I thought this was interesting for those who run tires down the the tread limits:

Stopping a Car

Even though the speed to begin braking the 3,400-pound BMW sedan was 20 mph higher than the 50-0 mph braking tests we conduct at The Tire Rack, the braking forces developed by the new tires felt reminiscent of full tread depth tires we've experienced on our home track. The car pitched forward as the brakes were applied, quickly took a set and slowed the car with authority. After repeated runs we learned that the average stopping distance for the new tires from 70 mph was 195.2-feet in 3.7-seconds.

Testing tires with the 2/32-inch minimum legal tread depth taught us the probable origin of the driver's accident report statement, "I hit the brakes hard, but nothing happened." There was a perceptible delay while waiting for the braking forces to grow after initiating the stop. Looking at the graphs recorded by the DriftBox confirmed this discomforting situation when we realized we were still traveling at about 55 mph on the tires with 2/32-inch of remaining tread depth when we reached the same distance it took the new tires to bring the BMW to a complete stop! This time the repeated runs taught us that the average stopping distance for the still legal 2/32-inch deep treaded tires from 70 mph had almost doubled to 378.8-feet and took 5.9 agonizing seconds to accomplish. We had the same car and the same brakes, but the tires with minimum legal tread depths weren't able to generate enough traction on the wet road to bring us to a quicker stop.



They ran the same tests with an F-150 and the stopping distance from 70 mph was nearly 500'.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=85

No surprise here. I never run a tire down to the wearbars. If I see too much of the lateral siping worn away for my tastes, off they go.

Last sunday morning we were coming back from Detroit in a driving,,, excuse the pun,,, rain. Doing about 65 and there was a 65 buick skylark beside us. Next thing I knew he went sideways, missed the back of the SL by inches, and backed across 3 lanes and into the median. I'll bet he had wide tires down to the wear bars. Matter of fact I'd bet money on it. Scared the crap out of all of us. My buddy who was following me almost T-boned the guy doing 65.

__________________
95 SL500 Smoke Silver, Parchment 64K
07 E350 4matic Station Wagon White 34K
02 E320 4Matic Silver/grey 80K
05 F150 Silver 44K

Brakes don't stop the car. People really need to learn that in driver's ed. Although, it's fun telling rice boys that.

__________________
1984 300TD

I never let my tires get down to the bar's. But I know a lot of people who are so cheap they run them until they are cracked slicks.


The problem with a lot of these modern cars are they wide tires. While wider tires proved more grip, they also hydroplane more easy than a narrow tire. So you need deep tread to prevent that.

Another problem, and this is directed at that 3 series is that BMW loves those wear out in 15k miles super expensive run flats. I know a couple BMW owner's and I am sure there are a ton out there, who run them until they are slick. They don't want to pay the $1,200 to change them so they get as many miles as possible out of them. I don't know what BMW is thinking.

__________________
2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Those soft tires and lotta negative camber are basically what accounts for a lot of the BMW handling. If they took those away, it'd be a Mercedes!

__________________
1985 CA 300D Turbo , 213K mi

Yep. When I take them off and sit them out by the street someone always takes them and uses them. I never run them down much either.

I wont run them with much less than half tread.

Tom W

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

40-series profile tires on the W124.

Cool stance, but I'm finding myself replacing these shoes every 15 months.

Good thing in a way, as the narrow profile doesn't allow for a whole lotta tread depth!

__________________
2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

I never skimp on tires either. It drives me nuts when you talk to certain people, usually old-timers for some reason, and they wear their tires down to the belts. It's like a point of pride or something.

I also feel snow tires should be mandatory here in Canada from say November-March, at least in northern areas.

__________________
Chris
2007 E550 4Matic - 61,000 Km - Iridium Silver, black leather, Sport package, Premium 2 package
2007 GL450 4Matic - 62,000 Km - Obsidian Black Metallic, black leather, all options
1998 E430 - sold
1989 300E - 333,000 Km - sold
1977 280E - sold
1971 250 - retired

"And a frign hat. They gave me a hat at the annual benefits meeting. I said. how does this benefit me. I dont have anything from the company.. So they gave me a hat." - TheDon

next time slash the sidewalls... A friend of mine tossed out a set of tires he used for drift racing and the set before someone took and was actually using(saw them in the neighborhood)... So on this set I took my box cutter and told him to slash the sidewalls..

they were taken by the city recycling truck or who ever takes hazardous waste and not by the cheap guy that has no concern for safety

No, you don't get the idea.

I intend for folks to get some use out of them.

If they take them that means that they are better than what they have.

Anything that is worthless I have the tire store dispose of.

Tom W

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Yeah but the run flats they put on all there cars now make them really expensive!

__________________
2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

ah .. ok.. got ya...


We just didnt want some guy using a set of well worn drift race tires... seeing as they only last one day of use and the cords are showing already..

I do S600 brake stands at every stop sign, new skins once a month.

__________________
'07 Yukon 2500
'13 Subaru Outback 3.6R
'13 Orbea Carpe 9-speed

Currently Benzless
Formerly: 300TD, S600, E55, 560SEL

---= The forest breathes, listen.
-Native American elder

Heck, I once had some really nice goodyear truck tires that were totally out of round but had great tread.

I put them out with a note saying they were out of round but would be good for driving around town.

......gone the next day.

Tom W

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.