[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Tire wear, all-seasons, and stuff


I'm back!  ('90 200aq)

A couple of weekends ago, I was in Tahoe.  I tried to do a U-turn 
where there really wasn't enough cleared room, by trying to power 
through about a foot of not-so-soft snow.  I got stuck, but I had a 
friend in the car who pushed me out.  Unbelievbly embarassing, 
especially as I'd taken the opportunity to mock him for getting his 
Jetta stuck in the same spot the same morning...

Anyway, my front tires are going bald.  The tread on the inside edges 
of the tires has disappeared for about an inch, and the tread on the 
outside corners has disappeared for a much smaller distance.  The 
tread in the middles doesn't look very bad (it's over twice as deep as 
the wear indicators).  The right tire seems a little more worn than 
the left.

BFGoodrich Comp T/A all-seasons, 25-30k miles or so.

I guess I need to replace them.  I live in the bay area, which means 
that most of my driving is on dry (occasionally wet) roads.  The last 
time it snowed here was about 20 years ago.  But I love skiing, so I 
really do need decent performance on snow and ice in the mountains.  I 
don't have room for another set of wheels.

My driving style is usually (not always) pretty mild, which gives me 
some leeway in terms of compromising in favour of snow traction.

How important is it to replace all four tires at once?

I've been running them at the recommended pressure, but if the 
outsides are worn, that implies that they're a little soft.  At what 
pressure should I really run them?  People who drive a lot in the snow 
like thinner tires.  Overinflating tires decreases the contact patch 
size too.  Does it increase snow traction?

My car has (I think) original suspension.  The front shocks are a tiny 
bit soft.  In view of the uneven wear, am I likely to find out that I 
need to replace suspension components too?  How much should this cost?

What are some good all-seasons that I should look at?  Anywhere near 
Palo Alto recommended?

Thanks much for any clues!
-- 
bwpearre@alumni.princeton.edu	http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~bwpearre