Tire Help!

[Milton]

I have a 2003 Corolla that has had the same tires on it since the middle of 2009.The tires( Negotiator 195/65R15 91T) have given good service and have about 40,000 miles on them but they look very good and have a lot of tread left.You guys who are tire experts ,should I look at replacing these tires at this time or can I expect to get some more mileage out of them?Being retired I put about 10,000 miles on the vehicle a year.

 

[jaykellogg]

If they don't appear weatherchecked I would leave them go. If you take an extended trip you might consider replacing them beforehand.

 

[Hillbilly77]

That sounds like a solution searching for a problem.

If your tires are as you describe, run 'em.

 

[diamonback68]

If you still have good tread and the sidewalls look good, leave them alone.

 

[arjay]

As long as there's enough tread that they won't plane and the sun hasn't fried them,I'd keep them another year.

 

[Milton]

Thanks everybody! I was hoping to keep them at least another year and then replace them

 

[snowman]

As my Dad used to say(in other contexts), "Just keep right on a goin' !"

Andy

 

[jaykellogg]

If there is good tread on them when you do replace them you might consider selling them on Craigslist. Around here there is a huge demand for used tires.

 

[Comrad]

Run them till they look like baloney skin.

 

[Stonecove]

Milton, 40,000 miles on tires on a car the size of a Corolla is not much. I routinely got 60,000 miles on tires on 2 different Honda Accords. Save the money, buy ammo instead!
Stonecove

 

[LVSteve]

Unless the tyres are starting to crack from heat or weathering, press on. Here in Nevada you have to be a high mileage driving to wear out most tyres before the climate kills them.

 

[Taurus627]

You might also look for what are called "wear bars" in the tread. They are little bumps that stick above the main carcase but not as high as the tread. If the tread is not worn down to them, you are still good to go. There is also the Lincoln penny test. Stick a penny on edge with the top of Abes head pointing down (towards the center of the tire)and if you can't see all his head, you're good!!

 

[AMS417]

Good advise from all. I run a tire distribution business. The truth is, their is no real data to go on for when a person should replace a tire soley due to age. With a tire being made or many different chemical compounds it does have a "service life" and that is affected by many factors including weather, vehicle weight, speed, inflation, and road conditions to name a few. The best advise is the have them inspected by a reputable shop, with people you trust to deal honestly. Some of these still do exist. It's hard to get the whole story without getting the car off the ground and inspecting the whole tire, not just "taking a look". The number one tire killer is low inflation. Keep your tire inflated with the manufactures recommended pressure. Check them often and address any balance issues quickly. Most modern tires are much better than what we had even ten years ago. Hope that helps.

 

[Camster]

Run them till they look like baloney skin.

Never do that.Four years old isn't bad,and if you trust the tread to be good in the rain,keep running them.

 

[vytoland]

if it aint fixed....don't break it...

 

[goldenlight]

They sound good for the summer, at least. As they get close to the wear bar, you may want to replace them, to prevent hydropaning, etc. I've never run a set of tires all of the way down to the wear bars.

Tires are pretty cheap, compared to the hassle and expense of replacing a nice car that got totaled in an accident that may not have happened, with better tires.