Hi All,
I have a tire rotation question, i missed the tire rotation at last oil check and when i visited for oil change appt recently, the oil change mechanic suggested not to rotate the tires

I have 3/32 on front and 6/32 in rear
FWD Accord lx
47K miles on the original tires.
location California, i have some hill drive and rain weather going on now days , but haven't faced any issues yet based on current tire thread.




Considering tire traction and economy, please suggest :

if i should rotate the tires or
wait few months and change only front two tires or
change all four ?

 

Understand that the primary function of tread on a tire is to divert water from beneath the tire to improve traction and avoid hydroplaning on wet roads. Tires become unsafe when they're worn, and once the tread is down to 1/16th of an inch, the tire is no longer safe.

At 3/32, the tread is just over 1/10 of an inch, 2/32 is considered to be a minimum standard for replacement. Tests have shown that vehicles with 2/32 tread require an additional 100 feet (depending upon road conditions) to stop.

This is another situation that demands a personal decision, however, were these tires on my car, I would (at the very least) replace the two that are at 3/32... and, another personal decision... If affordable, I prefer to replace all 4 tires at the same time.

Coincidentally, I was at a tire dealership today, replacing the tires on my daughter's car. The front two obviously needed replacement and the rear two were marginal. The sales' person recommended moving the two rear to the front and just buying two tires to then mount on the rear. I said to him, "I'd rather have the new tires on the steering". He replied, "...having your best tires on the front is a myth.. you need the best in the rear, regardless of front or rear drive, in order to prevent fish-tailing"

I'm going to have to think about that one.. I bought 4 new tires. Perhaps someone can chime-in with their opinion.

Wishing you the best with your Accord

 

I have to agree with you on replacing all 4. I'm not sold on 2 at a time. But, I guess the bigger unasked question is how old are the existing tires? They might be getting close to being "aged out". What brand are they? Michelins? If so, they're normally about 60 to 80K tire, which means they should be about half worn out (or are half worn out). If they're some other brand, then you might not get that kind of mileage out of them. Just my take. YMMV.

 

all tires in my car are original, came with the new accord in 2013, they are firestone.

 

The argument for putting the best tires on the back, is about controlling the car if they begin to lose it. Rear tires breaking away is harder to control, especially when your instinct says to brake. Braking shifts the road force towards the front, and makes the rears even less stable.

 

Thanks, Jim, that explanation does make sense

 

Ok, those are probably a 60K tire, which means they're definitely half worn out at 47K. They're also not aged out yet.
From what I understand, if you're replacing 2, they should be an alike tire (same mfg and tread pattern). The way I understand it, is that if you're using 2 different manufactures tires and tread patterns, it'll effect braking. I'm not a tire guy by any means, but it does make sense as the 2 manufacturers use different compounds in their tires.
I don't know if you like the Firestones or not, so I can't say what to replace them with. Were they loud when new? Did they hold the road good? Are you pleased with them? Just asking, as these are the questions you have to ask yourself, if you want another set of them, or get something else.

 

leaning towards Michelins, costco has deal going on ...
about $120 each installed.

never tried them so let me know if any redflag or other recommendations ...

 

Not a red flag; just personal experience. I'm having the OE Michelin's on my 2015 Touring Hybrid replaced this morning with just under 20K miles on them and just over half the tread left. Been my experience that Michelin's don't "wear out" as much as they degrade with heat cycles; rubber gets hard and they ride harder, don't grip as well, and make more noise. Came across a fantastic deal at the Discount Tire eBay Store on a set of Continental Control Contact Tour A/S Plus that are going on this morning; by my research and experience (sets on daughter's, step son's, and 1 close friend's cars) the Continental's are the best right now. Going to bring the Michelin's home for sale on Craig's List or sale to a used tire place as a last resort for their disposal.
My $0.02