You've got 98,000 miles on a set of tires on a vehicle that won't be built for four years? Man, you must put a LOT of miles on your vehicles!
At 98,000 miles, those tires are probably pretty thin; and living where you do, you need to think about snow, and traction in snow. Are the wear marks showing? Plus, the manufacturers recommend seven years as kind of the outside lifetime for tires. So, yeah, I'd stay close to home and not drive fast until you can get them replaced.
Can't help on the whatsit. For all I know, it's a leatherworking tool of some kind.