Just wondering if its typical to go through rear tires as often as it seems. I own a 2004 since new and have had basically trouble free driving. After finally getting rid of the crappy run flats, i put on a complete set of ps2. Definately the right move, car felt much better to handle. My question is are the tires that soft that after 4000mi i hardly have any thread left on the rears?(fronts are fine) No i do not drag race the car, or dump the clutch and burn the rubber. Most of the driving is in Florida so i understand the heat off the asphalt is an issue...but geez, pretty expensive 4000 miles. When i had the ps 2 installed they were balanced, had an alignment, and nitrogen put in. Are there other options in tires as money doesnt come to me like it used to. thanks for any comments
Mich PS2...very low thread with only 4000mi????
- Thread starter sssikvipe
- Start date
TheOldViperMan
Enthusiast
Cars are like wives. They both have needs. Vipers were made to be driven. Wives . . . well ya know.
It could be a neighbor trying to help you with the viper.
I had a neighbor help me with both.
He wound up with the viper and the wife.
I sure miss that red viper.
But SSG ain't too bad.
It could be a neighbor trying to help you with the viper.
I had a neighbor help me with both.
He wound up with the viper and the wife.
I sure miss that red viper.
But SSG ain't too bad.
Flexx91
Viper Owner
This is not normal. Is someone else driving your car besides you?
AZTVR
Enthusiast
If you are down to "thread," that is certainly worn severely !! LOL. Seriously, though, is the tread worn evenly across the tire or is the problem you are describing only at the outer or inner edge? Since it is only the rears, if you are only driving "casually", and if the wear is limited mainly to edge, I would take it to a different place to check alignment.
i agree, very weird, i am the only one who drives the car. the car is parked in sw florida from may to oct in my garage as i summer in the north( i have a muscle car up north). I do not leave the keys out but rather keep them locked up in a safe.....so i dont get it. has to be an alignment, i guess. I am going to buy some new rears, and this time, get the car checked monthly for an alignment....if its not normal for that kind of wear, then that can only be the reason. thanks for the comments guys
Could very well be the alignment , but if you bought tires quite awhile ago , may be good to just do a full set. Frankly , you won't pay much more for a full set of Michelin Pilot Super Sports than you would finding some older PS2 rears. Get ahold of TireRack or Partsrack and see what they have in stock. If you call TireRack , ask for Luke Pavlick at extention #4362 - he has been helping alot of Viper owners for well over 15 years.
while 4000 miles does seem really excessive. I've been told The roads in South FL cut title life IN HALF. compared to the black top most of the country has.. Some say BS, but there is definitely evidence to support.
I had a Mercedes E63, that with 9000 miles on the odometer, was showing threads on the rear tires.. Sure, I drove it spirited occasionally. But honestly, no burnouts, drag racing, etc.. Many of those miles were with my kids in car, at normal highway speeds.
I had the car for 36k miles, and in the time. I replaced 2 full sets and 1 rear (at 9k)... crazy.... I know.
I had a Mercedes E63, that with 9000 miles on the odometer, was showing threads on the rear tires.. Sure, I drove it spirited occasionally. But honestly, no burnouts, drag racing, etc.. Many of those miles were with my kids in car, at normal highway speeds.
I had the car for 36k miles, and in the time. I replaced 2 full sets and 1 rear (at 9k)... crazy.... I know.
denniskgb
Enthusiast
I think its time to ditch Florida. Just think about the money you gonna save
Flexx91
Viper Owner
I have two fronts with 8/32 tread depth (8.5/32 is brand new) for sale.
Dennis, lol, where are the old folks gonna go.....dont you want them off your roads. Thank you Bill for the advise, i dont think its aligment, took them to a tire store guy and he says even wear so not alignment. I think it might be a florida issue. When I went to the tire store, they told me not all at surprised. Even without leaving rubber, doing a little aceleration at lights, while maybe subtle, are actually wearing the rubber quicker than you'd think, plus the hot roads( i dont believe in skip shift). So with all that in mind, i guess it is what it is. Now the question of what tires to go with. Do i just get two new rears, or go four new Super sports all around. Talking today to Jon B, he was very informative(and aggressive) on buying all four new ones...the ps2 are prob going the way of the dinosaur. Flex, thx for the offer, but its the rears i need.
Allan
Enthusiast
Geez..........
What does Florida use for road pavement?
Does it have some kind of aggressive sandpaper-like texture, or what?
Should I move down there and open a new tire shop?
-I could be selling each customer a new set of tires every 3 or 4 months.
What does Florida use for road pavement?
Does it have some kind of aggressive sandpaper-like texture, or what?
Should I move down there and open a new tire shop?
-I could be selling each customer a new set of tires every 3 or 4 months.
Flexx91
Viper Owner
Driving in Florida is no different than driving in South Texas in regards to the heat. I've owned three Vipers in addition to other cars and have never had an issue with premature tire wear due to the surface temperature of the roads.
Brian E
Viper Owner
Doesn't Florida add ground up tires to the asphalt that they use to pave the roads? I remember someone else telling me they lived in Florida and encountered premature wear on all four of their PS2 tires. Was thinking he thought this was the cause.
Don't mess with tires. Too many Viper owners have totaled their beautiful Vipers due to old, worn out tires. Don't even mess around. Call TireRack and you will save a bundle. Never buy used old tires either...just not worth it. Ask yourself whether you and your life are worth a new set of tires every couple years. It is just the cost of ownership. Anything other than new, fresh rubber on your 600 HP car is just plain foolish. Be smart! 
Enjoy that beast in good health!
Enjoy that beast in good health!
Need someone from Florida to confirm ,but thought they used ground up seashells on some of their roadwork??
I've really enjoyed my Super Sports that came new on my car when I bought it from the previous owner. Rears lasted around 25k miles here in Kansas, fronts still probably have half tread left. I picked up a new set of rears and will likely do all 4 next time around. It only took me 1.5 years to hit 25k, so the fronts are still fresh. I'd certainly agree that mixing different tires front to back is a no-no, different tires of the same make is a little trickier and something I'm willing to take a chance on as I daily drive my car and want to get as much money and miles out of them as I can. I don't really drive all that agressively around corners anyway. There aren't many of them to be found in Kansas to begin with, lol.
