choice because I still love the way those tires look. I had them on my 4" suspension lift Nissan Pathfinder SE back in the 90s.

V8_Fan

No. Wrangler is their offroad line of tires.


In this case, people say the Michelins are the smoothest road/SUV tire out there. I haven't used them so I can't verify by experience.

LXPearl

I have been pleased with the Michelin LTX M/S, especially the H rated tire in the 275/70-R16 size. The S rated tire is more common, but the H rated was made for the LX/LC. This tire is great for the highway and fair for light off road use.

Rain and wintry weather performance degrades significantly when the tread depth wears past the halfway mark. For most tires heading into winter, I like to have at least 5/32 tread. TRAC, VSC, and ABS only work as long as traction is available. Also, the ride and noise are adversely affected below 5/32.