CanadianMoFo

Does anyone know (or could go measure) what the starting tread depth is for the Goodyear RS-A tires on the 2004 Maxima SE? I'm trying to calculate approximately how many more kilometers I can get out of mine before they're useless.

CM.

lightonthehill

If nobody else answers, a safe bet is they started with 10/32nds inch tread depth.

Why is it expressed as 10/32nds instead of 5/16ths? Because tread depth has been measured in 32nds of an inch since back in the 1950s (and probably earlier).

From the mid 1060s until the late 1990s, most passenger cars came with tires having 11/32nds inch tread depth. The much lower profile tires (designed for higher speeds) of the last five or ten years usually begin with 10/32nds inch tread depth.

The Conti tires (55 profile) on my '04 SL came with 10/32nds inch tread depth.

If anyone here has an '04 SE with VDC/TCS system, the spare tire will be a new Goodyear RS-A, and my 'guesstimate' can be double-checked.

Please keep in mind that tread usually tends to wear slightly more quickly when a tire is new than when the tread is well-worn. This has an explanation based on physics, but we don't need to dig into that here.

Lastly, don't be surprised if 45 profile tires like the Goodyear RS-A last less than 30K miles. With even mildly aggressive driving and a goodly supply of curves, that figure could easily drop as low as 20K.

JiuJitsuThug

iTrader: (1)

The RSA's SUCK! Mine actually split and began losing air at 17K miles. Could have been very dangerous situation if they completely failed and blew out on me. Replaced them with some sweet Yokohama's. Rides much tighter now.

Mike_TX

How many miles ya got, Canadian? I'm at 17,000 (approx. 27,900km?) and there's still a lot of useful tread left on mine. Still, I'm not counting on more than maybe 30,000 miles tops.

When my tires start getting worn down around the wear bars, I replace 'em ... it's not worth the risk to get a few extra miles out of them.

Mike

Bobo

I have 53,100 miles on my stock Goodyear Eagle RS-As. I blew the right rear tire about 7,500 miles ago and have the spare in that position. Consequently, I am no longer able to rotate the tires. The left rear is still in pretty good shape. The two front tires probably have about 6,000 or 7,000 miles left in them. I don't drive overly aggressively and try to maintain the tires at 33 psi front and 32 back, but they sometimes get down to closer to 30 in the winter.

CanadianMoFo

Oh I don't have that many miles on them at all. I always replace my tires before they get to the wear bars. Once they start hydroplaning a bit in standing puddles of water in ruts on the highway, off they go.

Bobo

My tires are not down to the wear bars yet. I may experience longer tire life than the newer cars as my tires are: 215-60R-15s. I have the stock rims as well as tires. I suspect the 15s provide longer tire life as well as improved fuel economy.

lightonthehill

My congrats to rmurdoch. He is getting far more miles on the Goodyear RS-A tires than any poster I have seen here. Many have problems with them early on, and several have expessed disappointment with the fast wear.

I personally have not gotten great mileage on low profile tires, although I don't drive wildly, and am very careful to keep the inflation right. I only got 30K on my last set of Michelin Pilot XG-4s (on a 2000SE), and 30K on the Toyos that preceeded them. But then I replace when the first tire reaches the first wear bar, as much of the ability to funnel water from beneath the tread is gone by that point.

I bet rmurdoch has yet to challenge his first T-Type. And he probably thinks a jackrabbit is a creature that munches greenery. I try to drive as rmurdoch probably does, but often fail.

Mike_TX

Well, actually (at least in theory), the 15's should wear a bit quicker, all other things being equal. Reason is, a smaller-diameter tire has to make more revolutions to cover the same ground as a larger tire. It is "geared lower" in gear-speak than an 18" tire, for example.

Having said that, all things are not equal. Yours are 60-series tires, which have a greater diameter per inch of wheel/tire size than the 45-series tires on the '04 SE. That gives them more sidewall height, allowing a bit more flex, whereas stiffer sidewalls force the tire to "slip" a little more and thereby wear a little faster under the same circumstances. They're also narrower, applying less tread surface to the road. There are other factors rooted in physics that differentiate the two tires as well, but suffice to say your mileage will vary from mine.

Still, I'm with lightonthehill ... that's dang good mileage!

Mike

kb0uy

[I have 22,000 on mine and had to have all 4 replaced last week due to cracking in the inside sidewall. All 4 was adjusted due to the defect and it cost me $368. There was still plenty of tread wear left.

lightonthehill

I made my post before I saw rmurdock's last post. I was thinking his Gooryear RS-As were the 45 profile on the '04 Maxima, and could not believe how many miles he was getting from them. I was ready to insinuate a fairy was replacing his tires every few months with new ones.

But he is still getting very good mileage, even for a 60 profile on a 15 inch rim. I ran that size for 206,000 miles on a 1985 Maxima, and usually got only about 40 - 45K on them. And I was poorer in those days, and ran them down past the 'wear bars'.