tire rack suggests the quarter test to replace the penny test

[ElFenix]

interesting little read


highlights:
2/32" was developed decades ago when crappy cars had narrow, hard tires
a car with 2/32" tread takes twice the distance to emergency stop in the wet than a car with new tires
4/32" takes about 50% more distance to emergency stop in the wet than with new tires

 

[Arkaign]

Well, considering the economy and inflation, I guess a quarter is worth what a penny used to be

 

[iamwiz82]

And they would just happen to sell more tires this way. Imagine that.

 

[getbush]

I use snow tires in the winter but most people don't. I feel like if you get down that far in Michigan you're pretty well fvcked in the snow. Doesn't make for an easy commute. In places w/o snow it's a lot different.

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: getbush
I use snow tires in the winter but most people don't. I feel like if you get down that far in Michigan you're pretty well fvcked in the snow. Doesn't make for an easy commute. In places w/o snow it's a lot different.

We'll see this winter - I have maybe 4mm of thread on my tires (225/40/18), so I'm interested to see how well that impacts drivability. This is on an Audi A6.

That being said, my CLK was undrivable in the snow with new or old tires.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
And they would just happen to sell more tires this way. Imagine that.

Yeah, I question their motives.

 

[thomsbrain]

New tires do make a huge difference in the wet compared to 2/32". No arguing that. My commute involves about 30 miles of high-speed corners with elevation changes in a place where it can rain extremely heavily and result in rivers of water pouring lengthwise down the highway. Old tires can result in wheelspin at 50 MPH pulling up the hills. New tires give a much larger safety cushion.

In the summer, it really doesn't matter that much. I think the rule of thumb is that if you're approaching winter and your tread is anywhere near low, you should probably get new tires to be safe. I just bought 4 new Michelins, myself.

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
interesting little read


highlights:
2/32" was developed decades ago when crappy cars had narrow, hard tires
a car with 2/32" tread takes twice the distance to emergency stop in the wet than a car with new tires
4/32" takes about 50% more distance to emergency stop in the wet than with new tires

You don't think they can sell more tires?

 

[spidey07]

LOL! Before I even entered the thread the only thought was so they can sell more tires. Take a look at the pictures of the 2/32" tires they used, they had no tread on them and were well beyond needing to be replaced. Each tire is different so I just go by the wear indicators.

 

[StageLeft]

They probably have a point, but

And by considering replacing tires at the 4/32 of an inch, it gives car owners more leeway in researching their tire purchase.?

researching a tire purchase is silly. I spend about 20 minutes on tirerack, where I do get my tires. I imagine most do the same or go to sears et al and buy whatever the heck floats their boat on a whim, it's not like we're talking about buying a house.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
They probably have a point, but

And by considering replacing tires at the 4/32 of an inch, it gives car owners more leeway in researching their tire purchase.?

researching a tire purchase is silly. I spend about 20 minutes on tirerack, where I do get my tires. I imagine most do the same or go to sears et al and buy whatever the heck floats their boat on a whim, it's not like we're talking about buying a house.

My research consists of confirming that I still have only two or three choices in my tire size, checking the prices, and choosing the okayish one that isn't too expensive.

*sniffs* I wish BFG didn't stop making their Sporttruck T/As, I was so looking forward to 315/55s on the rear. Pirelli also stopped making their Scorpion Zero in my size. I've considered getting 15" or 17" rims solely to increase my options.

Last I checked I had the following options:
Goodyear Eagle GT-IIs. Corner good, sucks ass in the rain.
BFG Radial T/A. Doesn't corner as good, so much better in the rain it's silly.
Toyo Proxes ST. $170/tire, not including installation and all that.

Edit:
When I looked up the tire options for my cousin's GTO, there were 40-50 options.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: sdifox

Originally posted by: ElFenix
interesting little read


highlights:
2/32" was developed decades ago when crappy cars had narrow, hard tires
a car with 2/32" tread takes twice the distance to emergency stop in the wet than a car with new tires
4/32" takes about 50% more distance to emergency stop in the wet than with new tires

You don't think they can sell more tires?

where did i imply that?

 

[herm0016]

2/32 = 1/16...4/32=1/8... why must they try to confuse people so?

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Originally posted by: herm0016
2/32 = 1/16...4/32=1/8... why must they try to confuse people so?

tire depths are measured in 32nds so they only have to think about the top number. 3>2, etc...

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
They probably have a point, but

And by considering replacing tires at the 4/32 of an inch, it gives car owners more leeway in researching their tire purchase.?

researching a tire purchase is silly. I spend about 20 minutes on tirerack, where I do get my tires. I imagine most do the same or go to sears et al and buy whatever the heck floats their boat on a whim, it's not like we're talking about buying a house.

this would explain your automotive posts...


I just look at my wear markers. I assumed all tires had them. Outside of that if I notice a tire not performing right i replace it (my AVS 100's got noisy after 1/2 life...still performed ok though).

 

[Bignate603]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
And they would just happen to sell more tires this way. Imagine that.

Yeah, I question their motives.

They may be motivated to sell more tires but I agree with their methodology. Of course you won't notice this kind of difference on dry pavement which is what I see 99% of the time here in AZ.

It's still a good idea to keep a decent treat on your tires.

 

[Throckmorton]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
They probably have a point, but

And by considering replacing tires at the 4/32 of an inch, it gives car owners more leeway in researching their tire purchase.?

researching a tire purchase is silly. I spend about 20 minutes on tirerack, where I do get my tires. I imagine most do the same or go to sears et al and buy whatever the heck floats their boat on a whim, it's not like we're talking about buying a house.

You are going to have them for 50,000 miles, and you don't research them? I thought you were one of those guys who researched everything before buying. You make an exception for the most important single part of your car?

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: sdifox

Originally posted by: ElFenix
interesting little read


highlights:
2/32" was developed decades ago when crappy cars had narrow, hard tires
a car with 2/32" tread takes twice the distance to emergency stop in the wet than a car with new tires
4/32" takes about 50% more distance to emergency stop in the wet than with new tires

You don't think they can sell more tires?

where did i imply that?

I didn't mean you... I meant, they have a vested interest in this.