Thoughts on Tire Wear

Trying to decide on getting a new set of tires. Would like to get some input given my scenario.

Planning on heading to Baja with my 2016 Tacoma and Four Wheel Camper for 9 days. Have a set of BFG KO2 E rated with 50k miles. Tread is about 4/32 in most places to the exception of the front L inside and R outside which are very close to the wear bars (alignment obviously off). The rear tires are 4/32 in all places.

While it is apparent I will ultimately need new tires I will likely be trading this truck in for a DCLB or possibly a 2021 Tundra once we have a baby in May. I'm hesitant to drop $800 on tires for truck I will likely only have for a couple more months.

Any thoughts on safety of taking these tires south of the border in this condition.

 

are you going alone or with some friends? Is your wife going with you? With a camper in the bed for added extra weight I would not chance it if I was traveling on my own. If you were just going around Flagstaff no big deal, you're close to home.

 

They will likely go some more miles, but at lots of downside. The likelihood & incidence of puncture or other road hazard failure is now increased many times. Also the traction has been reduced. You've amortized them and gotten their best miles.

I run KO2's (currently on 4 vehicles) and I change them out at 30k miles and give the old ones away. I haven't had a failure on one for many years and many sets of them. I love the E Rated KO2's for this reason, and that they do everything pretty darn well.

 

Let me try this from a different angle. How much of a worrier are you? (No right or wrong answers, not judging, everyone has different ways of dealing with stress.) Here is how that question applies to tires.

Are you the type that will spend a good chunk of those 9 days thinking about your tires, checking on them at every stop, clenching cheeks with every pothole? Will you even possibly lose sleep on them, or worse, consider skipping over a location that you would have otherwise visited? Or are you the type that says "eh, theyre probably good," and they wont even cross your mind again, not once, for the duration of the trip?

Answering the above, would the cost of a new set of tires be a worthwhile expense to you, to remove another layer of stress that might otherwise taint your vacation?




Oh, and get that alignment fixed.

 

Get a good plug kit like saftey seal and run it. The carcass is what gives you the most flat protection.

 

And from a different angle: How prepared are you to deal with a blown out tire on the trail, and does it louse up your day or plans?
For several decades a blown tire was just a normal occurrence for me, no big deal, didn't mind it. Now a days, not so much.