WA 2 FST
01-13-2011, 07:13 PM
As I posted about a month ago... my son got his D/L. He put a sizeable down payment to buy my L from me back when he was 14. So I stored it for him, and when he got his permit, he started driving it and went through all of his driver's training with me in the truck.
So, I had to buy some new rear tires for the L. I had been storing it with the old Nitto DRs on it, and he drove it around for a year with his permit with those. But once he got his D/L, and would be potentially driving by himself in some bad weather, I wanted to make sure the rubber was good. The DRs were not worn out completely, but they were 4 yrs old.
So he's had the new Nitto 555s on the back for 2+ weeks now. I just went out and checked them this afternoon when he returned from school baseball practice. I was NOT surprised to find that the knobbies on the tread (not near the sidewall, but in the CENTER of the tread) are not even worn off yet. That's all the proof I need to know he hasn't even goosed it once.
I told one of my good friends the other day that the truck hasn't been driven this gently in its lifetime. He's not as anal as I am about keeping it clean, but then again, it is not garaged any longer (sits under a carport and is surrounded by walls on 3 sides, so it is as enclosed as you can get without being inside). He also doesn't have as much free time as I do to wash it. (I don't miss school one bit. :tongue:) But he is doing a great job driving. He had to drive home from church this past Sunday in 3" of snow/slush. Fortunately, I was riding shotgun. That was a good experience for him...taking things even slower than he already does, and leaving more distance b/w him and objects/vehicles than he already does. He learned that crushed snow is still very slick and the tires don't slow you down like they do on concrete.
Just thought I'd share... I am not telling him this story, but I thought it was funny that the knobbies were still on the rear tires. For most of us, those were gone within the first 300' we drove the vehicle off the lot!!
Will just hope things continue to go smoothly. One of his buddies already totaled a vehicle (no injury, and it was an old vehicle, which is why it was financially totalled), and I think that also has given him another incentive and even more respect for the privilege it is to drive.
So, I had to buy some new rear tires for the L. I had been storing it with the old Nitto DRs on it, and he drove it around for a year with his permit with those. But once he got his D/L, and would be potentially driving by himself in some bad weather, I wanted to make sure the rubber was good. The DRs were not worn out completely, but they were 4 yrs old.
So he's had the new Nitto 555s on the back for 2+ weeks now. I just went out and checked them this afternoon when he returned from school baseball practice. I was NOT surprised to find that the knobbies on the tread (not near the sidewall, but in the CENTER of the tread) are not even worn off yet. That's all the proof I need to know he hasn't even goosed it once.
I told one of my good friends the other day that the truck hasn't been driven this gently in its lifetime. He's not as anal as I am about keeping it clean, but then again, it is not garaged any longer (sits under a carport and is surrounded by walls on 3 sides, so it is as enclosed as you can get without being inside). He also doesn't have as much free time as I do to wash it. (I don't miss school one bit. :tongue:) But he is doing a great job driving. He had to drive home from church this past Sunday in 3" of snow/slush. Fortunately, I was riding shotgun. That was a good experience for him...taking things even slower than he already does, and leaving more distance b/w him and objects/vehicles than he already does. He learned that crushed snow is still very slick and the tires don't slow you down like they do on concrete.
Just thought I'd share... I am not telling him this story, but I thought it was funny that the knobbies were still on the rear tires. For most of us, those were gone within the first 300' we drove the vehicle off the lot!!
Will just hope things continue to go smoothly. One of his buddies already totaled a vehicle (no injury, and it was an old vehicle, which is why it was financially totalled), and I think that also has given him another incentive and even more respect for the privilege it is to drive.