Tyre tread wear indicators

[normspanners]

The mad thing is a car can pass an mot, with tyres on the limit, but the same tyres the police can do you, for bald patches on tyres, if they really want to.
It is a bit of a grey area, and very difficult to measure.
The really mad thing is large mini buses are allowed to go down to 1mm !! obviously they must think there is more weight to push the tyres down on the road!

 

[CRB]

My 'boss' I will not say 'superior' has some BMW 4WD thing, but this morning I noticed his tyres are about 20mm narrower each side than the rims. They are about 20mm deep too, nugget.

It may be the construction but it does seem to make a mockery of the wheel width.

 

[normspanners]

A lot of people are fitting narrower than normal tyres for the 'look' but it means touch a kerb, and bang your rim is gone!!

what is stretch?
“stretch” refers to stretching a narrower tire over a wider wheel, the sidewalls stretch from the lip to the tread

why do stretched tires?
well the whole thing started in germany/belgium, local laws required that the tire tread be within the fender line. well that doesnt allow one to run wider or lower offset wheels, so they put narrower tires on the wheel to maintain legality

when you would like to run really wide or low offset wheels and keep the tire tread at the fender

when you would like to go really low and not rub

from:-
http://www.zerotohundred.com/2010/fitting-stretched-tyres-the-extreme-japanese-way/

I am not sure about the legality of this, I dont agree with it because the tyre manufacturers usually state a required /suggested wheel width, for a stated tyre size, but I dont think there has been a test case on this.

 

[Wallace]

at the moment my car is a nightmare on wet roads. the tyre tread seems to have dropped off very rapidly over the last 600 miles, it understeers a bit now where as it used to grip really well. they were only cheap tyres but still annoyed that they have worn to the limit after 5k miles, my father bought a set of similarly priced tyres for his jag about 9k miles ago and they still have over 2mm on the front

If the megane has worn a set of tyres out then then you must have replaced everything at least twice in that time!

 

[DrDeAtH]

A lot of people are fitting narrower than normal tyres for the 'look' but it means touch a kerb, and bang your rim is gone!!


from:-
http://www.zerotohundred.com/2010/fitting-stretched-tyres-the-extreme-japanese-way/

I am not sure about the legality of this, I dont agree with it because the tyre manufacturers usually state a required /suggested wheel width, for a stated tyre size, but I dont think there has been a test case on this.

It's not illegal yet. But tyre stretching in my opinion is a stupid, dangerous practice.
In order to get the bead to seal and stay sealed you need to run silly high pressures. You pull out most, if not all of the sidewall flex. What this does to the carcass of the tyre is also questionable.

 

[Welderpaul]

My car has different tyre sizes from front pair to back pair. Many a heated debate with Kwik Fit when they try telling me I have the wrong tyres on.

 

[zzr1200]

My car has different tyre sizes from front pair to back pair. Many a heated debate with Kwik Fit when they try telling me I have the wrong tyres on.

Why go to K/F they're Muppets of the highest order and thieving scum to boot......

 

[zx9]

I use the lines around a ten pence piece.
Sorry I was reliving my youth!!

That was the old 10p, are the lines around the edge of a new smaller 10p the same?

 

[p0689109]

I concur with all your comments on the tyre wear but unfortunately the garage did not. We had just bought it and although it came with a 2 month warranty( we are a family business etc,.) they had no intention of paying out for two tyres. 225x65r17 not cheap! Going from your comments they were legal but as they put a new test on it and even replaced the rear brake pads as it was on their list of 15 safety checks they do to ensure the car they sell is roadworthy and safe it seems that marginal tread depth in the height of icy snowy weather does not come under their caring umbrella! Car dealers, don't you love them!! Again, as they were "legal" there is not much chance getting anywhere complaining.

 

[Wallace]

Once you've parted with your money the bargaining power has gone with a dealer!

 

[normspanners]

Again, as they were "legal" there is not much chance getting anywhere complaining.

