When is the time to change?

[Hornet Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hornet]

Hi all,

My original Grandtreks are wearing out and when measured the tread depth, the shallowest was 3.9 mm.

The tread wear indicator in the outer grooves is at about 0.5-1mm from the surface. However, the tread wear indicators in the inner grooves are a bit deeper: 2.5-3mm.

Now the ultimate question is: when is the time to start looking for a new set of tyres?

What is everybody's criteria is? Wear them down until all the wear indicators are even with the surface, or change before it is too dangerous?

The guy at the local tyre place said the tyres had 5-10K life left.

Cheers for all the replies.

[krypto Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close krypto]

Depends what they are being used for. I tow and do a few trips. I changed mine earlier than that as saving $50 in rubber doesn't weigh up against the safety of my family. But each to his own.

[Hornet Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hornet]

I am the same, towing a bit. That's why I got worried.

[Dakkas Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dakkas]

Don't be a tightass, think of your families safety and the safety of other road users and get new rubber if you're in any doubt.

I personally don't go below 3mm. It might be legal to 1.5m, but in my view it's not safe.

[Ozpat Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ozpat]

My Grandtreks had at least 10k left in them and the wear was pretty even across the widths of all tyres but they were squealing around every corner by then even at a slow pace so I ditched them for BFG KOs.

[Hornet Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hornet]

Don't be a tightass, think of your families safety and the safety of other road users and get new rubber if you're in any doubt.

I personally don't go below 3mm. It might be legal to 1.5m, but in my view it's not safe.

Wow, a tightass?

How did you work this out? So, you are in the same category then (if you go up to 3mm)?

Where did I say I don't want to spend money?

Of course, the safety is paramount and that's why I asked the question.

Anyway, thanks for the input.

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

I tend to change the 4wd tyres a bit early, mainly because most have a habit of getting a bit hard and slippery in the wet plus I usually swap the Prado tyres onto the trailer so I don't have any that are too old. As for the Grandtreks I haven't used them since the first 30,000km on my 90 last century, they are the first against the wall come the revolution (new car).

[Whitey1 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Whitey1]

Grandtreks? Why would you want to leave them on at all?

[Ian Reid Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Reid]

I think you will find once any part of the tread reaches minimum they are illegal so I wouldnt try to wear them down all the way across tread

[Hornet Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hornet]

Thanks gents, much appreciated. Just ordered Toyo Open Country A/T II in LT. Fitting them in 10 days (due to being shipped from interstate).
Cheers

[Dakkas Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dakkas]

Wow, a tightass?

How did you work this out? So, you are in the same category then (if you go up to 3mm)?

Where did I say I don't want to spend money?

Of course, the safety is paramount and that's why I asked the question.

Anyway, thanks for the input.

No malice intended in my reply. Figure of speech and a comment intended to be general in nature. Your initial post suggested you were considering what to do. May I suggest if you are going to have thin skin, don't ask for opinions.

[topic97 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close topic97]

Ahh, another internet confrontation that could have been avoided by the use of a simple smiley face

[Hornet Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hornet]

Ahh, another internet confrontation that could have been avoided by the use of a simple smiley face

Agreed

[topic97 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close topic97]

Agreed

I use the bejeesus out of emoticons on my mobile - it's far too easy to mis-interperet messages & crack it over nothing!

[shodown Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close shodown]

It would depend on the type of driving you do, if you plan on anything offroad apart from beach then wearing them down to the indicators isnt going to do you any favours offroad.

Personally, I do a lot of km's so there is no risk of rubber hardening for me - I would have worn them down till its close to one of the indicators....after all, that's what they are for.

Obviously if you manage wheel spin / squeal or feel unsafe then changeover sooner.

However, my set I just changed at Xmas were Bridgestone HT that were still grippy right down to the canvas [ camber was out and they didnt rotate on the last service]. Cant comment on grandtreks.