Does tread wear less as depth decreases?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Jun 21, 2009
Messages
1,224
Location
Missouri
I usually get beyond tread wear warranty. I've run two sets of Michelin HydroEdge tires to 80K miles on my 2001 Accord, same distance as the OEM Michelins.

The Michelin Defenders that are on the car now have a bit over 30K on them and they have worn out 4/32" of the original 10/32" leaving 6/32" of tread depth. I've used about 1/32" per 7500 miles which means I'll be down to the wear bars at 2/32" around 60K miles at the rate the first 4/32" wore away.

Unless decreased tread depth dramatically slows the wear rate, I'm not on track to make it to the 90K warranty on these tires. Rotations have been on schedule and all tires are wearing perfectly evenly.

Does tread wear slow enough as the tread gets shallower that I might make it to the mileage warranty?
 
Have you had your suspension and steering system checked for wear? You may be due for some parts or an alignment at the very least.
 
Originally Posted By: anonobomber
Have you had your suspension and steering system checked for wear? You may be due for some parts or an alignment at the very least.


All tires are wearing evenly, I don't think that is it.
 
I have never gotten the tread life warranty out of a set of tires

But my roads and driving style can take the blame for that

IME wear should taper off as the tread does, but I guess it's not a guaranteed phenomenon.
 
Yep,
Yokoham recommended shaving their A008s for track use. A mag article from the 90s showed greater (racing) life with a shaved versus full depth tyre...again on the track.

A workmate decided that he "wasn't going to have them turn half his tyre to dust" on his weekend hillclimber, and found that perversely, they lasted longer shaved.
 
I had a uniroyal tiger paw with 3/32 I remounted on a couple different cars and the stupid thing never crossed the wear bars.
 
Originally Posted By: ledslinger
Does tread wear slow enough as the tread gets shallower that I might make it to the mileage warranty?


I think it does. The first bit goes quite fast, the last few 32nds seem to take forever. They would go a lot longer but I change them before I get to the wear bars for hydroplane safety reasons.
 
You had Michelin HydroEdges? I'm sorry to hear that.

I had them and had them replaced at about 62k miles with around 6-7/32" because they were garbage, wore well but junk.

I think it depends on the tire, the Defenders may just be doomed to wear faster than the others.
 
A couple of thoughts:

1) Yes, the first few 32nds of tread depth (or mm's!) wears more rapidly than the last few. That's because the taller tread element is less stiff.

2) Most tire wear occurs in the cornering mode. Straight ahead driving is practically free! So the amount of miles you get before the tires are worn out is more about how many turns you take compared to how many miles you spend on the straights. A guy with a 10 mile commute probably makes the same number of turns as a guy with a 30 mile commute. The result is the 30 mile guy gets more miles out of this tires.
 
Originally Posted By: CapriRacer
A couple of thoughts:

1) Yes, the first few 32nds of tread depth (or mm's!) wears more rapidly than the last few. That's because the taller tread element is less stiff.

2) Most tire wear occurs in the cornering mode. Straight ahead driving is practically free! So the amount of miles you get before the tires are worn out is more about how many turns you take compared to how many miles you spend on the straights. A guy with a 10 mile commute probably makes the same number of turns as a guy with a 30 mile commute. The result is the 30 mile guy gets more miles out of this tires.

I think that sums it up pretty good.
 
My son drove this car about 10K miles living in Aspen Colorado area. Driving on seriously curvy mountain roads could be what scrubbed off some tread. I thought if that was it I would see some wear on the shoulders, but there isn't any apparent. This might explain the more rapid tread wear than the last 3 tires sets on this car.

My son drove most of the miles on these tires and he does drive a little faster and more aggressively than his mom who put most of the miles on the other 3 sets.
 
Originally Posted By: ledslinger

My son drove most of the miles on these tires and he does drive a little faster and more aggressively than his mom who put most of the miles on the other 3 sets.


Bingo !
 
Here's the deal. As tires are heat cycled they get progressively harder.

It doesn't have anything to do with tread depth. That's why you see all the deals on used race tires. They've gotten too hard to grip properly.
 
Engineer hat on. I think most tire molds have draft built into the tread, so that the tire can more easily release from the mold. The tread blocks are not vertical, they have a slight angle to them so they are more narrow at the outer edge and wider at the base. Some tires have features like sipes that only go partial depth, so the sipes disappear at say 50% wear.

Basically, the tread meeting the road increases as the tire wears. Taken to the limit: when your tread is completely gone, you have 100% of the tire touching the road - wear would be slower.

Fun fact - the local PD and FD auction off their tires at 50% wear, and replace with new. Great deal for cheap bastids like me who can fit PD tires on their grocery getter.
 
Originally Posted By: turtlevette
Here's the deal. As tires are heat cycled they get progressively harder.

It doesn't have anything to do with tread depth. That's why you see all the deals on used race tires. They've gotten too hard to grip properly.



I didn't know this. Good to know.
 
Is there not some effect of taller tread sections allowing the tread to squirm instead of slide, which would slow wear?
I'm thinking of cars with aggressive rear alignment specs that wear the inside edges. Once the tread gets short enough not to squirm anymore, I'd think it would wear faster as its now sliding all the time.
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
I had a uniroyal tiger paw with 3/32 I remounted on a couple different cars and the stupid thing never crossed the wear bars.
I have a set of those in 205 60 15 which have worn very slowly.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top