Car Tyre Tread Depth

DorsetDude

DorsetDude

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Basically when would you replace your driven tyres? (Fronts for most folk)

I believe the legal limit is 1.6mm. Mine were 3 - 4 mm in December.

Ive noticed some "scrubbing" when trying to pull away smartly.

So should I be thinking about replacing or wait until the depth is below say 2mm?

If I do go for replacing can anyone recommend a good economy/energy saving tyre that actually does?

Cheers
 
Scrubbing when pulling away smartly is poor accelerator and clutch control :) Classic wheel spin. There's a lot of gravel about so that won't help. You should able to pull away briskly but without spinning wheels.

I wouldn't run a tyre in winter below 3mm as the water dispersion isn't as good. Check across the whole width of the tyre with a 20p piece. The inner line is about 2mm so make sure each tread block is above that.
 
A friend of mine was a police driving instructor (he was a copper too ;)) - they always changed theirs when the tread got down under 3mm, he reckoned by then you had significantly less grip specifically in poorer conditions - which we get lots of in the UK :)

Can't help with energy saving tyres as such, I'd rather sacrifice a bit of savings for assured grip. If the tyres are maintained properly your fuel economy will be more influenced by your driving style than the tyres in my experience. Having said that, Michellin seem to be ok there.
 
Then be a bit lighter on the loud pedal.

I don't get scrubbing on my Freelander - nor do I aim to hit 30mph within a second of starting off
 
2.5mm-3mm is generally recommended as time for replacement, especially in the winter months.

As for scrubbing when pulling away..... summer/non-winter tyres lose performance at temperatures under 7c, it will of course vary from tyre to tyre but if you've got a harder compound the effect of temperature will be greater.
 
PaulButler said:
A friend of mine was a police driving instructor (he was a copper too ;)) - they always changed theirs when the tread got down under 3mm, he reckoned by then you had significantly less grip specifically in poorer conditions - which we get lots of in the UK :)

Can't help with energy saving tyres as such, I'd rather sacrifice a bit of savings for assured grip. If the tyres are maintained properly your fuel economy will be more influenced by your driving style than the tyres in my experience. Having said that, Michellin seem to be ok there.
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:plus1: Too right - don't take risks with tyres. They are your only contact with the road.
 
For the winter months, I would stay on the high side and treat 3mm as a minimum. If you're feeling tight, change them at 4 or 5 and keep the old tyres then swap them back to the part/well worn ones for the summer and save the fresher ones for next winter. It'll cost you for the changes unless you're on good terms with a local fitting place who will do it for beer... Not that I'd encourage tax avoidance or evasion!
 
arclight said:
:plus1: Too right - don't take risks with tyres. They are your only contact with the road.
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On an average car with average sized tyres you have about the same contact with the road as YOU do in a pair of shoes.


If its a car your keeping then I'd highly recommend some winter tyres too. Swap them back out when it warms up
 
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I cant believe a legal limit would be set which is dangerous to be honest. Doesnt make sense.
 
As ST4 says check the wear bars, it is also unlikely that the tyre will wear evenly so check across the tyre as well as around.

Also temperature is important. If you are getting wheel spin soon after you set off on a cold morning then it could just be that the rubber compound has hardened in the cold, winter tyres are designed to be softer so give better grip at lower temps, normal tyres are deigned for average UK conditions.
 
As with everything, there's a lot of 'depends' involved. I've had Michelins that were beow the legal limit with significantly more grip in heavy rain than the mid range Toyos I replaced them with (as I discovered to my cost when I slithered in another car when braking a couple of weeks afterward - no more cheap tyres for me). I'm pretty sure the legal limit isn't 'dangerous' but instead gives a decent margin of safety, but OTOH we may want more than 'good' performance from our tyres.
 
It's American but interesting comparison nonetheless.

4/32 = 3.2mm
2/32 = 1.6mm

 
I Change mine when they reach below 3mm. I go through about 2 pairs of rear tyres before the fronts need changed. I shouldn't have sent my car to Turbo Technics...too much fun :rolleyes:
 
Just as the old sailor said, it depends!

I vividly remember buying a Renault 21 Turbo and driving it to Snetterton ... and it kept trying to take me up the wrong side of the A11 which didn't half confuse the several lorry drivers who were coming down their own side of the road towards me!!

I assumed the car had a chassis shunt but it turned out the front Michelin tyres were tramlining all by themselves and they had 3.5 mm of tread remaining.

So as @ancient_mariner says, it depends - on lots of things; the suspension geometry of the particular car and the particular brand of tyre fitted and even on the geometry and tread of the rear tyres.
 
I change mine way early, big fan of lots of grip in the wet and its always michelins too.
 
I run 22" rims so due to the price I let mine go slick before replacing them:cool::D;)
 
Ah, tramlining, a Michelin speciality IIRC. :)
 
Try Pirellis on a Moto Guzzi Convert! Add an inch of snow... In-ter-est-ing handling!
 
Mr Bump said:
I change mine way early, big fan of lots of grip in the wet and its always michelins too.
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:plus1:

Factory fitted to my Peugeot and I see no reason not to use what the manufacturers recommend.
 
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I change mine when I feel the wet performance has become too poor. Bear in mind your tyres won't be performing as well in the winter (unless you have winter tyres of course!) so you may not need to change them just yet anyway, there's so much grit and crud on the road at the moment its not a nice time top be a tyre. Good tyres should give consistent dry performance right down till the rubber burns through to steel belt, but they don't all do and some can be useless with plenty of meat left on them.

I need to find something that can take fairly decent power through the front wheels. Rainsports it turns out can't.
 
BRASH said:
I run 22" rims so due to the price I let mine go slick before replacing them:cool::D;)
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I'm on 20's And they seem to go from new to scrubbed to bald waay to quickly.
Then again if you always try to wear out the Michelin mans head they will wear quickly..lol
 
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