Why Spend Money on Tires if you don't put Enough Miles?

I have a 2007 Tacoma. I purchased a set of Michelin tires (P265/70R16111T-ORWL) in 2015 for about $725.00 at Costco. It came with 70,000 mile warranty. Same year I purchased a small camper (3000 lbs). I towed it 10,000 miles with my Tacoma. After 5 years I only put 30,000 miles on my Michelin tires. I kept the truck in the garage away from the sun when I was not on the road. People say I should replace the tires since they are five years old. Tires do not look bad. So next time when I purchase my tires I do not want to spend that much money since their general life expectancy is about 5 years and I do not think I would put more than 30,000 miles in 5 years. Does that make sense? I probably put another 10,000 miles on my camper in the next 5 years. Any ideas about a set of reliable and inexpensive tires for my Tacoma ? Thank you

 

Rubber compound really effects traction. Be safe, if you gonna spend money anywhere in life it should be on good quality brakes and tires.
To be honest, I'm sure any name brand tire is fine. Just buy the one on sale if your not picky.

 

Tires........the only thing between you & the road at 70 mph

Knew an idiot...used to buy used tires & put them on his truck...

Never matched.....yea...an idiot...

https://www.discounttiredirect.com/learn/when-to-replace-tires

 

It’s not so much when you bought the tires but rather the manufacture date on the tires. Sometimes tires are warehoused and stored for years before they actually go to a retailer. Check the manufacture date on the tire. You can look on the net to see how to decipher the manufacture date.
Tires do deteriorate and the rubber compound brakes down and degrades. Look for cracks where the tire edge meets the wheel. Age and environmental factors cause the cracking. If you have cracking and the tires are more than 5 or 6 years old I’d consider replacing. Even if the tires look good at 10 years or more I’d replace them.
When buying new tires just get a good known brand and one that’s on sale. Also tell whoever you buy the tires from that only tires with a recent manufacturer date of 6 months or less from date of installation installation are acceptable.

 

This right here. If there is one thing that you dont skimp on with your vehicle. Its tires. Buy the best you can afford for the job they need to do. Replace them BEFORE they are balder then Telly Savalas. Your life does kinda depend on it.

 

I get a new set every year. Nothing like driving with new tires and alignment.

 

Tire life is dependent on many issues. Most experts recommend 5-8 years and climate matters. Tires kept out in the sunlight in Arizona will dry rot faster than one kept in a garage in a more northern state. Under the conditions your tires have been used you probably have a few more years.

 

I have DTD on speed dial......

 

I have Michelin also and don’t drive much, I look at good tires like an extra safety mechanism. If they keep me out of the auto body shop that’s a plus. They also give me confidence in bad conditions.

 

Check fully (including in the tread) for rot. I bought a Rav4 last year and while the sidewalls were fine there was rot between the treads..no problem, I just demanded new tires before buying it

 

Tire life.....interesting discussion. Many opinions, many mythconceptions, much confusion.

Yes, it is recommended to replace tires at 5 years from the date of manufacture. All tires have a 4 digit DOT code on the side the tire. Easy to read, first 2 digits are the year, ie:01=2001. Last 2 digits are the week of the year, ie 16=16th week of that year. So, a tire with a date code of 1552 (52nd week of 2015) or before is potential for replacement.

Rubber does degrade by the environment. The rubber begins to harden which will cause loss of traction. Typical, signs are cracking. Cracks become visible AFTER the tire has become trash. Cracks can appear near the rim (as stated) or in the grooves between the tread lugs and sipes. If you have cracks......you need new tires.

Riding a motorcycle has made me a bit phobic about tires. My contact patches between tires and pavement is about the size of 2 credit cards. I have scars from riding on old tires. Not saying 4 tires are as critical, but in an emergency, you want all the grip possible.


Suggest for the OP to purchase tires with a shorter life/mileage. Agree, hard to justify 70 kmile tire, then only use 30 kmiles to replacement. Although, there may not be a big price difference.

 

Nice camper! Casita?

 

I fully understand your position and desire to save some money. The problem is, when you buy a cheap tire, generally speaking, all you get is a cheap tire. There are number of things that go into the price of a tire, cost of materials, engineering and development, testing, etc. Save some money on any one of them and you might have a less expensive tire - that rides and handles like crap. But at least you saved money!

To give you a very personal example, a number of years ago I saved some money on a new set of tires on a Ford Ranger 4x4 I had since new. A friend worked at Sears and gave me a smoking deal on a set of Sears brand AT tires. The second day I had them on the truck, it rained. I crossed a steel deck bridge that I'd been over thousands of times in my life with no drama in all kinds of weather. At 30 MPH, the truck suddenly lost all traction and cocked full sideways on the bridge. Somehow I saved it. I drove slowly back to Sears and demanded my money back against a new set of BF Goodrich T/A's - which were significantly more expensive. Problems solved and lesson learned.

If you truly want to save some money, go to Tire Rack and do some research. (Their web site makes it very easy.) Compare actual reviews of tires and see what other people like you think of various tires. Then make your decision.

 

I’d drive them until they wear out.

 

I've never heard 5 years. I've always been taught not to use anything more than 10 years old. My last truck was bought with 8 year old tires and I was never concerned about them coming apart. Just keep an eye out for cracks and micro cracks and you should be fine.

 

The four things that connect you vehicle to the road should no be skimped on. I liken it to buying cheap sunglass.

 

Yes, it is a Casita.

Thank you all for your feedback! Now I have an idea about the tires. Enjoy driving your Tacomas! My 2007 Tacoma does not have any new gadgets like they have in new trucks these days. But like most of you I have a new radio with Bluetooth.

Last year I installed a dash-cam backup camera and I am still loving it. I thought I should share it with you all. They have a newer version too.


https://www.amazon.com/TOGUARD-Upgr...wg=YPqLF&ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_mcd_asin_1_img