Your only chance would be to get a friendly police man to look and give you a ' VDR present to an mot station when repaired note' as said, they have different views than us testers, you could then present that note to the dealer.
There is a charge for that to be done £10 but they should cover that for you.
As said a bobby can do you for a bald outer edge under construction and use, where a mot says it is MOT pass.
I have a friend who, IS A TESTER, who was done for a bald tyre that WAS an mot pass, he was given a fixed penalty and 3 points, under construction and use. Even though the car would pass an MOT.

 

[DrDeAtH]

Why go to K/F they're Muppets of the highest order and thieving scum to boot......

Use Event Tyres... They come to you, reasonably priced too.

 

[Robotstar5]

Always have the best tyres on the front, common sense that......

True for a RWD car, but you should put the best tyres on the rear of a FWD car, in both cases you drive to limits of the worst tyres.

 

[optima21]

Why go to K/F they're Muppets of the highest order and thieving scum to boot......

ahh but in 1998 they did sell me a lifetime warranty on my cars exhaust for £25, and being from Yorkshire, I need to get my money's worth out of it.

one day I'll get a refund once they stop making them

 

[SmartWerks]

True for a RWD car, but you should put the best tyres on the rear of a FWD car, in both cases you drive to limits of the worst tyres.

That's what I meant!!! Hence me saying it's easier to correct understeer.

not sure why i wrote front, where is my mind?

 

[Bill Edwards]

Guidance actually appears to be that the best tyres should be fitted to the rear whether the car is front or rear wheel drive. The idea being that regardless of whether the car is RWD or FWD it is still easier/safer for the average motorist to correct understeer.

 

[normspanners]

The idea being that regardless of whether the car is RWD or FWD it is still easier/safer for the average motorist to correct understeer.

I know this is the stated case.
As a bald tyre grips better than a treaded one on dry tarmac, tread doesn't really make any difference until the road is wet.
I would much prefer to have good tyres upfront and get less aquaplaning on the front tyres and the rear will follow, at least you can steer it.
Also a braking caused under steer, in slippery conditions is VERY hard to recover from, for a novice, because you foot is planted on the brake and it will not do as it is told and come off the pedal. Even with antilock brakes.

 

[p0689109]

Just bought 2x225 65 r17 from a supplier on the bay, new, delivered for £112.40. The tyre fitting garage I normally buy from wanted £104 ea for their cheapest new fitted all in. They are going to fit these for £15 ea so works out at £142.40. Mind when I replaced my Tiguans tyres recently all 4 Michelins cost me £500 all in! "Best Tyres" in Stoke is the firm I use.

 

[Rocketman]

I know this is the stated case.
As a bald tyre grips better than a treaded one on dry tarmac, tread doesn't really make any difference until the road is wet.
I would much prefer to have good tyres upfront and get less aquaplaning on the front tyres and the rear will follow, at least you can steer it.
Also a braking caused under steer, in slippery conditions is VERY hard to recover from, for a novice, because you foot is planted on the brake and it will not do as it is told and come off the pedal. Even with antilock brakes.

In general terms a tyre that has no tread should have better grip in the dry. But this isn't all what comes into it unfortunately. Most tyres were not designed for such high wear and with so much rubber lost the whole tyre characteristics change - heat loss/gain, compounds vary at different depths. So with this a tyre designed for general road use may well perform better with a reasonable amount of rubber on in the dry than being highly worn - seen it before bold tyres literally locking up with hardly any use of the brakes in very hot weather.

Tyres are very vehicle dependant on which position the worn tyres are best (front or rear). Case and point would be a 205gti or 106gti, worn tyres on the rear and high grip tyre on the front in wet weather can be lethal. Unlike most front wheel drive cars they can get the back end out and when it goes it goes. Best answer really is avoid worn tyres on all cars.

 

[brightspark]

if u want to end up in the hedgeback or run up the back of someones car run worn tires or cheap 3d world country tires. a good brand and good tread wont let u down and is worth the extra money in the long run even the short one