Need to replace?

[NMBurb02]

I dropped off my new (to me) Grand Prix in to have the wheels/tires balanced and rotated to see if that takes care of a high speed whine and steering wheel vibration. Shortly thereafter I got a call from the tire shop saying that a balance and rotate will not help because the tires are old and cracked, and should be replaced. I took his word for it, but didn't have time to replace them just then, so I picked it up and went on my way. Upon further inspection, I'm not sure the extent of cracking warrants replacement. However, I know very little about tires, so I thought I would get opinions from others who may know better. The tread probably has 10-15,000 miles left (especially with my gentle driving style), the cracking is only at the edge of the tread and not on the sidewall, and the date code is 0208, so they are only 5 years old. Based on these photos, should I replace?

 

[97f150]

5 years is about time to replace regardless of tread.

 

[JHZR2]

What is the wear bar measurement? Those tires look like no-name garbage that are worn out. The tread seems flat to one of the features in the pictures you show.

But if there is a suspension issue, fix it first, then get tires and alignment done.

 

[randomhero439]

Replace next year. Mercedes and Nissan specify new tires every 6 years regardless of tread. Michelin and Continental say a tire can last up 10 years depending on the condition.

Save up for a set to put on next year.

 

[Kuato]

IMHO: replace.

Looks like the edges are glazed, and that will make them much worse in the wet.

I'd have replaced them already.

 

[bepperb]

I would not spend more on balance/rotation and plan on some new tires in the next couple months. I don't think 15,000 miles is realistic, even if you live in a desert climate (I have no idea where Crowntown is, hopefully not in the snowy mountains).

 

[JimPghPA]

You gotts to be kidding me, those dry rot cracks indicate that the tire is totally worn out.

You would not ketch me going more than 20 MPH on tires with cracks like that.

Don't you realize that if one of these tires blows out at highway speed you could loose control of the vehicle. Driving on tires this bad is gambling with you life and the lives of others in vehicles around you.

What is the fastest speed that vehicle will be driven in the next several months? And if a tire were to pop like a balloon at that speed, would you be able to maintain control of the vehicle?

I would replace those tires ASAP. If money was tight, I would be looking for the best deal available, such as PepBous, or Wall-Mart.

 

[jorton]

You'll know it's time to replace when tires get hard. You can feel and hear worn out tires. They feel like wooden wheels.

 

[NMBurb02]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
What is the wear bar measurement? Those tires look like no-name garbage that are worn out. The tread seems flat to one of the features in the pictures you show.

Wear bar measurements are good. Still a good 1/4 inch or more until the tops of the wear bars. They are Toyo Spectrum Grand Touring and I have no idea how many miles are on them as I just purchased the car on Sunday.

Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
You gotts to be kidding me, those dry rot cracks indicate that the tire is totally worn out.

You would not ketch me going more than 20 MPH on tires with cracks like that.

Don't you realize that if one of these tires blows out at highway speed you could loose control of the vehicle. Driving on tires this bad is gambling with you life and the lives of others in vehicles around you.

What is the fastest speed that vehicle will be driven in the next several months? And if a tire were to pop like a balloon at that speed, would you be able to maintain control of the vehicle?

I would replace those tires ASAP. If money was tight, I would be looking for the best deal available, such as PepBous, or Wall-Mart.

Well, Jim, thanks for scaring the [censored] out of me! I am cautious and risk averse by nature and profession, but was unsure in this case. I will replace them within the next few days and the only driving on those wheels will be the 2-3 miles from my house to the tire shop!

So, does anybody have any suggestions for something in a 225/55R17 with a speed rating of H or higher? Money is not tight, but I don't want to spend $900+ on a set of tires if I can get something good for less. Not looking for high end performance tires, but something that will compliment the Grand Prix's sportiness.

While at Costco yesterday they gave me out-the-door price quotes (includes tax, mounting, balancing, TPMS, disposal, road hazard warranty) of $771.44 on a set of Bridgestones (Ecopia EP422 (eco) or Potenza G019 Grid, not sure which) and $835.36 on a set of Michelins (Primacy™ MXV4®, I believe) after a $70 off coupon.

 

[NMBurb02]

Originally Posted By: jorton
You'll know it's time to replace when tires get hard. You can feel and hear worn out tires. They feel like wooden wheels.

The car is new to me, so I don't know if the wheels are hard or it's just the suspension.

 

[bvance554]

Sure you could get more miles from them, but you brought the car in trying to correct tire noise. I would say the shop was correct in not doing the work because as worn as they are they're going to be noisy.

 

[Chris142]

We call those maypops. They may pop anytime.

 

[randomhero439]

I autocrossed multiple events on 8 year old tires that sat outside for 6 months in heat and rain. Idk why a $1000 set of used racing slicks were left outside... but they didnt break on me.
I also drag raced on another set of 8 year old tires with cracks on the sidewalls that were splitting. (i didnt notice at the time, as i had just bought my car)

All held up fine with no issues. However i did replace the tires before my next roadtrip. Splitting sidewalls are a little more dangerous than a minor cracking shoulder. Your tires are fine.

If your really nervous about it, go ahead and replace them if youll feel safer. Personally if it were my car, replace them if you get a good deal, or before winter sometime in september.

 

[gathermewool]

I think that the camera and flash may be causing the tires to look worse than they really are.

I also think that some of the doom-sayers are over-reacting. If the tread is good and the sidewalls look good, then I wouldn't personally worry about some cracks in the shoulder of the tire.

The noise will not go away, as the tire has worn enough to cause noise. I had a set of Toyo Proxes that did very well in dry and wet conditions, but began howling on the highway after the first year of use. They were just noisy tires.

If the tires are worn evenly (can't tell from pics,) then I'd skip the alignment for now. Balancing the wheels/tires shouldn't cost much, so that's not a bad idea, though I'd have the suspension inspected to see if anything in your strut assembly is worn.

 

[GC4lunch]

Originally Posted By: NMBurb02
So, does anybody have any suggestions for something in a 225/55R17 with a speed rating of H or higher?


These (click) would be the top option. But they are not cheap.

Originally Posted By: NMBurb02
Money is not tight, but I don't want to spend $900+ on a set of tires if I can get something good for less. Not looking for high end performance tires, but something that will compliment the Grand Prix's sportiness.


Not as good as the tires linked above, these economical tires (click) would be much better than the tires that you are replacing were when they were new. If you drive on wet roads, and if braking performance (stopping distance) on those roads is important to you, avoid tires that are designated all-season.

 

[randomhero439]

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?...romCompare1=yes

Check these out. They are very well rated, on sale, and will provide 30-40k treadlife while improving wet & dry traction over all-seasons.

 

[jegs]

IMO if there is any doubt when it comes to tires or brakes you just replace them. It just isn't worth putting you or your family at risk of an accident.

 

[Barkleymut]

Your tires are fine. Go walk around a Walmart parking lot and look at some of the tires. Half of them have bald underinflated cracks everywhere and they still made it. All 4 tires on my car look worse than yours and I am not replacing until my state inspection forces me to.

 

[eljefino]

They look fine. Keep an eye on them. You'll see tiny cracks on lots of tires. Those aren't close to going down to the cords etc. (You get structural failure when the belts corrode, again not the case.)

 

[Picky1]

I had those Toyo's on my wifes Honda I have to say they were the worst tire I have ever had. Poor performance across the board (rain, snow, etc.) plus they wore out quickly and got very choppy and noisey.