Dunlop 17" wear indicators & replacement??

[bkwalker]

having recently looked at my front tyres i notice they are significantly worn.

there seems to be a little wear indicator about 1-2 inches in from the outer edge of the tyre.. it's kind of like a little bridge. i have worn my tyres down to this bridge..

does this mean they need replacing?
i am planning on rotating them ASAP,
but to me they look like they dont need replacing, just rotation...

seems to have 2-3mm tread on outer edge and 4-5mm tread in the middle

(the back tyres are in good condition)

thank you (apologies if this has been covered, i couldn't find it though)

[HarryHBMCC]

If you're down to the wear bars then they should be replaced. Rotating them to the back could be dangerous. That said, if they're worn on the outsides but fine in the middle then this indicates underinflation which causes premature wear.

Harry

[bkwalker]

thanks harry
why could rotating them be dangerous?

[bkwalker]

also harry,
what tyres do you recommend for replacements?

im a city driver, and have a little 'fun' sometimes whilst driving...
having said that, i do drive the car pretty hard

[HarryHBMCC]

Having very bald tyres on the rear compared to the fronts may mean the rears will hydroplane but the fronts won't which will cause some wicked oversteer when you least want it. If the tyres really are down to wear bars then putting them on the rears is not the best plan unless you live in a very dry area which never sees rain of fair amounts.

There are many tyre replacement threads already here. Do you want more runflats or do you plan on carrying tyre-weld and a compressor?

Harry

[bkwalker]

thanks for that harry

i just find everyones opinion very confusing because it looks like ive got A LOT of tread left in the middle.. just the outer edge is running low.. corning too fast obviously

will get a pro to check it out
i cant afford new tyres though

[HarryHBMCC]

Cornering too fast or low inflation or poor alignment. Swapping them to the rears will wear out the inside edges due to the (factory spec) camber. Perhaps you can rotate them. Any chance you could post pictures of the tread?

Harry

[bkwalker]

yeah i will post some pics later on today.. ive got an exam this afternoon and should be studying

i will use a match head as a measurement scale.. any other tips that could help?
pics wont be till at least 5:30pm my time.. its currently 9:30am in sydney

thanks harry. i appreciate it

[bkwalker]

here are some pics of my front right tyre... as you can see.. the inner tyre has PLENTY of tread left.. the outer edge is starting to thin out..

what do you think harry? i REALLY only want to rotate them.. i should be ok with that yeah???

as you can see by the pictures i am only just above the indicators...

http://www.mini2.com/gallery/personal/picture21833.html
http://www.mini2.com/gallery/personal/picture21834.html
http://www.mini2.com/gallery/personal/picture21835.html
http://www.mini2.com/gallery/personal/picture21836.html

cheers

Looks like normal wear to me... only the shoulders are running low on tread. This is normally caused by fast cornering... mine are the same

[bkwalker]

do u rotate often dabe?

im gonna go get mine rotated asap

ps. i like ur driving style if your tyres look the same hehe

bkwalker yea its what happens when you go on track days and like driving fast round roundabouts and stuff!

As for rotating them... I do but never do front-to-back.. always back-to-front, buy a new set of tyres stick them on the back and put the old rears on the front.. its always ALWAYS safer option if you ask me 

[HarryHBMCC]

Those tyres are pretty bald, even in the centre. As I said, if you don't see a lot of rain then you might be OK with them on the back but cornering through standing water will yield some oversteer if you take it too fast

Harry

[bkwalker]

thanks for your opinion harry...
yeah down here in sydney its summer now and we are in a drought so there is basically no rain at all!

its very safe to say that i'll be driving in dry conditions basically all the time..
i guess whenever it rains i will just have to drive safer

cheers