Hello all,
I have General Altimax RTs (205/65R16 T-speed rated) installed on my car which I had installed in December 2012. The tires have 52k miles on them and my tire depth gauge reads 5.5/32" in the center of tread and 4/32" on the edges. I checked date codes and they were manufactured around October 2012.
The tires are loud and have some feathering but otherwise I haven't noticed any significant issues of any kind. I think I had the PSI a bit too high which may have contributed to this issue. Plus I likely need an alignment which would explain the shoulder wear.
My main question is in regards surface cracking following the tread pattern...most evident when it crosses the wear bars. Is this simple surface cracking I don't need to worry about since the tires are just barely 4 years old? From what I've read 6 years is usually the time to replace. These tires have never seen a garage.
What are your thoughts? I don't want to junk tires with plenty of life left in them but don't want to blow a tire here where road gators are commons sights. I figure if I keep them until they're at 4/32nds I can get another 10k+ miles out of them which would have me replacing them around this time next year.
Pictures of the tires can be viewed here
Thanks!
edit: For those who have terrible vision like me you should be able to use the Zoom feature when viewing the pictures
FYI: If you're wondering how to tell if your tires are feathered I've found the best way is to drive down a sandy road and then take a look at your tread - makes it very evident
I have General Altimax RTs (205/65R16 T-speed rated) installed on my car which I had installed in December 2012. The tires have 52k miles on them and my tire depth gauge reads 5.5/32" in the center of tread and 4/32" on the edges. I checked date codes and they were manufactured around October 2012.
The tires are loud and have some feathering but otherwise I haven't noticed any significant issues of any kind. I think I had the PSI a bit too high which may have contributed to this issue. Plus I likely need an alignment which would explain the shoulder wear.
My main question is in regards surface cracking following the tread pattern...most evident when it crosses the wear bars. Is this simple surface cracking I don't need to worry about since the tires are just barely 4 years old? From what I've read 6 years is usually the time to replace. These tires have never seen a garage.
What are your thoughts? I don't want to junk tires with plenty of life left in them but don't want to blow a tire here where road gators are commons sights. I figure if I keep them until they're at 4/32nds I can get another 10k+ miles out of them which would have me replacing them around this time next year.
Pictures of the tires can be viewed here
Thanks!
edit: For those who have terrible vision like me you should be able to use the Zoom feature when viewing the pictures
FYI: If you're wondering how to tell if your tires are feathered I've found the best way is to drive down a sandy road and then take a look at your tread - makes it very evident
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